How to remove the cat in a King Ultra and re-install in laymans terms.

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ohlongarm

Minister of Fire
Mar 18, 2011
1,606
Northeastern Ohio
Has anyone done this ,I want to clean the cat as it is getting sluggish,and clean the other side,how long should it take?Thanks
 
About a 1/2 hour tops.
Get a new gasket first.
Then just lift the flame shield up and out then pull the cat out..it will wiggle out fairly easy.
Then clean behind it with a shop vac if the stove is cold or just pull the crap out.
Then wrap the new gasket onto the cat housing and just tape the seam..just leave the tape there it will burn off.
Take your time putting it back in then put the flame shield back in place and you're good to go!


I do it once a season after I clean the chimney.
Cheers!

Oh just clean the cat with a soft brush or maybe one of those cans of air.
Mines on it's 4th season and I have yet to feel it needed a vinegar bath .
 
I have a princess, but I think the procedure is similar.

1) make sure you have an extra gasket handy. You will wreck the old one when you take it out.

2) remove the flame arrestor shield. Just play with it for a minute and it will make sense.

3) check the integrity of the combustor. Does it crumble easily when you touch it? If it is too brittle to survive the replacement, you should just order a new one and skip the rest of the steps.

4) gently pull/ rock/ pry on the flanges until it can be removed.

5) clean the opening in the stove.

6) clean the combustor, let dry.

7) wrap the gasket around the combustor. I use tape to hold it he gasket in place.

8) carefully install the combustor back into the stove. Check for a close fit, if there is too much slop in a direction, you will need to remove and double up on the gasket in that direction.

That's pretty much all there is. It is rather straight forward.
 
About a 1/2 hour tops.
Get a new gasket first.
Then just lift the flame shield up and out then pull the cat out..it will wiggle out fairly easy.
Then clean behind it with a shop vac if the stove is cold or just pull the crap out.
Then wrap the new gasket onto the cat housing and just tape the seam..just leave the tape there it will burn off.
Take your time putting it back in then put the flame shield back in place and you're good to go!


I do it once a season after I clean the chimney.
Cheers!

Oh just clean the cat with a soft brush or maybe one of those cans of air.
Mines on it's 4th season and I have yet to feel it needed a vinegar bath .

Thanks,if I don't want to do this this season can I use canned air to blow out the combustor side that is not accessible?,also my cat doesn't want to get past 1250*is that a sign it's failing?The front side only has a little fly ash on it?Thanks all for the help.
 
When wrapping the cat with a new gasket is that gasket so long that you get multiple wraps or do you butt together the ends?

I have visible cracks across the face of each of the three squares that make up the rectangle. Seem small but they are present. Would you risk pulling the cat out?
 
Thanks,if I don't want to do this this season can I use canned air to blow out the combustor side that is not accessible?,also my cat doesn't want to get past 1250*is that a sign it's failing?The front side only has a little fly ash on it?Thanks all for the help.

Can you pull the pipe off and get to the back side of the cat? I find lots of stuff back there, even without the crap that comes out of the chimney when I sweep. If you don't pull the pipe when you sweep, I guaruntee you have a bunch built up back there.

When wrapping the cat with a new gasket is that gasket so long that you get multiple wraps or do you butt together the ends?

I have visible cracks across the face of each of the three squares that make up the rectangle. Seem small but they are present. Would you risk pulling the cat out?

You can buy gasket material by the foot and trim to length.
http://www.firecatcombustors.com/ACIG-2-p/sku_acig-2.htm
IIRC, the replacement Firecat came with the gasket slightly overlapped. Whatever fits. It will go in sorta loose, but the gasket expands when it gets hot.

I have lots of small cracks in mine as well, and worry about pulling it out. My sister's was in pretty bad shape when I got that stove, and it came out in a
pile. I'll probably have a replacement cat on hand before I will take mine out.
 
Jeff_t has it all correct.
BTW..free shipping from the site he linked. I buy my gasket materiel there.
My ceramic cat still looks great..4th season now but it does take just a little longer to fire off now. maybe 600-650f.
I might get a new one depending how this one works in the upcoming shoulder season on ultra low burn.
If I don't think it's up to par I'll use the new one for the shoulders and the older one for the dead of winter when I burning with some flame anyhow at times..or just toss the old one or keep it for back up I dunno.
I just know this stove rocks.
 
My
Jeff_t has it all correct.
BTW..free shipping from the site he linked. I buy my gasket materiel there.
My ceramic cat still looks great..4th season now but it does take just a little longer to fire off now. maybe 600-650f.
I might get a new one depending how this one works in the upcoming shoulder season on ultra low burn.
If I don't think it's up to par I'll use the new one for the shoulders and the older one for the dead of winter when I burning with some flame anyhow at times..or just toss the old one or keep it for back up I dunno.
I just know this stove rocks.

My cat struggles to get past 1200*is this meaningful in any way?And is there a foolproof way of knowing if it's failing.
 
My


My cat struggles to get past 1200*is this meaningful in any way?And is there a foolproof way of knowing if it's failing.
My gauge does not have numbers but usually after a reload it will peg the gauge for a hour or so..4th season
How old is yours?
Gauges can read wrong. If your cat glows really bright at peak and stays somewhat bright after 4 or 5 hours it can't be in to bad of shape.
 
My gauge does not have numbers but usually after a reload it will peg the gauge for a hour or so..4th season
How old is yours?
Gauges can read wrong. If your cat glows really bright at peak and stays somewhat bright after 4 or 5 hours it can't be in to bad of shape.

My cat doesn't peak anymore and will seldom stay red more than 1/2 hour it settles in around 600*the front side is not clogged at all,it will get red for a short time when the stove hits 700*any suggestions,Thanks.
 
My cat doesn't peak anymore and will seldom stay red more than 1/2 hour it settles in around 600*the front side is not clogged at all,it will get red for a short time when the stove hits 700*any suggestions,Thanks.
You could try that vinegar bath deal. You may have a big buildup behind it if you have not cleaned back there after sweeping the flue.
Either way you gotta pull it.
 
You could try that vinegar bath deal. You may have a big buildup behind it if you have not cleaned back there after sweeping the flue.
Either way you gotta pull it.

I have not cleaned behind it since buying it,this is my fourth season burning,you could be on to something I hope now I have to get it pulled that scares me as there's a law against me owning tools,or attempting anything involving manual dexterity,not kidding either.
 
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