Are "vestal" dampers problematic? Have to come out?

[tickbitty]

So... just checked inside my fireplace. It looks like there is a rather permanent formed "roof" to the fireplace, and with the damper open, it extends across the whole back of this "roof" making a hole that's something like 4" X 29". I believe it's cast iron and must be original to the chimney. This house was built by a mason for himself in 1953 and this guy didn't mess around. It is built like, well, a "Brick.... House!"

I googled and it looks like this is a "vestal" damper. Uh oh. It's probably mortared in there or something, right, or no? I assume this needs to come out? Will it come out with a big mule kick from underneath or something? Would that damage the masonry or otherwise alter the chimney in some irreparable way? (I am thinking not, since I see they sell these things for $100 everywhere?)
So if I can get it out safely, then I will need a new block off plate to go around my pipe right?

I guess it's one of these:
(broken image removed)

PS I am sorry for such a (probably) dumb question. I don't know why I was surprised to see what my damper looked like, but I was!

 

[tickbitty]

So anybody have experience with these? I have a woodburning friend here who seems to think from this description that a 6" liner could be appropriately ovalized to go through this sort of damper. I seriously doubt that. I think the whole thing will have to come out and a new block off plate be fabricated or something to go around whatever sized liner.

 

[Fsappo]

The damper should be able to be removed without damaging the surrounding fireplace structure. It may just be stuck. Even with the damper removed you may need to ovalize the liner to pass it thru. Thats a fairly common practice.

 

[tickbitty]

THanks, I hope it will come out OK. So it won't be just straight chimney on up from there? Our sweep a few years ago said the flue was 13" square. I was thinking that I could drop a liner straight down to the stove if that's the case. But then I would need a sheet metal block off plate around the liner pipe, with insulation on it? Are there kits for such a thing or no? I am assuming that if we can get the big vestal thing out, we could at least use the outline of it as a template for the size to make the new thing. I wonder if anyone here has instructions on how to make a blockoff plate like that, but maybe it's simple and therefore nobody has done it.

 

[gpcollen1]

You can buy a factory ovalized section for the bottom of your liner so the internal area of that flue stays the same. I installed one that attaches to my rigid liner [duraliner] and it ended up being 4.5 x 8 or something like that.

 

[tickbitty]

Thank you for the response. Hmm. Well I hope it isn't too big a deal but I don't know... I have an 8" flue collar on the stove and haven't figured out if I will go with 8" or 6" liner or whether it will be rigid or flex. BUT, the damper above, is actually installed with the "slot" opening - only 4" wide, at the very back. Stretching anything from an 8" flue collar flat (oval) through 4", and then around what may be a corner does not seem like it will work?

 

[YZF1R]

That looks a lot like my damper did. Doesn't look like that no more. The door itself is just sitting in place. Remove the cotter pin. The handle will drop out. Then you can lift, turn, twist, rotate, etc. the damper door and drop it out. I used a 6 inch liner. I did cut out the rear part of the casting that the door sits on with a 4&1/2 inch cut off wheel in a grinder. My liner then came through and connected to the insert without being up against any part of the damper area.

Steve