At the factory I think they use something like the Imperial brand cement. It is a clear cement. I think the direction say to close the door after it's applied?
Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT
- Thread starter steveintx
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Yes, clamp or compress is SOP for just about any glue application. My gasket came out so easily and completely free of any glue at all, and sounds this might be common issue based on reports here. My theory is they did not close the damper to compress the gasket into the glue, or they waited to long to set gasket into glue and glue was already too stiff. Something something, whatever.
Woodsplitter, please explain "take top off the stove" process? On my stove there are a pair of small bolts either side at the hinge pin axis that can be removed from the rear ( #9 & 10 in diagram) which hold the little tabs that catch the pivot ears of the damper door. This would get that door completely out of the way. But on the inside it appears that these two bolts are the only connections connecting the damper door frame assembly to back wall of the stove, so I suppose that would allow you to remove this assembly from the inside? But then that assembly has a gasket behind it as well, sealing it to the stove body (#17 in diagram if I read this right) I found this diagram in a 2019 post here by begreen :https://www.hearth.com/talk/threads/any-firsthand-experience-with-new-vc-intrepid-flexburn.173566/
![[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/screenshot-2023-12-19-at-10-10-30%E2%80%AFam-webp.320989/ "[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT")
Damn man, I guess that's one way to avoid being called OCD!
I usually like to do things correctly.....
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So-- Here is a video of the inside damper housing from 2 views. It seems to me that there is no glue at all. Am I right?
Looks like it has never seen glue. The gasket that came out didn't have the glue stuck to it?
On the bright side, that is ready to replace easy-peasy. Scraping out the old glue is a pia.
On the bright side, that is ready to replace easy-peasy. Scraping out the old glue is a pia.
Earl.... Exactly! There was no glue on the gasket either. Clean as a whistle (picture of that is on my very first post). I couldn't believe it, so I wanted to share. Because there is no glue, I'm a little confused as to where it goes. In the groove closest to the opening, or the next one in? If anyone has a picture I'd feel real secure I'm doing the right thing.
This is how mine looked. The little ribbed line that looks like a weld is that clear glue imprinted with the gasket weave.
![[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/img_6175-webp.321013/ "[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT")
![[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT](https://www.hearth.com/talk/attachments/img_6176-webp.321014/ "[Hearth.com] Damper Gasket- Intrepid Flexburn 2115-CAT")
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Earl- Looking at your view from the back, I'm inspired to work from the back of the stove instead of the front. So looking at this video: Would I disconnect the stovepipe (at the point the video starts), then disconnect the screws holding part number 1 to the stove, and then the screws holding part number 2 to the stove. Will the gasket holding number 2 need re-gluing?
Kevin-- When I read your first post about this, I assumed you were working from the front of the stove and doing the job by feel. But, as I re-read, I'm not sure. If you came in through the back to do the repair, I would probably do the same thing. Even though I don't have any cement to remove, that still seems the way to go to get a neat job. Thoughts?
I was working from the front. I installed the gasket by feel and what I could see via the front. Only concern was not stretching the gasket in the application process and getting it to stay in place until I could close the damper.
I just want to thank everyone for their posts, & write a final update. Because there was no glue in the channel, I ended up re-installing the gasket from the front. I spent some time cleaning out the channel before I applied the glue and then the gasket. I bought the Rutland gasket cement in a flexible tube (good to 2000 degrees) from Ace. I used the wax paper idea to great effect. And then closed the damper to hold it in place. I did a gradual burn a few days later to cure the cement. I checked again with my dealer. She checked with VC who would reimburse (slightly) for the repair, and was willing to reimburse our installer. But, by this point, with all the gathered information from this forum, I felt that I'd do a fine job on my own. She also said she'd let VC know that damper gasket problems have been reported a lot on this forum. The stove seems to be working fine, and the gasket is holding.
Stevepupnorth
Member
Hi Steve: while I believe I see more secondary burn flashes when the damper is closed now, and also that the needle indicating the catalyst is operating gets to midpoint quicker, I can't be sure if this is a "placebo effect ".
Stevepupnorth
Member
I will fix mine if you think it’s worth it. But not this weekend…. Mine has beef “fixed” a couple times already but there have been tips here that I’d use to make a hopefully more permanent repair.
Steve upnorth: Reading all the hints, I felt very secure that this was an easy job. As long as the previous fixes or initial install didn't leave a bunch of hardened gunk in your damper housing, it shouldn't be hard to do. Took me half an hour... working as slow as I could. Everyone's feedback also convinced me that it's worth doing. If I was a " minister of fire" I would be able to give you stats about how quickly the stove now heats up, flue temp, catalyst temp etc, but I'm too new, and don't have the Fancy gizmos. It does seem like when I close the damper and reach catalyst temps my chimney is giving off less smoke than it did before the fix. We're finally going to get three days of freezing temperatures next week, so I'll know more. So far, I've been heating it up on a cold day and letting it die the next day when the outside temp is in the 70's..... Texas
manofstihl
New Member
This is 100 percent my experience with my Dauntless. The gasket just fell out onto the damper one morning. There is zero evidence of cement or any other adhesive on the gasket. I can't feel any from the front, and I've not had time to remove the back to check with a light. It's kind of incredible that the gasket could leave the factory without the cement on a stove that costs as much as these do.
What parts did you have to remove to access it from the back? No. 1 and No. 2 in the diagram from the manual above?
In my case, I did need to reglue the gasket on the collar, as it was barely tacked on as well. (sorry I didn't see this sooner!)
Hi manofstihl- I think the Intrepid is quite different from the Dauntless. In my case, I decided that with no adhesive to remove, I could do the job from the front of the stove. And that it would be less likely that I'd do harm compared to taking it apart (considering my level of skill.) After about 5 nights of burns following my install, the gasket seems to be holding well. I just used a wire brush & then a damp cloth to clean the surface. I spread a good amount of adhesive on the surface of the damper housing and then very slowly attached the gasket. I immediately followed with closing the damper for 24 hours to hold it in place. Then a gradual burn to harden the adhesive. I'm hoping that if we all tell our dealers that this problem is pervasive, the message will get back to VC.
Thanks for starting this thread. I just had the damper gasket fall out on my Intrepid Flexburn, too. I was going to have my installer come out for a service call, but now I’ll do it myself. Thanks!
