Why is my stove smoking after Cat replacement?

I called the stove manufacturer and he like me do sent think any tiny gap at the housing is where smoke comes from. We both feel that smoke wants to take the easiest route which would be through the cats, so gasketing it will be overkill.

Also called applied ceramics. They told me that the cat was functioning whick I knew but was concerned about smoke. I told him I had 3 pieces of pine and 2 hardwood and he said he would not burn pine unless he had to. That it had too much creosote in it. He said the folks up both and west have too. I said creosote is not a component in wood but a byproduct from incomplete combustion. Silence on the phone. He said no or well I would not burn pine. Also I asked his definition of seasoned or what MC does he want to see the wood. He said ultimitly 10-18% but is more realistic on the east at like a Max of 21-23% I think.???? And that seasoned was under cover for a year. I said oak won't get that low.

I told him I would try it with just hardwood under 20% and look in the day and see what I see.

This was hanging around. Pretty sure was not steam. That's what AP was saying but I told them it was hanging around

The tray is keeps flames off them. It draws smoke in through the ends of it. I think buck 91 is a similar design? The cat probe sits on the front of the stove and is right over the cat. I only have one probe on the right so I don't know what the left actually is I just assume the same. There is another. Port but I have not put. The cash into another.

The probe sits in between the top of the firebox and the outside topplate in that area the smoke traces through on its way out the exhaust exit.

I get good complete burns and heat close to 2500 sqft with it in my mild climate. And get 8-24 hour burns depending upon how hard I push it.

Yea sorry I didn't mention that thought u could tell. But yes they sit on some welded brackets about an inch off the trough bottom.

I just had the stove out before the fire. And it goes back all the way. It just is like a half inch plate that slides sack over opening . It closes onto a lip.

Talked to stove manufacturer and they said there is no gasket there or needed. Smoke will take the easiest way out. I may pull it back down and use the old window glass gasket I pulled off and tape it in place on the housing g and rebolt it back up.

Pulled the cat housing down. I took the old window gasket out of the trash that I pulled out earlier this season. I cut it up into lengths and then taped it to the top of the housing where it mates to the top part of the stove.

Stove never had a gasket here nor was designed for one but this should seal any gap that would be there.
The tape is just masking tape to hold it in place. This was 1 year old window glass gasket. Gasket was still good but there was no sticky. I pulled it out to change the window gasket as it was not tight. I doubled up the gaskets there to tighten it up. Previous thread somewhere here about that.

It did look like smoke was sneaking around the ends on the small side. Since I was burning mostly pine the soot track was noticeable. Not crazy but noticeable.

That is flat window gasket. Other is flat "cat" wrap gasket around the cat. The gap you see is burned up gasket.

Look back to the original pics. Its there its just soothed up. I am positive no smoke is making by, right around the immediate sides of the cats in the housing.

The latest pics look a little deceiving as the gasket looks loose around the long edges of the cat. That's because its just flipping over. They sit raised up a 1/4" from the housing. But that gasket is right where it sits against the metal.