need wsm door help

need someone to tell me the order of assembly on the door knob/lever assembly. pre 2000 model. i think i'm missing something and weber dia. don't help.
thanks,

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
need someone to tell me the order of assembly on the door knob/lever assembly. pre 2000 model. i think i'm missing something and weber dia. don't help.
thanks, </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The only model that's pre model 2000, that I'm aware of, is the Model 1880, Weber's 14 1/2" model, which was introduced along with it's bigger brother, the model 2880 (18 1/2") in 1981. Is that the model you're referring to?

Bill

ok, i'm confused. when weber says pre 2000 do they mean model or year ? anyhoo its the 18 1/2 wsm. yes the larger wsm.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
ok, i'm confused. when weber says pre 2000 do they mean model or year ? anyhoo its the 18 1/2 wsm. yes the larger wsm. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Hard to say without reading what you read .. When you start talking model's, that's not the same as years.

According to Chris' WSM Parts Schematic Page, which shows a date history, pre-2000 might indicate a "date of manufacture". But, if you're talking models.....

Oh, and the 18 1/2" is the middle of the 3, not the larger

Bill

well, technically they didn't have a 22 back then. anyhoo i have a "L" model. i need the arrangement of the door knob assembly and what each item is. thanks,

LOL! Ok .. After verifying that both the pre and post 2000 18.5" WSM doors have the same parts and part numbers ..... Both of my WSM's, post 1989, are assembled as follows...

The aluminum door is in the center. Inside, is the flat washer and then the latch, which goes all the way out to the knob.

On the outside of the door is, a lock washer (external tooth), nut and then the knob, which is screwed onto the latch mentioned above.

All the parts are listed on this page (scroll down to your year).

HTH

Bill

thanks bill. but what is the star washer doing ? is it floating or is it tight against the door. my mechanical mind can't get around it. just seems an odd use for it.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by george curtis:
thanks bill. but what is the star washer doing ? is it floating or is it tight against the door. my mechanical mind can't get around it. just seems an odd use for it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
The lock washer seems to be adhered to or slightly embedded in the door. The nut is then tightened to the point of some resistance so that the knob and latch won't free turn, then the knob is tightened against the nut as a jam nut. Why is there an external tooth lock washer there instead of a flat washer? Maybe so it would stick to the door. Dunno.

Bill

yea, its not making sense since the star washer could chew a hole in the aluminum door. if ya look at the diag you refered to, the sequence is differant. i think i'll do what works for me. for sure i will probably use a wavy washer in place of the star washer. thanks so much.

There's no way the door assy would work in the order listed .. Appears to be in random order.

Yeah, figure out what works for you. But, make sure that one side is tight enough to the other to stop free spinning .. Also, has to be loose enough to turn.

You're welcome.

Bill

well, i've been out "playing" with the knob er latch. it is inherantly a bad design. mostly due to thin material. the door is thin aluminum and very very easily bent. the structure of the latch lends itself to a sloppy fit. all this makes it near impossible for the door to be drawn tight to the body. if i make it do that i can see the door bending enough after a few uses to make it loose and let smoke escape. so i'll just make it the way i want to make it tight and then just push down on the knob when it gets loose and that will bend the door material back and tighten it up. the washer on the inside is the same thickness or maybe a bit more than the metal of the smoker and this alone prevents the door from pulling tight plus its a sloppy fit on the L piece. so a better fitting and thinner washer plus a little more bend on the L piece shuld do it. i will replace the star washer with either a flat washer or a fiber washer. that star washer still makes no sense to me at all.

This post is from 2007:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by J D McGee:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by mdgosch:
I want to first say tks to all the contributers on this board. I have done 3 smokes so far and thanks to this board they were all successful. I had one issue with the WSM and that was the door assembly. It shipped without a door knob or latch assebly. I got the new parts delivered however there are no instructions on how to attach the items. I was wondering if someone could look at theres and tell the order in which they are put together. I have the following parts:
access door
door latch with threads on the end
one regular washer
one lock washer
and one nut

I have it together now but i can only turn the knob clockwise...if I turn it the other way everything comes apart. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

In order...outside knob, lock washer, nut, lock washer, access panel, washer, latch. Hope this helps. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Note that the questioner states he received one lock washer, the respondent indicates his has two.

My WSM door has one lock washer, and is assembled outside knob, nut, lock washer, access panel, [flat] washer, latch. Time, gunk, and a predilection to always turn the knob clockwise have resulted in a tightly secure and functional assembly. The lock washer between the door panel and the hex nut does not constantly turn and grind the metal, but rather it has dug in to a static position, and offers friction to the nut turning against it. If I had a second lock washer, I would likely put it between the knob and hex nut and use a wrench to snug the nut to the knob. Neither the parts list nor the schematic suggest a second lock washer, though. The schematic for the 2000-08 model does, however, seem to indicate the lone lock washer belongs between the inner side of the door panel and the flat washer, where I believe it would serve the same function as it does on mine in a different position.

I tend to think of the malleability of the door as a plus. A warped edge can be easily straightened, and the curvature can be adjusted so the door both fits more snugly, and offers a springiness to even better secure the latch. In all my years of WSM use, I have never found the door to be so flimsy that it has deformed or required further adjustment beyond the initial.

As to escaping smoke, I tend to look at it like I do watering the garden with a leaky hose faucet-- I may be wasting a trickle of water at the other end, but the plants are still getting all they need from the spigot end. Smoke wisping out around the edges of the door should not be a major concern. If you can close all the vents at the end of a cook, and have the coals extinguish in 45-90 minutes, your cooker is air- and smoke-tight enough.

if ya look at the new wsm's, the door latch makes a lot more sense and is designed much better.

well, i got my door fixed. took a while and a lot of fiddling around but i'm happy. time will tell though.