Need help with an older Resolute

[EthanS]

Hi All,

I was about to buy a stove when my parents gifted me a Resolute they picked up recently at a local yard sale. Now I'm trying to figure out if it's worth fixing up or if I should just buy something (more) ready to burn.

About the stove:

• Single drop-down door
• 1979 cast into the back
• Label says it was safety tested September 25, 1980.
• Serial number is 025151

My main concern with the stove has to do with the damper. Maybe I'm overthinking it, or maybe there's something really wrong with the stove. With the damper handle set to the fully open position, the damper opens little more than an inch (a very small angular rotation). In its fully closed position, neither the damper nor the handle positively engage, and the damper usually falls back into its (partially) opened position. Damper in "fully open" position:



I'm wondering if someone damaged the stove and replaced parts with newer, non-equivalent, pieces--perhaps from a newer model Resolute. The damper cam arm, or whatever it is called, won't let the damper swing any farther than shown above. A closeup of the interference:



In the photo above you can see the damper arm bottoming out--it doesn't look mechanically right to me, with the damper only open an inch. Also, in this same photo, there are two screw heads (one larger above, one smaller below) constraining the damper handle as it enters the stove. It looks Mickey Moused to me. Here's a photo of those screws from the outside:



Aside from the damper issues and needing a good cleaning, the stove looks in good shape. I went to a VC dealer and they were not much help identifying the actual model. I'm not positive which parts diagrams I should be looking at since some signs point toward this being an older Resolute, but the damper handle looks like that on some of the newer diagrams.

I'm kinda lost on the damper without knowing how it's supposed to work (and not knowing which drawings should match my stove). Any guidance on resurrecting this old champ would be greatly appreciated.

- Ethan

 

[fbelec]

welcome to the forum ethans. i could be wrong but it looks like something is warped in there. defiant3 should be the guy to answer this. and something that says that the stove was not run right is the creosote in the stove. that alone is strange.

frank

 

[defiant3]

Hi Ethn. So yeah, it wouldn't be abnormal for a 40 year old fireback to be warped, and the fireback iswhat supports the damper assembly in that stove. Replacing it with the updated 2 piece fireback with adjustable damper linkage WOULD have solved the problem and gotten you a decent stove, but the new owners of Vermont Castins seem to have other ideas. As of July they've discontinued a componenet used in that 2 piece fireback kit and it's no longer available. So unfortunately. what you have there is a very nice looking iron box and that's all it can ever be .For any serious heating needs, I'd go shopping. Best of luck!!