VC Vigilant - Warped doors?

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enordy

Member
Hearth Supporter
Sep 21, 2009
63
Western CT
Hi all -

Been reading posts here for 3 years or so, sometimes for great information, sometimes for great entertainment - there's scads of good info here, so thank you all for making me smarter, or at least less stupid ;-)

So here's a question I haven't run across yet....Inherited a 1977 VC vigilant in the house I bought 3 years ago, been running it for 3 winters and saw it was time to do a rebuild or buy a new stove towards the end of last season. Silly me decided to do the rebuild, put 'er back together, no leftover parts (for a change), everything snug as a bug. Except for the doors.

Put new gaskets in (5/16" fiberglass), used the appropriate amount of cement. Re-hung the doors, now there's a gap along the bottom on both sides and vertically from the bottom up (about an inch or so).

Tried to compress the gaskets on the hinge sides, no luck. Pulled out the new gaskets and replaced again, no luck. Adjusting the door makes no difference, so I have to conclude that the doors are slightly warped. I wish I had seen this before doing the tear-down.

So now to the question - do you think there are any downsides to using a shim gasket in the areas where there is a gap? I'd like to get at least one season out the the work I already put into the stove...
 
To compensate for the increased airflow from the leak? I would, but the stove vents directly into the chimney through an 8" thimble.
 
i've got a warped right side door on my defiant. after new gaskets it still leaks but when it leaks is when a strong wind comes by and blows down the chimney, and when the primary air shut down. i smell smoke. so i piled a bunch of ashes in front of the door and as long as i don't disturb the ashes i have no problem.

just a thought
 
I ended up shimming the door with additional gasket material - was able to see the gaps with a strong light and cut the shim gasket to size. I think the right door is slightly warped, just never noticed it.

Lit a small break-in fire tonight to cure the cement and check the quality of the rebuild - no leaks and everyone is still standing (along with the house!), so at least I got that goin' for me.
 
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