Over the past few winters, I have been having problems with the door sagging such that it had to be lifted up into place in order to latch it. Long story shortish, there is supposed to be a bronze or brass 5/16 x 9/16 x 1/4" spacer that sits between the door and the hinge bracket on the lower hinge pin. On my 20+-year-old stove, this apparently wore totally away, leaving just a yellowish stain on the lower pin. Without the spacer to hold the upper pin securely in the upper pin hole, the pin can and did slip out of place due to the weight and leverage the door exerts on the connection. Thus, my problem.
Having a basic mechanical perspective on the situation, but not understanding the specs or possibilities, I added some steel washers on the lower pin, which helped a bit, but failed to work long-term. I did not understand that there should have been 1/4' worth. So, the top pin continued to slip out of its retaining hole on occasion. In the process of wrestling the top pin back home, a recent examination with my cell phone camera revealed that I had gouged a channel in the area of the bracket leading to the hole. This led me to the present, where I wanted to fix the stove properly.
I looked at the parts diagram for the stove and saw that they offered a hinge pin set and a replacement hinge plate/bracket, so I figured that would be the ticket. Enter the supply chain and technical assistance scenario. I bought the stove from Tom at the Chimney Sweep in Bellingham, WA. The store and likely Tom are long gone. The manufacturer is not very far from me, crow-wise, but there is no stocking dealer anywhere within 100 miles of me. Of the dealers listed, there are two within that range, but neither knows much about the PE stoves nor carries any parts for them, and parts delivery was predicted at least a month. So, figuring going north to a Canadian dealer would bring a quick resolution. One would think.
The manufacturer does not sell directly to the public, so I located the closest Canadian dealer and called them. The Canadian dealer was pleasant and helpful, but had not seen my issue before and could only offer basic advice. He did not stock these esoteric parts, but could get them, and predicted delivery in under two weeks. Hoping for a quick delivery, I ordered them, as SWMBO is getting chilly at night and running an electric heater is expensive. Well, the dealer orders from a distributor who orders from the manufacturer. Yeah, you guessed it, I'm still waiting, three weeks so far. Hopefully next week.
This brings us to the current situation. I removed the door, replaced the gasket, and attempted to remove the hinge bracket. I got the three 3/8' screws that hold the bracket in place. Back and side clearances were an issue, and getting them restarted will be fun, for which I have found tweezers or a small hemostat to be of great help. AND, the bracket will not come away from the stove. None of the dealers I talked to had a clue. I tracked down the direct phone number for Pacific Energy (1-250-748-1184), hit 2 (recently changed?) for technical help, and talked directly to the manufacturer. I learned a lot, or some things anyway. I learned the specs on the spacer, which is part of the pin kit but not sold separately, but is available in steel at a local hardware store; I learned that the pins are epoxied in place and judged near indestructible and never likely to need replacing; I learned that the hinge pins and bracket were the same on several stoves (do check the bracket part# before you order); and I was told that the hinge bracket/plate should just come out with the screws removed. But it does not! It's loose; it wiggles up and down, back and forth, but it feels as if it is being stopped by something solid or keyed in place. So, HELP with this. I contacted another large Canadian dealer in Ontario for wisdom, but they refused to even comment on the issue due to all sorts of things.
So, have any of your Hearthers had experience with these issues, or particularly knowledge as to whether the hinge bracket should just come out, as the manufacturer's techie stated? Or what? Get the jaws of life out?
TIA for any wisdom.
Dennis
Having a basic mechanical perspective on the situation, but not understanding the specs or possibilities, I added some steel washers on the lower pin, which helped a bit, but failed to work long-term. I did not understand that there should have been 1/4' worth. So, the top pin continued to slip out of its retaining hole on occasion. In the process of wrestling the top pin back home, a recent examination with my cell phone camera revealed that I had gouged a channel in the area of the bracket leading to the hole. This led me to the present, where I wanted to fix the stove properly.
I looked at the parts diagram for the stove and saw that they offered a hinge pin set and a replacement hinge plate/bracket, so I figured that would be the ticket. Enter the supply chain and technical assistance scenario. I bought the stove from Tom at the Chimney Sweep in Bellingham, WA. The store and likely Tom are long gone. The manufacturer is not very far from me, crow-wise, but there is no stocking dealer anywhere within 100 miles of me. Of the dealers listed, there are two within that range, but neither knows much about the PE stoves nor carries any parts for them, and parts delivery was predicted at least a month. So, figuring going north to a Canadian dealer would bring a quick resolution. One would think.
The manufacturer does not sell directly to the public, so I located the closest Canadian dealer and called them. The Canadian dealer was pleasant and helpful, but had not seen my issue before and could only offer basic advice. He did not stock these esoteric parts, but could get them, and predicted delivery in under two weeks. Hoping for a quick delivery, I ordered them, as SWMBO is getting chilly at night and running an electric heater is expensive. Well, the dealer orders from a distributor who orders from the manufacturer. Yeah, you guessed it, I'm still waiting, three weeks so far. Hopefully next week.
This brings us to the current situation. I removed the door, replaced the gasket, and attempted to remove the hinge bracket. I got the three 3/8' screws that hold the bracket in place. Back and side clearances were an issue, and getting them restarted will be fun, for which I have found tweezers or a small hemostat to be of great help. AND, the bracket will not come away from the stove. None of the dealers I talked to had a clue. I tracked down the direct phone number for Pacific Energy (1-250-748-1184), hit 2 (recently changed?) for technical help, and talked directly to the manufacturer. I learned a lot, or some things anyway. I learned the specs on the spacer, which is part of the pin kit but not sold separately, but is available in steel at a local hardware store; I learned that the pins are epoxied in place and judged near indestructible and never likely to need replacing; I learned that the hinge pins and bracket were the same on several stoves (do check the bracket part# before you order); and I was told that the hinge bracket/plate should just come out with the screws removed. But it does not! It's loose; it wiggles up and down, back and forth, but it feels as if it is being stopped by something solid or keyed in place. So, HELP with this. I contacted another large Canadian dealer in Ontario for wisdom, but they refused to even comment on the issue due to all sorts of things.
So, have any of your Hearthers had experience with these issues, or particularly knowledge as to whether the hinge bracket should just come out, as the manufacturer's techie stated? Or what? Get the jaws of life out?
TIA for any wisdom.
Dennis
