Smokey Consolidated Dutch west stove

[Smokey stove]

I have an FA264 2183 Consolidated Dutch west wood stove. There was a smoke leak coming from the rear of the top of the stove. I took off the cover and replaced the gasket with a 1/2 inch gasket. Now smoke is pouring out of the same place! I can't tighten the bolts on the sides any more than they are. Any thoughts?

 

[Nick Mystic]

Once a stove is heated up any leaks in the stove are going to allow outside air to leak into the stove rather than let smoke escape into the room. When smoke is leaking out of a heated up stove it often can mean that the flue is not drafting well. If the stove had been drafting properly and this is a new problem then the first place to look is the chimney cap to make sure it's not getting clogged up.

 

[begreen]

It could be the refractory is breaking down and blocking the combustion chamber. Does it smoke with the bypass open? How old is the stove and how long has it been since a rebuild?

 

[Woody Stover]

It could be the refractory is breaking down and blocking the combustion chamber

May be a straight cat stove, like the 2460. What is the date of manufacture on the metal tag? Mine has still got a very faint smoke odor from around the top. Are you sure that's the right gasket thickness, or just eyeballing it? I put a 1/2" gasket (3/8" came with the kit, but top bolts were bottoming out, like what you are seeing.) I remember the top of the horseshoe was pitted and uneven, so I'm going to take a grinder to it next time I have it open, in hopes for a better seal. I would get some OE gasket, maybe at woodmanspartsplus. If you can only 1/2", you can put more gasket cement in the bottom of the groove and let it dry a little first (or use furnace cement,) in hopes that it will elevate the gasket more and seal better.

 

[begreen]

I think the 2183 is a downdraft neverburn model.