Wood burning Franklin heater.?

My dad is trying to install an old Franklin wood burning fireplace. It uses 8 inch stove pipe which is the same size all the way outside the house. But the smoke comes out the front of the fireplace from the front. There is a piece of metal about 45 degres above the fire which seems to make the smoke go out. Should this be cut out so the smoke travels straight up instead of going around the angled piece?