What to do?


 
If the porcelain didn't crack i would gently bend it back to normal shape. If it did crack, maybe use some grill/bbq paint and touch it up?

I think i ran across a dent repair article on the main site but could be wrong.
 
It's hard to tell from the photos, but if it's just the rim/lip that's mangled, someone with the right tools and know-how (like an auto body technician) should be able to straighten it out. Worst-case scenario, I'm sure you can purchase a new center section for a whole lot less than a new WSM and just transfer over the other hardware.
 
man I'd just grab it with pliers and bend it back. if the porcelain cracks, well, that's one of the places in the WSM that gets the most gunk and seasoning, so I wouldn't sweat it.
 
I would take a mallet and gently tap that back into shape. That should take minutes to repair.

If you use pliers then just put some wood shims or something equivalent between the smoker and the pliers to avoid marring it up.
 
Bend it as close as you can with pliers. Then take two hammers and hold the first hammer where you want the metal to end up. and use the other to tap the rim into place against the first hammer. The first hammer acts like a back stop or like an anvil. The mid section is not porcelain, it's paint. Just keep working it until you get it where you want. It's not difficult and you will be surprised at what you can do.

You can then get high temp black paint from Lowes/Home Depot and paint it if you want, but as mentioned, this area gets plenty of grease and should not rust.
 
Thanks I will try a rubber mallet to fix it.

Would this be a good spot to notch it with an angle grinder for Maveric 733 probes???
 
JTReed said:
Thanks I will try a rubber mallet to fix it.

Would this be a good spot to notch it with an angle grinder for Maveric 733 probes???
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Since you can position the center section where you want, that would be an excellent idea
 
What Dave from Denver said.

But use something for cushioning under the pliers (clean rag, towel, etc.). That looks to be fairly minor damage, relatively speaking, that won't have much impact on chamber seal.
 
Dave from Denver said:
man I'd just grab it with pliers and bend it back. if the porcelain cracks, well, that's one of the places in the WSM that gets the most gunk and seasoning, so I wouldn't sweat it.
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+1 or call Weber and see how much a new center section would cost.

Warranty? Why would Weber pay for this? lol
 
jfortson said:
The mid section is not porcelain, it's paint.
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Where did you get that info? I thought all three sections plus the water pan were porcelain ceramic coated.

The first thing I'd do is call Weber and see what they recommend.

Outside that I'd head to an auto body shop. They may have a bead machine or know who does.

Last thing I'd do is round off two pieces of wood to the proper shape and clamp it back in shape.
 
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Dwain Pannell said:
Where did you get that info? I thought all three sections plus the water pan were porcelain ceramic coated.

The first thing I'd do is call Weber and see what they recommend.

Outside that I'd head to an auto body shop. They may have a bead machine or know who does.

Last thing I'd do is round off two pieces of wood to the proper shape and clamp it back in shape.
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Top and bottom are porcelain, mid section paint. I have seen that in print somewhere. Here is a statement form the Weber web site - notice they say only the bowl and lid are porcelain. If yu look closely at the lid and then the mid-section, you can tell the difference, plus the mid-section is easily scratched and the lid is not.

"Porcelain-enameled bowl and lid, Two plated steel cooking grates"

I bought a new but damaged 22 1/2 from a "salvage company ($200 including shipping) that had similar damage. It took about 10 minutes with pliers and two hammer and a can of high temp paint and you could not tell it had been damaged. I described this in my earlier post.

It's worth a try, the original poster cannot make it worse, so why not give it a try. It's thin metal and relatively easy to work with.
 
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I have a direct line into the Weber charcoal products manager. Asked about this today (March 4), he writes, "I can guarantee you that this rumor is completely false. The middle section of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is porcelain coated, along with the lid, bowl, water pan, and charcoal chamber."

Hope this clears up the matter.

As for porcelain repair, not sure it's appropriate in this situation, but here's the link: http://virtualweberbullet.com/porcelain-repair.html

Best,
Chris
 
this doesn't look bad....

image2_zps968b3045.jpg


bend it back the best you can, if it needs to be... looks like it should seal just fine...
if the seal isn't there during a cook, use a gasket...

I've seen guys smoke using an old beat-to-hell 55 gal drum, of all the darnest things.
 
Chris Allingham said:
I have a direct line into the Weber charcoal products manager. Asked about this today (March 4), he writes, "I can guarantee you that this rumor is completely false. The middle section of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker is porcelain coated, along with the lid, bowl, water pan, and charcoal chamber."

Hope this clears up the matter.

As for porcelain repair, not sure it's appropriate in this situation, but here's the link: http://virtualweberbullet.com/porcelain-repair.html

Best,
Chris
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I stand corrected - Thanks for clearing that up. Anyway, I know a couple of hammers and high temp paint can fix it - I have done that on one that was more damaged.
 
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