20 year old Englander pellet stove with a cracked glass and all 4 bolts snapped! New fire doors are not available! Is this an easy fix?

[Don2222]

Hello
Fire door is all cast iron so Not that easy! It 20 year old 25-PDV
pellet stove Cracked fire door glass and all 4 hold down bolts snapped off! England Stove works now owned by SBI Stove Builders International do not sell new doors! Is the stove junk??
Got a High Carbon steel 10-32 plug tap and grounded point off to make a bottom tap. Drilled 4 - 5/32” holes with cobalt drill bit! Tapped by hand and got 4 good taps!! Yeah! The rest is cake!!
Just pulled off trim and door gasket.
Used VHT very high temperature 2,000 degree flat black paint from an auto parts store and gave door a good base spray coat. Then using Stove Bright high temperature 1,400 degree Satin Black paint for a top coat to give a little sheen. Then I siliconed the gold trim on and put the new glass with gasket kit in and siliconed a new door gasket on and shut the door!!

Pic 1 - Cracked fire door glass with brittle 20 year old white door & glass gaskets
Pic 2 - Small bolt that snapped. Bolts must be short 1/2” or 3/4” depending upon slim bar bracket or thicker clips. 5mm or 10/32” bolts work, Stainless Steel Hex head seam best. This has the individual clips with the high flange do to it’s age!
Pice 3 - cobalt drill bit!
Pic 4 - High Carbon steel 10-32 plug tap
Pic 5 - Drill new 5/32” hole next to broken bolt in hole after grinding broken bolt down flat.
Pic 6 - The holes do not go thru the cast iron for looks therefore a bottom tap should be used. A bottom tap was not easy to find so it can be made by grinding the tip off of this tap.
An alternative fix is to drill all the way through and use stainless steel nuts and bolts. Not as sleek and pretty.
Pic 6-7 Tapping out the hole and getting threads down to the bottom.
The hole must be drilled straight with a sharp drill bit at low rpm for a good tap. A drill press makes it easier or it can be done by hand with a straight eye.
Pic 8 - Glass is in with 4 good taps using SS hex head bolts and flat washers.
Trim was cleaned and attached to the front with High temperature silicone on all 4 corners
Pic 9 - Door is hung and new 3/4” fire door graphite impregnated rope gasket installed with high temperature silicone sealant. Door is then close while silicone sets up for proper seal.
Pic 10-11 - Stove works. A base coat of flat black primer with a top coat of Satin black spray paint to make it look new!

 

[Northwoodneil]

You forgot a step. Anti-seize on all threads. If I pull any screw, nut, bolt or set screw on my stove it gets Never-seize unless I know I'll be removing it again within a few days. Just my 3 cents (inflation)

 

[ABusWrench]

Nice job Don!

 

[Washed-Up]

X2 on the antiseize, and as always Don, amazed by the work you do!

 

[tbear853]

Hello
Fire door is all cast iron so Not that easy! It 20 year old 25-PDV
pellet stove Cracked fire door glass and all 4 hold down bolts snapped off! England Stove works now owned by SBI Stove Builders International do not sell new doors! Is the stove junk??

I have looked ... where did you find a stove glass, local glaqss shop or what? Otherwise, great work.

 

[Don2222]

I have looked ... where did you find a stove glass, local glaqss shop or what? Otherwise, great work.

Englander sells the glass with the rope gasket already installed for about $100.00 so you can just pop it in easily if the bolts do not break! LOL
Since this stove is 20 years old, I know the new replacement glass called Neo Ceram glass is a better formula and not a susceptible to cracking and breaking. 20 year old Whitfield glass is the same way.
Therefore the new glass is stronger to last longer.
There was a little confusion on the stove models that it fits.
The fire door glass on Both the 25-PDV & the 25-PDVC measures 9” x 9” square so the Englander part # AC-G9 glass kit fits both of these stoves. So just search for that part # on the web.

 

[tbear853]

I re-read the post a bunch, I thought I was bonkers. :D I'm not in need, My stove is 30 plus years aged. I was curious in case a need arose.