Tel-Tru BQ300 Thermometer Installation


 

J D McGee

TVWBB Pro
Hi folks...my Tel-Tru finally arrived (just in time for a weekend smoke)...so I thougt I'd share my installation with you.

I purchased the coupling and nut at my local Home Depot...they are manufactured by Watts and the part numbers are A-177 (coupling), and A-162 (nut). I modified the lengths of the coupling and the nuts (shortened by 3/8 inch) in order to expose more probe length.

I used a Uni-Bit to drill the 5/8 hole...worked great! From here it was just a matter of attaching the nut to the coupling and screwing in the Tel-Tru.

I chose to use a coupling instead of directly mounting the thermometer so I could remove the thermometer when not in use and because the metal is very thin (.032 inch or so). I didn't think there would be a whole lot of metal for the thread pitch of a 1/2 pipe tap.

Here is a short slide show of the mod...



Can't wait to give her a test drive this weekend. Happy Smokin'!
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Nice job. No chipping of the porcelain. That's a good thing.
I never thought of using that coupling when I did mine. I just enlarged the hole in a couple of washers, put one inside and one outside, and used a conduit nut on the inside to hold it.
Your set up looks classier than mine.
 
It's also noteworthy that the Unibit you used is the best way, if not the only way, to drill a clean hole through sheet metal. Great job!
 
What scientific method did you use to determine the location for the hole?

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My BQ300 should be arriving soon. I'm going to get the #4 step drill at lunchtime.

MikeZ
 
Originally posted by Mike Zarecky:
What scientific method did you use to determine the location for the hole?

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My BQ300 should be arriving soon. I'm going to get the #4 step drill at lunchtime.

Eyeball...I just put it opposite the vent.
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MikeZ
 
Originally posted by Mike Zarecky:
What scientific method did you use to determine the location for the hole?
When I did mine, I measured from both sides of the handle to the rivet on the top vent.
Using that length, I measured on the other side, making 2 arcs, one from each side of the handle. Where they intersect is where I drilled.
 
so why didn't you use the kit they sell for installation, will it not work for the wsm?? Thinking about getting the glow in the dark due to so many late night smokes I do.

Adrian
 
I bought the installation kit. It's just a nut and a washer. You can probably find them at your local hardware store. I bought it for the convience. My installation went well except for purchasing a step drill set that didn't go large enough. If I was going to do it again I'd probably get the #4 unibit.

MikeZ
 
I have since modified my modification. I wasn't happy with the thermometer sticking up so high so I enlarged the hole a bit to accommodate a 1/2 inch pipe tap and ran it down until the thermometer fit nice and flush. I'll be doing the same mod on my new WSM as soon as my new Tel-Tru gets here and will update the pics.
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Has anyone tried to find a BBQ Guru type eyelet that will accept a thermometer with a 1/4" stem?

This might be a good solution for the BBQ Tel-True's with the larger stem. I think I would still mount it in the lid.
 
I just rec'd my Tel-Tru BQ300 and plan to mount in the lid opposite the vent. I will be be mounting it with the installation kit from Tel-Tru. I plan to use the #4 Unibit and the question I have is what size should the hole be. I know it needs to be slightly larger than the threads, so my best guess would be 9/16". Can someone who has done this tell me what size the hole should be?
 
Originally posted by Brent Bristle:
I just rec'd my Tel-Tru BQ300 and plan to mount in the lid opposite the vent. I will be be mounting it with the installation kit from Tel-Tru. I plan to use the #4 Unibit and the question I have is what size should the hole be. I know it needs to be slightly larger than the threads, so my best guess would be 9/16". Can someone who has done this tell me what size the hole should be?

Brent,
Don'l kill me, but did you see the first post by JD McGee in this thread? I'm horrible with tools, but JD mentions drilling a 5/8" hole for his Tel Tru. I had a friend who is a magician with tools install mine.
 
Thanks Dave. I did see that, but it looks like J D used a coupling to mount his thermometer and I am mounting the thermometer straight thru.
 
I also rec'd my tel-tru therm and installation kit and plan to install it in the lid.

However, instead of drilling the hole slightly larger than the threads of the thermometer and using the installation kit to hold it in place, I am considering drilling the hole size based on the size required to tap the hole. So, the hole would be very slightly smaller than the threads to allow for the tap to thread the hole. In other words, the hole that the thermometer screws into would be threaded. The installation kit would be optional, but I don't think you would need it as the thermometer would screw in tightly without it.

The tapped hole would allow you to easily remove the thermometer without tools. You could also buy a stainless plug to fit the hole when you were not using the thermometer.
 
Originally posted by Rob J.:
I also rec'd my tel-tru therm and installation kit and plan to install it in the lid.

However, instead of drilling the hole slightly larger than the threads of the thermometer and using the installation kit to hold it in place, I am considering drilling the hole size based on the size required to tap the hole. So, the hole would be very slightly smaller than the threads to allow for the tap to thread the hole. In other words, the hole that the thermometer screws into would be threaded. The installation kit would be optional, but I don't think you would need it as the thermometer would screw in tightly without it.

The tapped hole would allow you to easily remove the thermometer without tools. You could also buy a stainless plug to fit the hole when you were not using the thermometer.

Are you saying that you are going to tap a hole into the lid? Sounds like a good idea but I'm wondering how many threads you will have since the material is very thin. Has anyone tried tapping a hole into their lid?
 

 

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