A firewall core hole is out of round and pinches a fire damper sleeve
A fire damper sleeve cannot be forced into a pinched opening. The sleeve/frame must sit without binding so the damper can operate and the rated assembly can be finished correctly.
Do not drive a fire damper sleeve into a tight rated opening and hope the damper still drops.
Check
Test-fit without hammering the sleeve into the wall.
Look for sleeve distortion, frame bind, or rubbed/tight concrete points.
Check manufacturer damper instructions and approved wall assembly detail.
Mark tight spots for concrete correction/grinding by the responsible trade.
Verify damper blade operation before final retaining angles/firestop.
Steps
Test-fit without hammering the sleeve into the wall.
Look for sleeve distortion, frame bind, or rubbed/tight concrete points.
Check manufacturer damper instructions and approved wall assembly detail.
Mark tight spots for concrete correction/grinding by the responsible trade.
Verify damper blade operation before final retaining angles/firestop.
Say this to your foreman
The firewall core at [location] is out of round and pinching the fire damper sleeve. I checked for sleeve bind. Do you want the opening corrected before we set the damper?