Questions on my 2004 Genesis Silver B Restoration


 

MikeVandre

New member
I received this grill maybe 8 years ago when my father bought a new Char Broil one. Well his new one is dying and this one still fires up every time and hits 550 easy. I found this forum and decided to give my grill new life instead of replacing it. I've got a few questions I'm hoping people can help with.

First off, I can seem to figure out how to get this plastic handle off on the right hand side of this photo. The other side came off easily. I remove the screw as you can see and thought it would just pull out but no luck.

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Also, I have the issue in the photo below. This is where the firebox meets the frame Any advice? I am going to use a stainless steel bolt instead of screw but how should I repair this? .. .And do I need to treat for rust inside the rest of the frame?

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Thanks for your help. Its been a fun project so far. Wish I had taken some before pictures. Just imagine a 14 year old neglected weber
 
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Some answers to your questions. That side piece is pretty well compromised. You may be better off trying to fully replace it. Also bare in mind it is not just the bolt that caused this. It is the galvanic reaction between the aluminum fire box and the steel tubing. Had Weber simply put some type of insulator between them a piece of high temp rubber or gasket material most of that would not happen. For sure you need to treat the inside of the frame tube(s). Rust happens from the inside not the outside.
Good luck on the rest of the project
 
Wait on the encap. Don't cut it yet. If you look under the frame rail that holds it, there should be a slot. Push the tab up into that slot and then try to remove the end cap. It is a lot easier with two people as the end cap may take some effort to get out. BUt you need to push that tab up that is in that slot. It is there to lock the end cap in.
 
Wait on the encap. Don't cut it yet. If you look under the frame rail that holds it, there should be a slot. Push the tab up into that slot and then try to remove the end cap. It is a lot easier with two people as the end cap may take some effort to get out. BUt you need to push that tab up that is in that slot. It is there to lock the end cap in.

On the other side (right hand side) there is a slot and that side comes right out. On the left hand side the little condiment tray wraps around and doesn't allow access to where the slot could be. Unfortunately I cant take that off without removing the end handle
 
Some answers to your questions. That side piece is pretty well compromised. You may be better off trying to fully replace it. Also bare in mind it is not just the bolt that caused this. It is the galvanic reaction between the aluminum fire box and the steel tubing. Had Weber simply put some type of insulator between them a piece of high temp rubber or gasket material most of that would not happen. For sure you need to treat the inside of the frame tube(s). Rust happens from the inside not the outside.
Good luck on the rest of the project

How do you recommend I treat for rust on the inside? I prefer an inexpensive option as Im already sinking in a bunch of money for new grates and bars from rcbuyer
 
I got a friend to cut out the rusted out area and weld in a new piece of angle iron there. The steel he used is thicker than the original and should last a long time. Now the tricky problem. I bought so evaporust but dont have enough to fill a tub big enough to soak everything in it. I'm hesitant to shell out enough money to do so. My thought was to simply plug the holes in one end of the frame and then pour the evaporust right in. So far I have tried multiple methods of sealing and none has worked. the pressure of the water is just too great. Heres what I have tried:

- rubber bands over plastic bags
- duct tape like crazy
- custom 3d printed end cap wrapped in electrical tape
- piece of latex stretched tight and held in place with really tight rubber bands.

I am amazed that last two of these didnt work but the liquid finds a way. At this point I should probably give up but I'm just mad I cant get something to work. The challenge has become more important than the end result. My last idea which I will try tonight is to use the latex approach but place the whole frame in a trash bag placed in a tub of water. That way the pressure of the water from the outside will overcome the pressure of the water trying to leak.
 
Mike,
Evaporust is a pretty cool, non-dangerous product for small parts. Did wonders on a set of annoying to replace hinge pins I had. For frame jobs, though, Larry’s knowledge and experience is dead on.

If you are working with flat metal pieces with exposed surface rust, another Eastwood product, POR 15, produces great results and strengthens the rust damaged metal. It won’t replace metal that is gone, and it is a messy to work with, but it is a useful restoration tool.

Glad to have you on the forum, and good luck on your restoration. We will enjoy seeing results!

Jon
 
You can probably find a donor grill to canibalize the frame that would cost less than $30.
 
I'm not convinced the rust I have is a big deal. The one spot was really bad but that was where the two metals met and is now reinforced. The rest of the frame has rust internally but seems to be mainly surface rust. Don't most frames this age have some internal rust?
 
Yes Mike, they do. If the frame is otherwise solid, then a good repair job on the one spot might be enough.....buy yah, pull the wheel inserts out of the bottom of any leg or pull the end caps out of the ends of the frame and you will find all kinds of orange.
 
I wouldn't use Evaporust for what you are trying to do. The Rust encapsulator that Larry linked to is the way to go. Or, get a product called Ospho. Reason being is that Evaporust actually eats away the rust leaving you with a pitted surface with less metal. The more rust that it eats away, the weaker the metal. Ospho chemically converts the rust from Iron Oxide to Iron Phosphate. So, it doesn't take anything away or weaken the underlying metal.


Another thing to consider is kind of what you hit upon. Is this a "forever grill" that you want to last another 30 years ? If so, spend the $30 and get the Eastwood product. If not, don't worry about it. The really bad rust spots should be readily apparent. The rest of the internal rust shouldn't be that much of a problem over the next 5 to 10 years.
 
Also, WRT your list of attempts tried, every one of them had permeable material at the joints. You could try your custom printed end caps again, but this time seal them in with some silicone. To prevent them from gettnig stuck, I'd try inserting them then coating the joint with silicone. Or shave some off and put some kind of non-porous gasket in there to prevent leakage.
 
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my restoration is almost complete but I thought I would post a mini-update. First off, I decided to postpone rust removal. I'm still considering getting the internal frame rust conversion kit but am going to save that for another project. Also, as an update to my earlier post concerning the handle I could not remove: I ended up cutting off the metal dowel holding the condiment tray and removed the condiment tray. There was a tab underneath but it was not being used. The arm was seized. I used a flat head screw driver and hammer to slowly tap it out and eventually got it removed. Concerning where the firebox meets the frame: like I said I had a friend cut out the corroded portion and weld in a piece of angle iron. I think it turned out great and you cannot even notice it with the grill together. Here is a not so great picture of that after welding, sanding, and painting:

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One other picture I will share is me using a heat gun on the wheels. They were very sun dried and more of a grey color than black. I researched what to do about this and one site recommended using a heat gun and so I tried it. Sure enough it returned back to black. I do not know if it will hold up long term but I didnt have too much to lose.


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Now Im waiting on bars and grates from RCBuyer. They should come tonight and I will post some completion photos.
 

 

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