HELP Jotul 8 owners - top baffle installation question

[1990Jotul]

I am finishing up a project to convert a Series 8 TDIC into a pre-catalytic #8. All went OK, in that it is burning pretty well now. However, I have found one problem: The new top baffle plate (part number 101941) does not really fit in very snugly. It just kind of rests on mounts inside the stove. If I put any big logs in and bump it, it falls out of position. This piece fits perfectly into the back burn plate, but then the front of it just barely makes contact with the supports. Photos will make what I am trying to describe much more clear. Here are some photos of the part inside the stove from the top facing front, then from the top rear. Then a close up of the right side point of contact with the stove (the left side is identical). I am also including a close up of the stove mounting point and the area of the part that rests on it. As a fix, I am going to put a steel bar into these supports to create a rest for the baffle. I am not sure how well that will work but it should improve the stability.

Am I missing some other part? or has something been changed from the original #8 design? If one of you #8 owners could please let me know, I would be very grateful. Thank you.

 

[1990Jotul]

OK, I am going to answer my own question (although I would still love to see a photo of an old Jotul 8 mounting point). I found a drawing of the current European model and can see the mounts are different from mine.

As far as working around this, I found a solution that seems to be working well. I bought some 3/16 steel 1.5 inch angle bar and cut it to 23.5 inches. I positioned it with the angle pointed down - resting in the end mounts. This now spans the width of the stove and firmly support that new top baffle.

 

[Tree scruff]

OK, I am going to answer my own question (although I would still love to see a photo of an old Jotul 8 mounting point). I found a drawing of the current European model and can see the mounts are different from mine.

As far as working around this, I found a solution that seems to be working well. I bought some 3/16 steel 1.5 inch angle bar and cut it to 23.5 inches. I positioned it with the angle pointed down - resting in the end mounts. This now spans the width of the stove and firmly support that new top baffle.

Hi There

Thanks for posting this - its the only thread on Jotul 8 restoration I could find anywhere on the WWW!

If I could set you a new challenge?

I recently bought what I thought was an old Jotul 8 from Norway. The inside was a mess and it was set up for a side outlet with an unusual baffle plate. I need back or top so have ordered a heap of parts from Jotul (not cheap!). After a little 'too and fro' with jotul UK it would seem that what I have is a PEIS 8 which predates the Jotul 8. It would seem that is pretty much the same in every way but it never had a top baffle if used with top or rear outlet (which amazes me). I dont like the idea of this so have ordered a top baffle with all the other bits and pieces. So the challenge is to find a way for the baffle to sit ok in the burner. There are no mounts/pegs for it to sit on so I need other ideas.

Thus far the only thought I have had is to buy some slightly longer screws for the side blanking plates and to fill the extra length of the screw clamp an 'L' shape piece of metal with a screw hole in upside down on each side for the front of the baffle to sit on.

Any thoughts?

Thanks in advance

 

[1990Jotul]

Tree Scruff,
Nice to hear from another Jotul 8 owner who is enthusiastic about keeping their stove going! I also had not found too much help on the internet, so had to go it alone. What you are saying about your stove being a PEIS 8 and predating the Jotul 8 is rather interesting. My new parts from Jotul are actually stamped with "PEIS 8" I had looked this word up and found that it means "fireplace" in Norwegian. Are you sure about the information you were given? Does your stove have a placard on the back with any model information? Can you post a photo of the stove? It would be interesting to see it from a few different angles (especially the front). I am really confused by your statement that it was set up for a side exit. Do you have a flue collar on one of the side cast iron plates? Very interesting....

Regarding your current challenge, I am sure there are a number of different approaches that could be used in order to support the top baffle. Can you post a photo of what you now have, looking down from the top of the stove (with the top off)? It might help me give you my best idea.

Hang in there, you'll be happy in the end, these are great stoves worth keeping.

 

[Tree scruff]

Tree Scruff,
Nice to hear from another Jotul 8 owner who is enthusiastic about keeping their stove going! I also had not found too much help on the internet, so had to go it alone. What you are saying about your stove being a PEIS 8 and predating the Jotul 8 is rather interesting. My new parts from Jotul are actually stamped with "PEIS 8" I had looked this word up and found that it means "fireplace" in Norwegian. Are you sure about the information you were given? Does your stove have a placard on the back with any model information? Can you post a photo of the stove? It would be interesting to see it from a few different angles (especially the front). I am really confused by your statement that it was set up for a side exit. Do you have a flue collar on one of the side cast iron plates? Very interesting....

