VC intrepid thermostat operation

[Rob711]

How far back should lever go? In order to keep air flap open to maintain 4-500 degree skillet I have to keep thermostat lever horizontal.
When I first start stove I get resistance on thermostat lever at about 45degrees. Once it warms a bit it will close air down, this is before I even get any hot coals. I can then easily push it back more getting that lever horizontal, opening air door, all is well.
Does the fact that it’s half inside masonry fireplace have any thing to do with it, getting thermostat too hot? If it had factory rear heat shields it would choke itself out.
I shortened chain from thermostat to flapper, not sure that helped. Did notice that once cold it seems to pull thermostat lever back up towards stove.
How should this be set up?

 

[fbelec]

i run the old defiant with the same tstat set up and a heat shield. when the stove is up to temp that flap could be up to temp and closed. it will hold it's temp that way. your tstat might be closing sooner because it's in the fireplace but it's all relevant. what ever the stove is for a temp that spring should hold it there. but yes when all those bricks are up to temp it's going to keep closing. if i ran my stove at 500 it would hold if i bumped it up then it would run at that temp. i run my stove at 625 give or take 25. once i got the temp i wanted i would leave the lever alone light it off and from cold it would go up to 700 to 800 then back down by itself to my running temp. if we get a cold snap of a few days of 0 to 15 daytime temp i might raise it to run at 650 to 700 but normally i just leave it alone and let it do it's thing. it takes a few fires to figure it out.