Cleaning the Jotul F 400 Castine - Secondary Air removal

Just to be sure, they are the bolts that are positioned to the extreme left and right side of the stove, going up into the cover right?

Thanks. I'll check it out.

Well, this is not as easy as it sounds. We can't get the back plate to move at all. My husband has been doing it by disconnecting the pipe and since we found this thread, thought we'd tackle it without moving the stove this time. Would anyone be willing to post more details about this procedure? Do the sides come off first? We are confused!

Edited to update: Got the back plate out, now we're baffled by the baffle. Do you do anything with the tabs or just lift and twist?

The install instructions call for the bolts to be removed during install if I remember correctly. Just curios, are your secondary tubes collecting fly ash or creosote?
Jim

It's been accomplished but here are a few things I wish we'd have known so it may help others. I'm sure we're not the only newby's out there! (And we certainly could not have done it without this thread!)

We're certain if we'd have moved the tabs on the baffle first, the back plate would have been much easier to get out.

Unless you're hercules (and can see thru cast iron), take off the top to put the baffle back in. We didn't find the space that tiny and my husband could get his hand up there to tighten the bolts. In fact, why not just do that in the first place?

We didn't have new gaskets on hand and should have probably replaced them while we had it all apart.

There was quite a bit of soot and kreosote on top of the baffle, if that's what you mean.

Thanks to all!

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me that taking the top off the stove requires moving the flue upwards which is what I would like to avoid. If I get the stove pipe off the vertical outlet, I can vacuum out the top of the stove through the outlet.

I'm going to have to look at removing the baffle from inside the stove. Even after looking at the diagrams, I've never understood how the whole thing went together. Cycloboxers pictures were a big step in the right direction. Maybe I'll be able to do it that way this summer.

Ski-Patroller said:

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems to me that taking the top off the stove requires moving the flue upwards which is what I would like to avoid. If I get the stove pipe off the vertical outlet, I can vacuum out the top of the stove through the outlet.

I'm going to have to look at removing the baffle from inside the stove. Even after looking at the diagrams, I've never understood how the whole thing went together. Cycloboxers pictures were a big step in the right direction. Maybe I'll be able to do it that way this summer.

Click to expand...

OK, This weekend we removed the baffle, cleaned the flue and got the baffle back in. It wasn't that hard except for the gaskets. There is one long gasket (part #36) that goes all the way around from the left burn plate across the back burn plate and then over the right burn plate. I think this one can be installed after putting the baffle back in, buy slightly lifting the baffle and pushing the gasket into the crack. There are two short gaskets (part #33) that go some where on each side burn plate. I'm not 100% sure where they go, or how to get them there. I ran the stove without the short gaskets and I think it does affect the secondary air operation. The stove was hot, but I did not see any significant secondary burn at the small holes, and the glass got dirtier than normal.

Does anyone know exactly where the short gaskets go, and is it possible to put them in properly without pulling the top of the stove?

Thanks

I've seen that people haven't been having any issue with removing the back burn plate...but we have been working like crazy to try and remove it. Mine has cracked (after 5 years? seriously? yikes) So, any suggestions. We practically have the whole thing apart and I saw that folks were able to remove this without removing anything. What are we doing wrong?

If you have the secondary air baffle out, either through the front or the top, there should not be anything holding the back burn plate. It is only held in place by the secondary air baffle. It should either lift straight up or tip forward a little and come right out.

Could it be held in by stove cement or by ash filling in all the spaces? Have you vacuumed all the ash etc out of the firebox?

You might check out my thread "Thoughts on cleaning a Jotul Castine"

Thanks for the reply! I think it is cemented in there, but the cement itself could stand to be replaced, so my feeling is it's not hindering the extraction...but the other issue is it seems like toward the top of the burn plate on either side is a little lip or indentation that will only allow it to be lifted so far up, inhibiting your ability to pull it straight up and out. And the back is angled so you can't necessarily pull it forward. Hard to explain...I'm including some lousy pictures to try and illustrate what I mean.

jesco3 said:

Thanks for the reply! I think it is cemented in there, but the cement itself could stand to be replaced, so my feeling is it's not hindering the extraction...but the other issue is it seems like toward the top of the burn plate on either side is a little lip or indentation that will only allow it to be lifted so far up, inhibiting your ability to pull it straight up and out. And the back is angled so you can't necessarily pull it forward. Hard to explain...I'm including some lousy pictures to try and illustrate what I mean.

Click to expand...

UPDATE - got it! I had to have a buddy take a small crowbar and jiggle the side piece from the inside (after removing the screws) so that I could work the burn plate free.

You have the secondary air baffle out, correct? If so you should not need to loosen the side burn plates at all to get the rear burn plate out. It should just lift a little and pull forward. There should be nothing holding it down.. It should not be cemented in, and won't need to be when you put it back.

I am not at my cabin, so I can't compare mine to your pictures. I see the lip you are talking about, but if mine has it, it did not cause any problems. How old is your Castine? Mine is about 10 years I think (I bought it used so not positive).

Just found this forum and I am glad I did! I have the f400 with the double doors. It has been in use since 2004 with no issues but I wanted to give it a good cleaning after ten years. This thread was just what I needed, did it all in about 2 hours. It was a bit of a struggle to remove and reinstall the top baffle but was able to do it without removing the top of the stove. The two small gaskets held their shape so it was easy to decide where they went. The bricks where in good shape just needed cleaning out. Hope this gets me by for ten more years.

Glad this thread is still helping people out!

This forum has been very helpful. I would like to add some info that might help in getting the main baffle out the front door of the Jotul
F400. I could not get my baffle out until I saw a picture of the upper baffle plate on Skier76's post (Oct 13 2012). With the upper baffle plate in place, you cannot lift and tilt the main baffle enough to remove it. If you can reach above the main baffle- small hands help-it's a tight fit, and lift the upper baffle plate out of it's slot and lay it down. This will allow the main baffle to be tilted enough to side it out the front of the stove. There is no need to unbolt the top. To reinsert the baffle simply lay the upper baffle plate in the front area of the main baffle and lift and tilt into place. Once positioned properly, reach up over the front of the main baffle and position the upper baffle plate in its slots. Again, it's a tight fit but it really makes this an easy procedure.

I just removed and reinstalled the secondary baffle with the top on and bolted. I’m posting procedures for, well mostly for myself as this post comes up first when I google Jøtul F400 cleaning.

1 undo baffle latches.
2 lift rear of baffle and remove rear plate by lifting strait up
3 remove fire bricks
4 lift left side of baffle and move as far up then a bit to the left and forward. Not to far forward but more to the side.
5 tilt Right side baffle down back first. While rotating right corner forward then down.

6 Remove short gasket pieces.

To reinstall follow steps in this reverse order.


4,5,3,2,6,1

Hope this is helpful. It will be for me next year. Many thanks to the OP.
Evan

how did any of you get the baffle latches to rotate/twist forward? although i've seen some whose have hex bolts in pics, mine are flat and almost flush like in the attached picture. I've tried to yank the latches with different wrenches, hit with a hammer, etc. to no avail. Any tips most appreciated...

Penetrating oil and bigger tools might be my next step.

Alternatively do have access to the top. Can you reach in the outlet and remove the shipping bolts on the top. Look for thier size and location in the manual. Baffle doesn’t have to come out if you can take the top off.