How to reattach front air baffle - Englander 13-NC

[KingPoland]

This last season what I'm calling a front air baffle on my 13-NC came off when the two screws holding it in sheared off. I tried using J-B Weld 37901 ExtremeHeat High Temperature Resistant Metallic Paste to reattach it after cleaning the metal on both sides that make contact, and that lasted three months before coming loose. At this point I'm considering drilling out the remaining screws and re-tapping to use new screws, but even if that does work I don't know that those screws will last any longer.

Any recommendations on the best way to reattach the front air baffle?

 

[brenndatomu]

I'd just run a couple new stainless steel self tappers through it.
I doubt that JB high temp held up for any time at all...that gets VERY hot there...furnace cement would have held up better probably

 

[30WCF]

You could try drilling it out. I bet those shanks have hardened now with all the heat cycles. If drilling doesn’t work maybe you could weld a couple ears on it that grab the channel’s beside it, but is still removable?

 

[EatenByLimestone]

I’ve had decent luck with cobalt drill bits in hard steel. The titanium bits just haven’t cut it for me.

 

[Highbeam]

That thing is often called the doghouse. Where doghouse air gets injected. Some folks block it off so consider that an option, a blind flange.

This is probably the best place to have this problem since access here is so good. The factory screws are silly small self tappers with only a tiny bit of coarse thread engagement. If I were you, I would drill them out and install new self tappers.

Not sure how you busted that off, try not to bonk the doghouse.