Regarding your current challenge, I am sure there are a number of different approaches that could be used in order to support the top baffle. Can you post a photo of what you now have, looking down from the top of the stove (with the top off)? It might help me give you my best idea.

Hang in there, you'll be happy in the end, these are great stoves worth keeping.

I will certainly take pictures in the next few days and post them up. In regards to the side exit , yes, it was set up with the collar on the side. The top, back and remaining side were obviously blanked off, There were 2 side burn plates and the rear burn plate was flat like the side ones but obviously much bigger. It is very unlike the burn plate used for rear and top exit stoves. The top baffle is also an odd specimen - i will include these in the pending pictures.

I have questioned the info I was given. There does seem to be a lack of info out there as our models (both 1990) are from the pre-internet world. I suspect that all Jotul (8s) have PEIS stamped on the inside and have just wondered if in Scandinavia (or anywhere else for that matter) you could buy new, either a rear/top exit set up or a side set up. The side set up being different in terms of plate and baffle but also the lack of pegs/mounts making the actual cast iron side plates different from the ones used for rear/top. I will get those pictures sorted once I have moved everything into a lighter room.

Please find attached the parts list and diagram for PEIS 8 I was sent by Jotul UK - it shows in one of the pictures the side set up.

PS I note that we have managed not only to have the same stove but also the same chainsaw!

 

[1990Jotul]

I'll look forward to those photos, but the diagrams you posted give me a little more of an idea of what you have. Very interesting. The top diagram just looks like the pre-catalytic model called a Jotul 8 here in the US Market. The bottom drawing showing the side exhaust is completely new to me. I noticed that the standard version was dated July 1983, which coincides with when the 8 was sold here. The diagram seemed to refer to both of these as a Peis 8, which I think just basically means "Stove (fireplace) 8". That, along with the fact that that my original Jotul 8 - TDIC bought back in 1990 and the new parts that I just obtained all have "Peis 8" stamped on them, makes me think that your earlier statement "what I have is a PEIS 8 which predates the Jotul 8" is not correct. In fact, your configuration is actually dated 2 years later in those drawings. I think what you have is a Jotul 8, but that it was some kind of limited production variant. It reminds me of something I saw recently being sold in South Africa. The South African Jotul dealers offered the current model of the Jotul 8, called the F-8, with dual "front" glass doors (that is, the back panel was replaced with a second front panel and glass door). It was stated that these were custom made by Jotul South Africa, using genuine Norwegian parts.

I'm not sure exactly what your stove is missing to run it as an original 8 (the photos should help me), but if I understand it, you want to take a round flue cover off either the back or top, and switch it with the flue outlet from the side, so the side is now blocked off. Then you would remove the top side oriented baffle and discard it. I am guessing you would then probably need the two parts I just bought when I converted my cat model to a pre-cat version. Those were the 101941 Top Baffle and the 101935 Back Liner. I ran into problems getting my new Top Baffle to fit in the side support mounts, because they seemed to be shaped a little differently then what had originally been used. As I understand it, you are saying you have this problem to a further degree- there are simply no mounting points at all. Is this pretty much the scenario?

Did you buy your Stihl 026 new or used? I got mine new back in 1990 (about 6 months before I bought my Jotul). I absolutely love that saw, it's still going strong! I see you are in Northern England, where about?

 

[Tree scruff]

I'll look forward to those photos, but the diagrams you posted give me a little more of an idea of what you have. Very interesting. The top diagram just looks like the pre-catalytic model called a Jotul 8 here in the US Market. The bottom drawing showing the side exhaust is completely new to me. I noticed that the standard version was dated July 1983, which coincides with when the 8 was sold here. The diagram seemed to refer to both of these as a Peis 8, which I think just basically means "Stove (fireplace) 8". That, along with the fact that that my original Jotul 8 - TDIC bought back in 1990 and the new parts that I just obtained all have "Peis 8" stamped on them, makes me think that your earlier statement "what I have is a PEIS 8 which predates the Jotul 8" is not correct. In fact, your configuration is actually dated 2 years later in those drawings. I think what you have is a Jotul 8, but that it was some kind of limited production variant. It reminds me of something I saw recently being sold in South Africa. The South African Jotul dealers offered the current model of the Jotul 8, called the F-8, with dual "front" glass doors (that is, the back panel was replaced with a second front panel and glass door). It was stated that these were custom made by Jotul South Africa, using genuine Norwegian parts.

