How to ACTUALLY fix the damper issue once and FOR ALL on a Xtrordinair elite !!

[Jotel me this]

Anyone who owns an xtrordinair elite probably knows the mindbendingly stressful situation of the bypass control falling off of the damper.

Its near impossible to fix. Whoever designed the xtrordinair elite needs to go back to engineering school. I hope they read this thread so that they NEVER design a fireplace like this again.

You see, the damper is controlled with a pull rod. The pull rod is attached to the damper in a near-inaccessible spot which is held together with two ridiculously tiny 'prongs' which sit in two welded cups (the pictures below explain it all).

After the damper fell off the 500th time, I got so fed up with it that I screamed HORRIBLE ENGINEERING! THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO FIX THIS!

Google 'Xtrordinair damper issue'. Its an actual problem. Actually, there are several threads on Hearth.com with people trying to fix this horrible mess.

One example from 2009 from @maverick06:

fixing the jammed damper on fireplace xtrordinair elite 33 (FPX 33) aka lopi declaration

Hi All, I have a fireplace xtrordinair elite 33 (FPX 33) which is the same stove as the Lopi Declaration, just a different faceplate. It’s a great stove, but like a lot of other people, the damper jams on it. The damper moves relatively freely when the stove is cold, and when it is hot. But at...

www.hearth.com

If you own a Xtrordinair and have constant damper issues with it getting stuck, the rod falling out, etc etc.. here is how you ACTUALLY FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL:

1. Look at picture from the manual to see how the damper is set up.
2. The damper is HEAVY! Do not let it fall on your arm.
3. Use a car jack (yes a car jack) and jack it up to hold the damper plate in place.
4. Remove the six bolts (theres a pic of the bolts)
4a. Put cushioning in the fireplace to prevent the damper from falling and cracking /breaking things. Remove the glass doors for safety.
5. use the car jack to lower the damper plate. The damper may fall out! WATCH OUT!
6. Use a drill bit to clean out the two cups on the plate. It will be filled with crud, ash, etc. (see pic)
7. Using a drill press, drill holes in the two prongs of the rod. I drilled a hole in a 2x4 to hold it in place while drilling (see pic)
8. Drill two holes through the cups. Just be sure you make the holes either high enough or low enough so that it lines up with the threaded rod once youre done.
9. Insert the prongs into the cups.
10. Using cotter pins, insert the cotter pin into each hole.
11. TAH DAH! The stupid prongs will NEVER fall out again! PROBLEM SOLVED! (Xtrordinair engineer SHAME ON YOU!)
12. Using the car jack, carefully and slowly, use the car jack and crank it back up so that it lines up with the threaded bolts.
13. loosely tighten THREE bolts to the threads (all on the same side)
14. remove the jack
15. Slide the plate with the now 'cotter pinned' prongs up and into position
16. use the jack to jack the whole thing back up
17. tighten all six bolts
18. slide the rod through the front of your fireplace, line up, and tighten the rod to the cotter pinned piece.
19. annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd.. YOURE DONE!

Your damper will NEVER fall out of place, get stuck, or unscrew again.

 

[webby3650]

They use design on all Travis/Lopi bypass plates. It’s a very simple system and it works very well. If your bypass is falling out you have other worn out parts. This isn’t normal. It does require a little maintenance semi annually to keep it all freed up.

 

[bholler]

They use design on all Travis/Lopi bypass plates. It’s a very simple system and it works very well. If your bypass is falling out you have other worn out parts. This isn’t normal. It does require a little maintenance semi annually to keep it all freed up.

And if you take them apart make sure nothing is in those holes or the rod won't drop all the way down causing it to bind.

I spent way to long figuring that out the hard way one day.

 

[Jotel me this]

They use design on all Travis/Lopi bypass plates. It’s a very simple system and it works very well. If your bypass is falling out you have other worn out parts. This isn’t normal. It does require a little maintenance semi annually to keep it all freed up.

I know this isn't normal. Its a horrible design. I took the entire thing apart and there are no other parts to wear out. Its a two-piece rod with threads, bent into a hook and a heavy metal plate with two metal cups welded on top which the hooks from the rod slip into.
Hindsight is always 20/20 but what they should have done is ditched the ridiculous cup design, welded a piece of 2"x2" metal stock on top of the plate with a threaded hole in the center, and have the rod be a one piece rod which simply threads into the metal block.

 

[webby3650]

What you are experiencing isn’t common. We have several dozen FPX’s in use and we service many of them annually. Not to mention hundreds of Lopi stoves using the same design. Getting bound up because of buildup in the bypass yoke holes is the most common issue.
The reason they use this design is so everything is able to move freely in extreme conditions. Once you weld it or bolt things together they tend to seize up once heated.

 

[webby3650]

And if you take them apart make sure nothing is in those holes or the rod won't drop all the way down causing it to bind.

I spent way to long figuring that out the hard way one day.

