The stove was headed out the door when i came back from the sugarbush this afternoon going to order a new hudson river kinderhook stopped at the computer to check low and behold corny left a post about tc pulled the putty off and the tc out just for the hell of it fired it up and its been running great evercinse!! Thank you VERY much corny!! you just saved me 3grand!!
This forum really rocks. thanks everyone for your suggestions!! Nice to know there is help out there!

That's good news,kmd, and thanks for the kind words.

To be clear, you did re-insert the thermocouple wire but at a different insertion depth, right? The stove will not run beyond the start cycle if it doesn't detect a heat rise on the TC. To make your life easier, I should have suggested marking the insertion depth on the TC wire before pulling it. That would give you a reference point when putting it back in. Glad that it worked out anyhow.

Could you clarify the how and what? ie did you increase or decrease the length of TC in the exhaust, and second, what do you use to fill the hole and hold the TC in position? Also, is the TC bent where it enters the tube, and if so, does one risk damaging it if one straightens the TC to insert it deeper into the exhaust tube? Thanks.

Hi Teo.

I can't speak for kmd, but TC wires should never be kinked or bent (Edit: Curves are OK, but not very harsh bends). This is not only because of the fragility of thin solid core wires, but also because distortions can change their responsivities somewhat.

For repacking the hole, I have used a dab of Permatex Ultra Copper in the past, and it has held up well to the elevated temperatures. www.permatex.com/products/product-catego...-gasket-maker-detail . I have also used it to secure the burn plate gasket, and it has held up better there than the more common red silicone caulking.

Edit: It is available in any automotive parts store and is commonly used to make exhaust manifold gaskets.