I'm not sure exactly what your stove is missing to run it as an original 8 (the photos should help me), but if I understand it, you want to take a round flue cover off either the back or top, and switch it with the flue outlet from the side, so the side is now blocked off. Then you would remove the top side oriented baffle and discard it. I am guessing you would then probably need the two parts I just bought when I converted my cat model to a pre-cat version. Those were the 101941 Top Baffle and the 101935 Back Liner. I ran into problems getting my new Top Baffle to fit in the side support mounts, because they seemed to be shaped a little differently then what had originally been used. As I understand it, you are saying you have this problem to a further degree- there are simply no mounting points at all. Is this pretty much the scenario?

Did you buy your Stihl 026 new or used? I got mine new back in 1990 (about 6 months before I bought my Jotul). I absolutely love that saw, it's still going strong! I see you are in Northern England, where about?

Her she is with side set up



So good news - all the bits and bobs I ordered form Jotul arrived today! 3 weeks earlier than expected.:
1 x side burn plate,
1x rear burn plate,
1 x top baffle,
1 x blanking plate,
3 gaskets for blanking plates and a few new bolts to replace the rusted ones.

TOTAL £310 .........ouch! whats that? ...$400 in US? Still, it looks like in total the stove will cost me £500 - less than a third of the price of a new one over here in the UK - got to be worth it.

Old baffles and bits


All the new bits slot in very nicely so we are now onto how to support the top baffle. As you rightly understood this is the same challenge as yours only to a greater degree as there are absolutely no mounts at all on mine - please see below.



I liked your idea of a steel cross piece and i picked up a scrap bit metal rod to see if I could wedge it in but, alas, it doesnt seem to work - there is just nothing for it to sit on. It seems to work nicely on your already existing mounts.

You can see in the pictures that I have knocked up a prototype L bracket (its actually just an aluminium bracket that just needed a bigger hole).

It is screwed on using the screw that secures the blanking plate. Obviously I am going to make a proper one out of some more serious metal - any suggestions for what sort of steel I could use would be welcome.

It actually seems to work pretty well even with this sub standard one as the indents on the top baffle are situated directly above the screws.


We are getting there - I think some slightly longer screws to take the depth of whatever metal I use for the final brackets and 'the jobs a goodun'. Further suggestions very welcome - what steel did you use?

We live in west Yorkshire in England - long, cold damp winters - hence the project!

Where abouts are you? Obviously also somewhere that gets chilly enough to warrant having a Jotul 8..

I have had the 026 for about 5 years - its out of action at the mo as I rebuilt it but used a cheap carb. I also have a Stihl 460 which is more than seeing me through!

 

[begreen]

I suspect that the aluminum bracket would fail quickly, if not spectacularly. The baffle is designed for rear venting. Will you be installing a proper plug for the side vent? Why only one new side burnplate?

 

[Tree scruff]

I suspect that the aluminum bracket would fail quickly, if not spectacularly. The baffle is designed for rear venting. Will you be installing a proper plug for the side vent? Why only one new side burnplate?

Yeah the aluminium wouldn't last 5 mins!

Yes I have the proper side plate and gasket to plug the side. I only ordered 1 side burn plate because the two things that were OK on the inside when I got the burner were the bottom burn plate and one of the side burn plates so I have not replaced them with new parts. As you can see from the pictures the other plates were more than past their best!

 

[1990Jotul]