The ashes down in there are about as hard as steel!

 

[Jotel me this]

What you are experiencing isn’t common. We have several dozen FPX’s in use and we service many of them annually. Not to mention hundreds of Lopi stoves using the same design. Getting bound up because of buildup in the bypass yoke holes is the most common issue.
The reason they use this design is so everything is able to move freely in extreme conditions. Once you weld it or bolt things together they tend to seize up once heated.

Its a horrible design. Drilling two holes into the rod and cup as I did in my instructional, and including two .10 cent cotter pins would have solved this issue from the get-go.

 

[bobgbspc]

Anyone who owns an xtrordinair elite probably knows the mindbendingly stressful situation of the bypass control falling off of the damper.

Its near impossible to fix. Whoever designed the xtrordinair elite needs to go back to engineering school. I hope they read this thread so that they NEVER design a fireplace like this again.

You see, the damper is controlled with a pull rod. The pull rod is attached to the damper in a near-inaccessible spot which is held together with two ridiculously tiny 'prongs' which sit in two welded cups (the pictures below explain it all).

After the damper fell off the 500th time, I got so fed up with it that I screamed HORRIBLE ENGINEERING! THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO FIX THIS!

Google 'Xtrordinair damper issue'. Its an actual problem. Actually, there are several threads on Hearth.com with people trying to fix this horrible mess.

One example from 2009 from @maverick06:

fixing the jammed damper on fireplace xtrordinair elite 33 (FPX 33) aka lopi declaration

Hi All, I have a fireplace xtrordinair elite 33 (FPX 33) which is the same stove as the Lopi Declaration, just a different faceplate. It’s a great stove, but like a lot of other people, the damper jams on it. The damper moves relatively freely when the stove is cold, and when it is hot. But at...

www.hearth.com

If you own a Xtrordinair and have constant damper issues with it getting stuck, the rod falling out, etc etc.. here is how you ACTUALLY FIX IT ONCE AND FOR ALL:

1. Look at picture from the manual to see how the damper is set up.
2. The damper is HEAVY! Do not let it fall on your arm.
3. Use a car jack (yes a car jack) and jack it up to hold the damper plate in place.
4. Remove the six bolts (theres a pic of the bolts)
4a. Put cushioning in the fireplace to prevent the damper from falling and cracking /breaking things. Remove the glass doors for safety.
5. use the car jack to lower the damper plate. The damper may fall out! WATCH OUT!
6. Use a drill bit to clean out the two cups on the plate. It will be filled with crud, ash, etc. (see pic)
7. Using a drill press, drill holes in the two prongs of the rod. I drilled a hole in a 2x4 to hold it in place while drilling (see pic)
8. Drill two holes through the cups. Just be sure you make the holes either high enough or low enough so that it lines up with the threaded rod once youre done.
9. Insert the prongs into the cups.
10. Using cotter pins, insert the cotter pin into each hole.
11. TAH DAH! The stupid prongs will NEVER fall out again! PROBLEM SOLVED! (Xtrordinair engineer SHAME ON YOU!)
12. Using the car jack, carefully and slowly, use the car jack and crank it back up so that it lines up with the threaded bolts.
13. loosely tighten THREE bolts to the threads (all on the same side)
14. remove the jack
15. Slide the plate with the now 'cotter pinned' prongs up and into position
16. use the jack to jack the whole thing back up
17. tighten all six bolts
18. slide the rod through the front of your fireplace, line up, and tighten the rod to the cotter pinned piece.
19. annnnnnnnnnnnnnnd.. YOURE DONE!

Your damper will NEVER fall out of place, get stuck, or unscrew again.

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[bobgbspc]

where do you get a manual for the 36 elite? The manual I have doesn't show the damper setup. Also do you need to use the cat? Mine is shot and I'm not sure i could get it out.

 

[skidooparts4u]

Ive got the install manual for a 36 elite no pic of damper assembly. Guess this is what you have too. You absolutely Definitely need to replace cat, flue fire risk because it could over fire. You also are asking for heavy wood consumption and wasting ton of heat up your flue. I thought about fabbing a partial block off to allow the use of a smaller cheaper cat while new one was delayed being shipped in during covid. Was thinking spring and fall full BTU was not needed... but nah Not worth your time.

 

[skidooparts4u]

Jotul me this, I agree, rod is weak by design I did the cotter pin modification, pictures by maverick06 ... thank you Mav. If I didn't see those pics, I would not have attempted the repair. In the end, it came out nothing like i thought it would ... And after a day of multiple assembly and reassembly routines today. I was finshed and tried to straighten the damper pull rod ....and it snapped off inside! Turns out, its a 2 piece rod!! Son of a &!#@¥ ...After I drilled those holes in the fork on my back... (Drilled damper plate in vice) the pull rod was bent since installation, guys getting it in the house- nevermind into place....oof. Anyway I ended up flipping the damper with the dowels toward the front, cut off the weak 5/16" male-female setup and by shortening the fork about and inch or so ( the hollow section- gone) threaded both rod ends with a 3/8-16 die and used a barrel nut w/ locknut so it threads in and tightens easily. Damper opens to 1/4" less than before, but I don't think it will fail again.

