Bit off more than I can chew... but perhaps rescuable by you fine folks?


 
S

SimonT

New member
I was originally going to buy a new EP-330 as a first grill, but reading all of these 'used webers are awesome' & restoration threads gave me courage (way too much courage) in picking up an used weber on cl. I think I picked up a weber genesis silver b, but I am not really sure. It was only $35 with tank included so I gave it a shot. Hasn't been used in 10 years apparently (been in storage) and stuff in there looks pretty rusted up (flavorizer bars, grate, etc). Pretty sure I bit off more than I can chew & am looking for some hand holding help here. :confused::confused::confused:

My main questions are:

1. Is the grill even salvageable?
2. If it is, where should I start?
3. In the 2nd picture, what is that little rectangular metal piece on the hood? I forgot where I took it off of.

Any advice, sites, old threads to read would be greatly appreciated!!! Did my best in taking the right pics.













 
Clean, clean clean. You won't know where you are until you clean that grill. You can do it.
 
She looks good from what I can see. Two biggest issues most difficult to deal with would be distorted firebox and a seriously rusted out frame. Firebox on this one looks to be just fine overall. Can't tell from the pictures whether the frame is solid or not.


You'll want to replace the flavorizer bars. hard to tell about the burners from the pics. Knock on them and see if they are solid, or if they are rusted through. With the grates and flavorizers removed, fire up the burners and check out the flame pattern. Look to see if the flames are even and coming out of all the holes. If the tubes are solid, but the flames aren't coming out of some of the holes, the tubes would just need to be cleaned. You can do this hole by hole with a tiny little screw driver, or get a long bottle cleaner type brush and clean from the inside. The smaller tube connecting the two burners is called the cross over tube. Often, this tube gets rusted out while the main burners are still in good shape. If this is the case, you can buy the cross over tube by itself for under $15 from Amazon.

There's a bunch of ways to clean up the inside of the firebox. Some people use different chemicals, others use some form of manual abrasive technique like scotch pads or sand paper. I use a cheap angle grinder from harbor freight along with a 4.5in cup wire brush. Cleans it up very quickly taking it down to the bare aluminum.

The grates you have are porcelain coated cast iron. They rust can be removed the same ways you would clean a cast iron pan. You could use a grill stone, some other abrasive or various chemicals to tackle that rust. When finished, give it a nice coating of oil.
 
SimonT said:
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/outdoors/landscaping/how-to-clean-a-barbeque-grill-in-15-minutes
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2015/05/14/how-to-clean-and-maintain-a-gas-grill/
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-clean-a-gas-grill-220948

are these good guides to follow?
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Most of the info from those links really talk about maintaining a grill, i.e. basic yearly or twice yearly maintenance. It's a little bit different from what you need to do to this grill to start out with.
 
Thanks for the helpful advice Dave. I knocked on the burners and they are solid. The crossover tube is solid but I can see rust on them. I guess next step is to get some propane in the tank and test out the flame on a non-rainy day. And start cleaning.
 
Flavorizer bars are looking corroded and probably need replacing. Check out rcplanebuyer on ebay. He is the go to guy for flavorizer bars and grates in stainless steel. They are more expensive up front but will last for a very long time.
 
Since no one else has mentioned it, the OP has a Silver A (two burner). Definitely can be restored as it appears to have a solid firebox. Fire it up and see how well it works!

It will need new flavorizer bars and the SS replacements will last longer than the porcelain coated steel. rcplanebuyer is a good source for heavy duty flavorizer bars. The cast iron grates can be salvaged. I recommend a diluted vinegar soak to get the corrosion off, then buildup a few layers of oil to get a coating on them. They'll need to be oiled going forward to prevent the return of rust. An alternative if you aren't inclined to maintain the cast iron is to go with stainless steel grates, available in solid rods or stamped SS.

Have fun, you'll learn as you go! Whatever you do, leave those bolts at the end of each burner in place... they do not come out easily, which is fine since they don't need to be removed at all.
 
OGlenn said:
Since no one else has mentioned it, the OP has a Silver A (two burner). Definitely can be restored as it appears to have a solid firebox. Fire it up and see how well it works!

