Well here's what I've done to alleviate the problem. Called ESW and they told me that its just a bar welded to the slide...coundn't be any simpler...they didn't have any specific instructions on how to help the problem though...so what I did was to let the fire burn out and then I got in back of the stove with some fluid film...I shot it up into the damper opening and I shot as much as I could in the little space in the front of the stove where the rod protrudes...it TOTALLY alleviated the sticking...however I'm wondering how long it will last...probably will just burn off in a week or two but I'll see..