Piazetta Monia Removing Iron Back Panel? - need comments

[Don2222]

Hello

I was just working on cleaning a 1990 Piazetta Monia. It is a very nice pretty red stove and worked well with all original parts! The only issue I had was removing the iron back panel for cleaning. The manual had some simmple instructions of just rotating the hold down clips and lifting the panel up to pull the tabs out of the slots on the bottom and pulling the bottom out and pushing the top down below the rotating hold down clips. Sounds simple but due to the coefficient of thermal expansion being different for the iron back panel and the steel firebox side panels it was Absolutely brutal to get in and out! #$%@

I had to use a screw driver, mini crowbar, tons of PB Blaster and a rubber hammer with lots of banging and prying to take out and get back in!

Monia Owners manual see diagram 50 below
7.3 Cleaning the firebox
Once a week clean the firebox as follows. Fig. 50
--Remove the grate baffle and draw out the grate.
-- Turn the eccentric clamps to free the internal baffle.
-- Lift the baffle slightly, gripping it by the two outer tabs to free it at the
bottom and then turn it, bringing the bottom outwards, and remove.
--Using a vacuum cleaner remove the ash from the firebox.
--After having thoroughly cleaned the firebox, remount the internal
baffle proceeding in the reverse order to above.
-- Ensure that the tabs are properly inserted into the relative notches
in the sides of the firebox and secure the baffle by turning the two
eccentric clamps.
--Replace the grate, pushing it to the.
--Replace the grate baffle plate.

Has anyone seen this problem??

 

[chken]

Couple years ago, someone had a Monia with a baffle plate that would not come out. It was eventually replaced under warranty.

 

[709GADE]

It is a really tight fit, but I always manage to get it out with a little persuasion. I've never had to use tools yet...

 

[Don2222]

Hello
After wire brushing the panel with a wire wheel on the drill and using moly spray it was still way to tight going back in.
Looks like the problem is in older Monia like this one.

Grinding the sides or getting a new back panel looks like to be the solution. Thanks so much for your help guys.

 

[PoodleWamer]

I've only had my Sabrina for 1.5 weeks. The manual says to start with a medium fire for 3 hours then a high fire for 6 hours. I know that cast iron needs temperature seasoning to reduce stress and prevent cracking. So I did several burns at a low setting for a couple of hours then on next higher setting, letting it cool completely between firings and working my way up to a long burn on high.

You might try dry graphite spray to lubricate (be careful- the spray propellant is usually propane), but from your description I suspect you will have to file or grind the sticking points down. My piece is almost a friction fit but does uninstall and reinstall without problems.

 

[Pascal_Maertens]

Out of 80 Piazzetta stove sold, I only have a few that are Monia. I did have once problem to take a back plate out the Monia unlike the Sabrina as an ''L'' shape back plate and you have to be very care full not to take one end before the other it will get stuck and this is an other reason for me not to sale Monia model also ; the auger is smaller half the size of Sabrina, only 400$ difference with Sabrina, the Sabrina it easier to clean, and it give more heat it does not take that much place more so I prefer to recommend the Sabrina over the Monia. I have seen a tool that would expand the inside of the stove so you can extract the back plate. what I would trie, is to grind gently each side of the plate you dont want to make a gap just sanding littlie.