It will need new flavorizer bars and the SS replacements will last longer than the porcelain coated steel. rcplanebuyer is a good source for heavy duty flavorizer bars. The cast iron grates can be salvaged. I recommend a diluted vinegar soak to get the corrosion off, then buildup a few layers of oil to get a coating on them. They'll need to be oiled going forward to prevent the return of rust. An alternative if you aren't inclined to maintain the cast iron is to go with stainless steel grates, available in solid rods or stamped SS.

Have fun, you'll learn as you go! Whatever you do, leave those bolts at the end of each burner in place... they do not come out easily, which is fine since they don't need to be removed at all.
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Yep yep, 2 burner with no side burner, which for me at least would limit the amount of money I'd put into it. Not sure if I'd go all out and make it a "lifetime" grill. At least not until I figured out whether a Silver A was exactly what I wanted.
 
THyde said:
Sounds like he's on his "learner" :)
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True, but it could very well be that the Silver A is all he will ever need. I found one and fixed it up for a widowed Aunt. It's perfect for her. Most she ever really cooks at one time is 2 pieces of protein, one for her and the other for her dogs. She has no use for a 3rd burner or a side burner.
 
DaveW said:
True, but it could very well be that the Silver A is all he will ever need. I found one and fixed it up for a widowed Aunt. It's perfect for her. Most she ever really cooks at one time is 2 pieces of protein, one for her and the other for her dogs. She has no use for a 3rd burner or a side burner.
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I do want to cook more than 2 pieces of protein, so I guess the Silver A is not really what I want long term (esp since I was looking at a brand new Genesis EP-330 with 3 burners, side burner, AND sear station!) Maybe I'll still get that EP-330 as then I can start cooking right away after assembling.

At the very least this will be a hopefully fun learning experience. I appreciate all you guys input & will be sure to update on progress made. THANKS MUCH!
 
Have some fun with this one and see how you like the whole process, from refurbishing to cooking on it. If you like it, but want something bigger, then find a Genny Silver C (three burner with side burner) to restore. If the sear station is a big plus, then yeah, go with the EP-330.
 
DaveW said:
Have some fun with this one and see how you like the whole process, from refurbishing to cooking on it. If you like it, but want something bigger, then find a Genny Silver C (three burner with side burner) to restore. If the sear station is a big plus, then yeah, go with the EP-330.
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sounds like a good plan. how do you/other folks sear steaks without using a sear station? cast iron on a side burner?
 
Just have some fun with that little silver A, they are pretty good little cookers and if you get the EP 330 keep the Silver A as a backup for sides or just a quick burger. I have two gassers on my patio and use them together all the time makes things a lot easier.
Just beware the Weber restoration bug will bite you and you'll find yourself searching for another old Weber to bring back to life. There is no known cure for it ether.:rolleyes:
 
Definitely keep the Silver A. It's a great little grill. I love mine. It was my first weber. I would still be solely using it if I hadn't come into possession of my father's old genesis 1000. I use the 1000 more but still use the A at times. And sometimes I need them both.

Don't sell the A short. It will hold more food than you think if you arrange it carefully.

As far as searing - that's an overrated feature IMO. Both my old webers get plenty hot enough to sear anything that needs it.
 
If searing is important to you, then there are a few other options.

Check out this link on Amazon for a stainless steel griddle that will work for searing as well as other things.

The other option that I did recently on my Performer was heating a cast iron skillet and using that to sear my steaks. This will also work on a gas grill.

My 20 year old Genesis is a great grill for quick cooks for my wife and I. Last night we were about to make burgers when my BIL and SIL came over so we just made a few more burgers and all had a great time. The gassers same a lot of time and I loved restoring the 1000. Call me cheap, but I would rather restore a 15 or 20 year old grill that will last me another 20 years with some care. Great sense of accomplishment also.

DaveW said:
If the sear station is a big plus, then yeah, go with the EP-330.
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SimonT said:
In the 2nd picture, what is that little rectangular metal piece on the hood? I forgot where I took it off of.

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It may be the propane tank lock...it slips over a bolt and is tightened with a wing nut to secure the propane tank to the tank scale.

Or it may be the manifold support bracket.

A close-up photo showing the profile or any bends in the part would help.
 
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