My sweep is AWOL-I need some help

[Bootlegger]

The best chimney guy in the area is super busy and somewhat flaky about scheduling. He was suppose to hook up my Englander this week but I can only reach his voicemail, no callbacks. The new hearth is in and the nights are cold again so I need to get this thing hooked up.
The existing flue is 8", the top exhaust of the new stove is 6".

I bought a reducer fitting and an elbow. The height is just right but it positions the stove half way out on the hearth. So I need to take some length off the stove pipe coming out of the old fireplace. I can't see what's behind the steel plate but given the location of the cleanout on the opposite side of the fireplace the stove pipe is teed off the flue.

I tried to work it loose from the tee but didn't want to yank too hard in case I'm missing something. If you look close at this picture you can see a small screw inside the flue, lower left. What is it for?

A closer shot.

Is the protruding stove pipe simply pushed into the tee fitting? If I twist and tug hard enough will it come off? Is the screw important? I tried, not very hard, to take out the steel plate and get a better look behind it but didn't have the tool at hand to pull it away. Should I put the effort in to this?

What sayeth the oracles?

 

[fbelec]

what are you attempting to do pull off the section of pipe and put in a smaller length? you need to get the metal block plate out of the way so that you can see what you have there and see if everything is safe before you put in that stove. take it apart if there is a problem you already have a call in to a sweep/installer if you break something he'll fix it or you fix it and be on your way. if you have questions post more pictures and you will get a answer here. you def want to get that plate out of the way so that you can look up the chimney and make everything is ok.

 

[bjkjoseph]

i have one of those tee's,the screw is part of a band clamp that holds the tee together.

 

[Bootlegger]

what are you attempting to do pull off the section of pipe and put in a smaller length? you need to get the metal block plate out of the way so that you can see what you have there and see if everything is safe before you put in that stove. take it apart if there is a problem you already have a call in to a sweep/installer if you break something he'll fix it or you fix it and be on your way. if you have questions post more pictures and you will get a answer here. you def want to get that plate out of the way so that you can look up the chimney and make everything is ok.

Yes, I need a shorter length.
The flue is in great shape, only 4 years old, great draft, very little creosote (even burning damp wood). My biggest worry is screwing it up. I'll take the plate off.

 

[Bootlegger]

i have one of those tee's,the screw is part of a band clamp that holds the tee together.

"holds the tee together", literally? If I loosen it the tee falls apart? Or do you mean it holds the stove pipe into the tee?