 

[Jotel me this]

where do you get a manual for the 36 elite? The manual I have doesn't show the damper setup. Also do you need to use the cat? Mine is shot and I'm not sure i could get it out.

https://www.travisindustries.com/docs/93508091.pdf

Damper is the same as the 44.

I believe you dont need the cat but you wont get the benefit of it without it. Theyre quite expensive $400. Youd just have to be sure to clean out the insert where it would normally sit from time to time to stop creosote, ash, etc from building up in it. Id call travis industries to ask to be sure.

 

[Jotel me this]

Jotul me this, I agree, rod is weak by design I did the cotter pin modification, pictures by maverick06 ... thank you Mav. If I didn't see those pics, I would not have attempted the repair. In the end, it came out nothing like i thought it would ... And after a day of multiple assembly and reassembly routines today. I was finshed and tried to straighten the damper pull rod ....and it snapped off inside! Turns out, its a 2 piece rod!! Son of a &!#@¥ ...After I drilled those holes in the fork on my back... (Drilled damper plate in vice) the pull rod was bent since installation, guys getting it in the house- nevermind into place....oof. Anyway I ended up flipping the damper with the dowels toward the front, cut off the weak 5/16" male-female setup and by shortening the fork about and inch or so ( the hollow section- gone) threaded both rod ends with a 3/8-16 die and used a barrel nut w/ locknut so it threads in and tightens easily. Damper opens to 1/4" less than before, but I don't think it will fail again.

View attachment 309475 View attachment 309476

You know, I have to admit, its very refreshing to see people actually having similar issues to things I am experiencing. Who would have thought someone somewhere else is having a problem with their xtrordinaire fireplace rod 😆😆

Two piece rod! I felt the same way. Did you have to take the whole top part of the fireplace out to get the damper plate out? now that I think of it after the fact, maybe I didnt have to take it apart and could have saved myself a ton of pain.

 

[skidooparts4u]

Holy geez, yes i took the handful of nuts off, used a car scissor jack and 2 larger pieces of firewood to drop the whole thing down, multiple times. You can't access, or flip the damper door any other way.
Bob! I can't agree with jotul, Common sense isnt so common..... you've simply got to use a cat, or "temporarily " - block off the direct flow into the flue with some exact -cut firebrick on the cat shelf? You are at risk over firing it sooner or later .... I mean its an unreasonable risk to take. I paid 650 for a steel cat, The best money can buy- Such a Small price to pay compared to the alternative? Look at that diagram -air flow thru cat, or over shelf unrestricted?? so, when your place does go up in smoke, the claims adjuster will deny your claim because you were negligent operator of said fireplace. I work with professional engineers and just won't risk burning without some sort of cat in place. are you out of your mind? Just My 2 cents.

 

[Jotel me this]

Holy geez, yes i took the handful of nuts off, used a car scissor jack and 2 larger pieces of firewood to drop the whole thing down, multiple times. You can't access, or flip the damper door any other way.
Bob! I can't agree with jotul, Common sense isnt so common..... you've simply got to use a cat, or "temporarily " - block off the direct flow into the flue with some exact -cut firebrick on the cat shelf? You are at risk over firing it sooner or later .... I mean its an unreasonable risk to take. I paid 650 for a steel cat, The best money can buy- Such a Small price to pay compared to the alternative? Look at that diagram -air flow thru cat, or over shelf unrestricted?? so, when your place does go up in smoke, the claims adjuster will deny your claim because you were negligent operator of said fireplace. I work with professional engineers and just won't risk burning without some sort of cat in place. are you out of your mind? Just My 2 cents.

Does an installed cat lower the temp though? If you have a cat installed, the heat would pass through the cat and up the chimney.

 

[skidooparts4u]

No the cat makes more BTU, but less heat passes through. cats can actually glow. technically less wasted unburned fuel goes up the flue. I mean sure some heat is necessary to heat up the cat to get it working efficiently... but overall I would say, compare any catalyst vs. a non catalyst wood fired heating appliance, the ones with a catalysts make more BTU. So a few more components make for more efficiency? Well just like the cats on your car or truck...Whatever the combustion type... Exhaust as hot as it is, is waste, but when it passes through the cat it promotes more complete combustion, and therefore : less polluting exhaust. By actually producing more heat, Not so helpful in your vehicle, but in a home heating system it makes for a less crud build-up in the flue, as well as more BTU in the firebox. Overall a fair tradeoff for clean air act compliance... I mean, would you burn a fire without the flue dialed back to keep the bulk of the heat from running right up your flue? If you burn without the cat in place that is essentially what you are doing-