Your stove (with the new parts) is now virtually identical to mine- with the exception of those two side panels. I now understand why you don't have any top baffle mounts- it's because that part of the stove is cut out for the flue exhaust, on both sides. This is an extremely versatile stove in terms of connecting to a chimney- four options! It seems you are planning to exhaust it out the back now. You can also do it out of the top - which is what I recommend, where possible. A straight run right up to chimney is always best, but if you are going to be running it to a fireplace chimney or through an outside wall, I can see why you would use the back. I think you can make your idea work, but you will need to use some steel. I used 3/8 thick angle bar. My stove has been running pretty hard now for about 1.5 months and it does not appear to be warping. So I think that would be a good bet. Another idea that I have would require some welding. You could fabricate a single support out of three separate pieces of steel. Two vertical sides and a top cross piece connecting them. You could have them sized so that the two "legs" rest on the top of the side burn plates. You should be able to get this welded together at fairly low cost. The other idea I have- that you might not like- involves drilling a small hole on each side and then running a steel rod from one side to the other. This doesn't seem so extreme to me, because I already had a hole on my right side. This had been drilled (it was not cast that way), for the catalyst bypass mechanism. When I removed the catalyst, I plugged up that hole with a piece of steel and coated over it with stove cement. I can barely even tell it is there anymore, so I guess the idea of putting holes in the sides doesn't seem so severe to me, but I image you might not like that idea.

Do you have any placard with a manufacturing date or model information on the back? I am curious what year it was made and whether it has a model number on it. That configuration with flue openings on the sides is really unusual. I simply cannot believe how badly damaged your old back and side burn plate are. My stove was run pretty hard for 27 years and these plates all look pretty new (no warping, cracks, etc.). Perhaps it is because I was exhausting out of the top? (My stove also had a catalyst for all those years as well) Was your bad burn plate on the side that was exhausting? (of course it could have been switched over the life of the stove).

I am in New Jersey (midway between Philadelphia and New York). I don't know if you another post I had made here on hearth.com, but I actually needed to use a Jotul dealer in your country to get one of the parts that I needed. I was able to get the back burn plate and top baffle here in the USA, but I wanted to replace my 7 inch flue collar with a 6 inch (150 mm), which was never used in the US model. I bought it from a Jotul dealer near Sheffield. I paid about $120 (with shipping) for each of the the parts I needed and ended up spending about $360 dollars, so don't feel too bad. Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on your stove, it looks to be in good condition. One tip that I can give you: you have the top on backwards (front part should be facing the back).

 

[Tree scruff]

Your stove (with the new parts) is now virtually identical to mine- with the exception of those two side panels. I now understand why you don't have any top baffle mounts- it's because that part of the stove is cut out for the flue exhaust, on both sides. This is an extremely versatile stove in terms of connecting to a chimney- four options! It seems you are planning to exhaust it out the back now. You can also do it out of the top - which is what I recommend, where possible. A straight run right up to chimney is always best, but if you are going to be running it to a fireplace chimney or through an outside wall, I can see why you would use the back. I think you can make your idea work, but you will need to use some steel. I used 3/8 thick angle bar. My stove has been running pretty hard now for about 1.5 months and it does not appear to be warping. So I think that would be a good bet. Another idea that I have would require some welding. You could fabricate a single support out of three separate pieces of steel. Two vertical sides and a top cross piece connecting them. You could have them sized so that the two "legs" rest on the top of the side burn plates. You should be able to get this welded together at fairly low cost. The other idea I have- that you might not like- involves drilling a small hole on each side and then running a steel rod from one side to the other. This doesn't seem so extreme to me, because I already had a hole on my right side. This had been drilled (it was not cast that way), for the catalyst bypass mechanism. When I removed the catalyst, I plugged up that hole with a piece of steel and coated over it with stove cement. I can barely even tell it is there anymore, so I guess the idea of putting holes in the sides doesn't seem so severe to me, but I image you might not like that idea.

Do you have any placard with a manufacturing date or model information on the back? I am curious what year it was made and whether it has a model number on it. That configuration with flue openings on the sides is really unusual. I simply cannot believe how badly damaged your old back and side burn plate are. My stove was run pretty hard for 27 years and these plates all look pretty new (no warping, cracks, etc.). Perhaps it is because I was exhausting out of the top? (My stove also had a catalyst for all those years as well) Was your bad burn plate on the side that was exhausting? (of course it could have been switched over the life of the stove).

I am in New Jersey (midway between Philadelphia and New York). I don't know if you another post I had made here on hearth.com, but I actually needed to use a Jotul dealer in your country to get one of the parts that I needed. I was able to get the back burn plate and top baffle here in the USA, but I wanted to replace my 7 inch flue collar with a 6 inch (150 mm), which was never used in the US model. I bought it from a Jotul dealer near Sheffield. I paid about $120 (with shipping) for each of the the parts I needed and ended up spending about $360 dollars, so don't feel too bad. Sounds like you got a pretty good deal on your stove, it looks to be in good condition. One tip that I can give you: you have the top on backwards (front part should be facing the back).

