Dutchwest bypass door getting stuck

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Hoeffegt

New Member
Dec 22, 2020
5
Indiana
I have a dutchwest fa288ccl. When the stove is cold I can move the bypass door lever and it moves freely easily open and close but once the tempiture of the stove heats up to a certain point. When I try to open the bypass door to put more wood in and try to close it, it is very difficult to open and close. Like the metal heats up and expanded and is rubbing somewhere. I can usually get it to close with some effert but twice now it bent the metal clips on the door and separates from the rod so im usually stuck with it open and have to wait for the fire to burn and a cool to take the flu off to unbolt the clips and hammer them back into form and bolt back on. Is there some kind of adjustment for the bypass door I can do? Or is there something that is wore out i need to replace? Anyone else have this problem? Its my main heat source for the house and I don't like being stuck not using it for hours on end when it bends the clips.
 
i could be wrong but if it's like the rest of the vermont casting crew it probably has a little warpage somewhere that is just starting
 
is this a free standing stove, or insert?
 
if you can unbolt the top, you can gain access to the inner top area. there you can see if the inner top or damper (bypass gate) has warped. you can buy new tabs, though they are expensive for what they are. i have a dutch west seneca, and the inner top and damper are the pieces that warp. that causes ill fitting damper and possibly difficulty opening and closing.
 
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if you can unbolt the op, you can gain access to the inner top area. there you can see if the inner top or damper (bypass gate) has warped. you can buy new tabs, though they are expensive for what they are. i have a dutch west seneca, and the inner top and damper are the pieces that warp. that causes ill fitting damper and possibly difficulty opening and closing.
Okay thanks for the tip I will look at it more closely when we get a warmer day and can let it cool off enough to get in there. Thanks for the reply
 
my stove opened (old pic). you can see the red area that has warped some.
 

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my stove opened (old pic). you can see the red area that has warped some.
My stove has a different top then yours. Im wondering if the bar is starting to warp and rub or maybe the flap door itself
 

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its a different stove, but they located the cat under the top lid, so you should be able to unbolt the top and remove. i just have two bolts, right and left side, that access from the inside.