Door Glass Gasket Replacement Question

First....Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

I think my Jotul F400 needs a glass gasket replacement and, although I have changed door gaskets before, I think that glass gaskets require more attention to detail to avoid breaking the glass.

My first question is how much pressure (torque) should be applied to the two glass clips after replacing the gasket and centering the glass? I know that pressure should be applied slowly in an alternating pattern as per the manual, but they are not clear as to the maximum pressure and whether retightening is needed after the first burn. Intuition tells me to snug the clips until the gasket is partially(mostly) compressed. From what I have read, the glass does not expand or contract much, so retightening may not be necessary (rechecking probably couldn't hurt though).

My second question is what is used for gasket between the clip and the glass? Just slice a piece of the 3/8 LD gasket material I use for the glass or something else ?

Thanks
Art

BeGreen said:

I'm surprised to hear that the gasket needs replacing. It is captive and static. How old is the gasket? Why do you think it is going?

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The gasket is about three years old, but I get creoste buildup on the lower corners of the glass and the wood is dry.

This is probably a more accurate picture just taken.

cycloxer said:

That is exactly what my Castine looks like. If you burn drier wood this will occur to a much lesser extent. Let me guess, the right hand corner is almost always dirtier than the left hand corner?

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I haven't really kept track of creosote buildup, left vs right, but I can tell you that the wood I burn now is bone dry (that knowledge gained over time courtesy of the expertise and generosity of the members of this forum).

BeGreen said:

I wouldn't worry too much about it unless it gets worse. If still curious, test the door gasket near that area with the dollar bill test.

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I did the dollar bill test on the door and it passes (nice and snug). I changed the door gasket earlier this season, so I was hoping that wasn't causing a problem. I decided to ever- so- slightly tweek the bolts that hold the glass clips tight and that seems to have improved the condition. No more concentrated buildup. I was a little apprenhensive about tightening the bolts because the gasket is already compressed from three years of use, but, I only turned them about 1/16 turn and before I did that, I was able to move the clips slightly by hand which seemed to me to be too loose for a good seal. The glass temp is over 500 degrees now, so I guess it is ok. I read that the ceramic glass doesn't expand or contract much anyway.

Thanks
Art