It does sound a bit scary drilling a hole in cast iron but I could see how that could work well. I think I am going to try my fix and if that does not work I will go for the weld option (not a skill I have!).

I am going for the rear exit as I like to have the stove a little more in the room rather than tucked into the fire place. I may change my mind in this one though as its a lot bigger than my old one (Stanley Shire - great little stove)

The old plates were indeed wrecked, as you observed and I wondered if someone had tried to burn something other than wood - coke/coal

I am not surprised you managed to get your parts from Sheffield - its a proper old Industrial city and has a long tradition of steel making (lots of coal and iron ore! - although obviously you were dealing with an agent who was importing from scandinavia. I often get my chainsaw stuff and climbing gear from Sheffield - its only 30 miles from us (leeds).

I am away a lot from now for the next couple of weeks and wont get time to work on the project so will post pictures of progress when I get back!

 

[begreen]

A lower tech solution might be to drill the sides for a 1/4-20 bolt and then thru-bolt from the outside with 1.5" 1/4-20 bolts (nut on inside of stove) for the bolt ends to act as baffle supports.

 

[Tree scruff]

That could work!

I am back and have been fiddling with bits of metal. I popped to the local ironmongers and picked up a piece of mild steel, and some slightly longer hex bolts with washers to replace the original bolts. Total cost - £3

I then measured the distance from the blanking plates hole to the baffle plate then added 2.5 cm to account for a right angle and another cm so there was space for hole to be drilled. I bent the end over by clamping the steel in a heavy vice and smacking it with a hammer until it was a right angle.

It holds the baffle really well.

I was happy with the brackets so have
started the next part!

I think there is a long way to go. I cant believe the volume of rubble that has already come out.

I am liking the look of the big yorkstone lintel!

 

[Tree scruff]

Hi there.

I don't know if you are still out there?? . Huge apologies for a lack of reply. Two and a half years on I have been swept away with constant house renovations and having more children. Anyway I thought I should finally post pics of the finished jotul 8 installation which has been keeping us cozy and warm for two winters now.

I went through with knocking up some steel brackets to hold the baffle plate in place and these have held up well.

I initially went with a top exit but wanted the stove a bit further into the room so changed to back just this week.

The other change is that due to tar leaking through the chimney into one of the bedrooms. This was partly due to the actual chimney stack needing repointing. Rain was running down between the bricks. So it is now fully lined with stainless steel liner. I also used therma wrap to insulate the liner which made it very difficult to get into the chimney.
It seems to be running nicely with the new set up.

Whilst it was out of action I took some time to fill some gaps in the weld with fire cement.

My only query now is to how well the lid is sealing, even with new fire rope in not convinced its air tight.

 

[Tree scruff]

Hi there.

I don't know if you are still out there?? . Huge apologies for a lack of reply. Two and a half years on I have been swept away with constant house renovations and having more children. Anyway I thought I should finally post pics of the finished jotul 8 installation which has been keeping us cozy and warm for two winters now.

I went through with knocking up some steel brackets to hold the baffle plate in place and these have held up well.

I initially went with a top exit but wanted the stove a bit further into the room so changed to back just this week.

The other change is that due to tar leaking through the chimney into one of the bedrooms. This was partly due to the actual chimney stack needing repointing. Rain was running down between the bricks. So it is now fully lined with stainless steel liner. I also used therma wrap to insulate the liner which made it very difficult to get into the chimney.
It seems to be running nicely with the new set up.

Whilst it was out of action I took some time to fill some gaps in the weld with fire cement.

My only query now is to how well the lid is sealing, even with new fire rope in not convinced its air tight.

 

[Tree scruff]

Here it is. Jotul 8. 1990.

 

[OldSchoolJotul]

That is strange. Is that original owner still alive? You should try tracking him/her down and asking. I find unsual constructions (concrete /rock foundations, pipes, etc) in my yard from time to time that I would love to know the story, but have no way of finding out. If you do ever figure it out, let us know!

That’s a great idea, there’s so many questions I would love to ask. Especially if there are pictures from when the place was built. I believe the couple is still alive and lives in Arizona, but I’ve always felt a little weird about ‘tracking them down’, there was an intermediary owner who couldn’t tell me much.