Alaska Channing III Hopper Gasket?

I just installed a hopper gasket on a used stove I'm refinishing. I got a complete gasket kit from a reputable dealer. The gasket I was given for the hopper is a Channel Gasket with an adhesive backing. Based on the diagram from Alaska it would appear the channel gasket "wraps" around the edge of the feed paddle housing . The hopper then sits on the housing with the 4 "flaps" seated within the housing. The hopper bolts to the stove at the top in 2 locations with spacers. I do not have any coal in the hopper yet. The issue I have is I can see into the hopper through the "Flaps" where the corners are open (like box flaps). I pushed down on the hopper to seat it as it coal were in it but it appears to still have a gap. Do I have the gaskets placed incorrectly? I can put the gasket inside the housing along the edge but that still won't solve this issue. I'm concerned as I have read conflicting information about this. Some say this could result in hopper fires, others say its just to illuminate friction noise by hopper rattling. I attached the image with a match stick poking through the corner.

Did you find a solution for this?

Put a little hi temp gasket sealer where its open.
Works for door gaskets also.
Good luck, Stant

McGiever wrote: ↑

Thu. Feb. 06, 2020 12:02 pm

Did you find a solution for this?

I called Alaska and they said the seal on the hopper does not need to be airtight. The channel gaster around the grate and the strong back are the ones to be concerned with.