Glad to see the forum back up!
Maybe a week or so ago, I decided it was time to take a look at the primary air channels. Air flow felt reduced when I hit the 'ignition air' button and stick my hand in my firebox - plenty of air from the front, not so much from the side air channels. And that's where I started to have a bit of a problem.
While opening the front primary air channel, the one just below the door, I managed to snap the carriage bolt in the middle. The left and right acorn nuts came off just fine, the middle one snapped the bolt. So I have a piece to replace. No big deal, it does not seem to be reducing burn performance.
But for the side air channels - how do you get the metal air channel pieces off? I was able to remove the acorn nuts and washers on both sides, but I simply could not budge the channels themselves. For the front air channel, I shoved my fingers in the air holes and was able to wiggle it loose eventually, is it just the same kind of procedure for the side ones? Maybe I screwed up by putting the front air channel back on before trying to remove the side ones, maybe it needs to be out of the way for them to be removed. I have a feeling I have a minor blockage in there. I think I can make it through the rest of the season and just deal with it in the spring, but I may still need some tips on how to get those channels removed.