Thought I had Creosote

[bogieb]

I'll admit it, I'm a bad stove mom. Somehow I let cleaning the P61a go until tonight (I had cleaned the St. Croix, because I was trying to sell it). actually, I had done a decent cleaning of the stove in mid June, but it was in use on June 28.

So, tonight I decide to do the cleaning and started to brush ash off the heat exchangers. Hmmm, there was sticky stuff on the two outside exchangers, but only toward the front. Then, I started finding sticky stuff on various lower parts of the stove (bottom of burn pot and a few other spots). NOT GOOD. I was convinced I had developed creosote. As I was cleaning though, I noticed it was easy to clean off, and didn't stink (I could be wrong, but I thought it would stink).

Then I started thinking back and realized that when I ran it the evening of 6/28, I took the opportunity to bake two sweet potatoes; one on each "shelf" - and directly below the 2 heat exchangers affected. Once the taters were done, I shut down the stove as I was just taking the chill off the air and drying my leathers (I had been riding in the rain all day).

Previously when I had baked sweet potatoes in the stove, I had noticed that juices had run onto the shelves, but since the stove was kept burning, it would burn off. Never had a chance to burn off the sugar this time, so I'm pretty sure that is the answer.

Now I just need to figure out how to remove the lock for the fan shroud as it is all sticky and I want to clean it up, both front and back. I'm sure there was a post about it last winter, so I will have to do a search.
Nothing went thru the exhaust though, so I am good there.

Hey, if you disagree with my diagnosis, feel free to speak up.

 

[heat seeker]

If it's stuck with sugar, a little water should soften it up.

 

[bags]

There's a diagram for the fan shroud removal and latch in the manual. If I recall it rotates up and counter clock wise. It can be a bit stuck or hard to flip up at times but will go. Scrape on the plate and clean gunk off where the latch rotates up to reduce friction and gunk from letting it move.There is also a little tab that sticks out on the latch you can grab with pliers or the like. Try to rotate it with the pliers and if it is still rough the lightly tap the pliers firmly held with a hammer. If it is still stuck you can slightly loosen the 3/8" ( or close ) nut to relieve so tension and it will go easily. The after cleaning just snug it up slightly.

When I brought the 45 home it was a caked up mess with all kinds of crap and sticky corn burning residue and who knows what else. Only real issue the stove had was it (IMO) never had proper cleanings or thorough ones on the inside. It was a mess everywhere inside. Outside it looks brand new.

After going thru everything it fired up and ran as a new one does.

 

[bogieb]

Thanks Bags, but I got the shroud off, I want to clean the locking mechanism as I have had to use pliers the last several times to remove the shroud.. The bolt turns, but doesn't loosen so I'm guessing there is a lock nut or some-such on the back side.

 

[Bioburner]

I can't remember what the locking mechanism is. Broke off the bolt and had to replace with a flange nut and then used a good coat of graphite grease to keep it from sticking again after a proper polishing and painting.