maintenance of vc vigilant, early model

[tarbaby]

does anyone know how to remove the back of the stove to clean out the baffle?
i was told to remove the damper handle by loosening the allen nut, remove another screw at the other end (which i can't find), slide to rod out, and when i lift the damper, the back will come off, with a little prying if stuck. the other screw may be lost in the creosote buildup inside the stove.

 

[Bone1099]

I have a 1981 VC Vigilant completely disassembled right now. unless yours is different than mine the damper cant be removed without disaesembling the stove. you can remove the flue collar lift the damper and underneath the damper find a removable plate on the left side of the stove (as if looking into the doors on the front) lift at the front and should be able to slide this plate out. This gives you access to most of the area between your backplate and the back of the stove. as for the secondary air chamber (hole on left side with a cover) it is a bit lower in the stove. It is just a channel from left (at the hole) to right (just behind and above the large opening in the lower right side of the backplate) the plate that covers this channel is removable but I dont think it can be removed without major disassembly. I beleive this channel could be cleaned very effectivley with some sort of long brush and an air hose. For that matter most of the stove could be cleaned this way provided you have an area where this would be acceptable. Lots of dust and debris everywhere. (think mushroom cloud) probably not in the house. might try a small hose on a shop vac but still lots of dust from the exhaust. disposable coveralls with a hood. I only hope this can shed some light on your situation and be of some help. also how is your backplate. is it a single piece unit top to bottom or is it two piece. what is the cast number in the middle l(ooks like year date). is it warped or cracked. I may be able to post some pics of these areas if needed.

 

[tarbaby]

thanks for the tips. i removed that plate under the damper and gained access to the combustion chamber as you described. it appears that the "bottom" of the chamber is formed by two flanges: one on the 1977 stamped interior wall and the other on the actual stove back, and the lower chamber can't be exposed without removing the back. so i have to brush, scrape and vacuum from the flue collar and the lower opening inside the stove.