Advice on cleaning up an older Spirit E210 LP BBQ


 
J

John Landstrom

New member
Hello all ! New here and seeking advice on cleaning/restoring a 6 year old Spirit E210 2-burner BBQ. “Porcelain” covered flavor covers, cast iron grates, aluminum cook box.

First off, the bbq is just fine for our needs. I’m retired and it’s just my wife and I. Thought about just replacing it but the cost of the new units are just outrageous.

Background: We keep the unit on our deck year round, always covered when not in use. We live in SW Washington in wooded farm country and get lots of rain and some snow/freezing temps. We live with lots of critters big and small. This winter, one of our small furry friends (probably a mouse) decided to take up residence inside our bbq. Since the weather is getting better my wife went out the other day to cook up some chicken and discovered a large nest had been built inside the Q that almost reached the grates. In addition there are now white “spots” all over the inside the cook box - top and bottom along with peeling paint at the edges. My first thought was the spots were aluminum oxidation but I’m not sure. Grates are filthy, something chewed through the rubber cover on the igniter button and removed whatever was inside, the battery was dead in the igniter, and the flavor covers were rusted out. The stainless gas tubes look pretty good with just some heat discoloration, however the gas cross bar is rusty and one of the “tabs” that support the flavor covers is very loose.

What I’ve done so far: I’ve dismantled the unit aside from taking the lid apart because the pop metal “nuts” scare me. Stuff like that never seems to go back on the same way when I’ve taken other stuff part. So far I’ve ordered a new igniter kit, a set of stainless flavor covers, and a new cover.

I’m hoping to get some sage advice on how to attack the cleaning/restoration. What to use, what not to use, tricks and tips, etc.
Initially I thought of cleaning and sanding the interior then using high heat manifold paint on the interior but have seen some negative comments about using that. So what did ya’ll use to degrease, clean and prep the unit for reuse? Any and all help is appreciate. I’m pretty handy with tools having done remodel projects on my own (yes, they passed code inspection!), plumbing/electrical/etc, even did a lot of work fully restoring a ‘73 Mustang convertible but have never had to restore something we’re going to cook our food on/in. I’d like to live a few more years after we start using it again. (grin)

Now that you’ve read my novel, could ya’ll help me on this?

*post edited due to auto-fill spelling issues.
 
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Welcome to the forum. Seems to be the time of year for this kind of discussion.

I totally understand your "sticker shock" and your desire to fix your grill. While it is fixable and you certainly have the right background and you can find the information here, you do have a few things working against you. Many here have more than one grill, sometimes many more. They fix things for fun and interest and not some much as a need to cook. They can also steal parts from one grill to another. I don't consider myself a repair enthusiast, but I have three twenty-year-old gas grills my deck and a pile of extra parts in the basement to keep them going.

Unfortunately, a 6-year-old Spirit E210 is not the most desirable Weber grill in the world by a longshot in terms of being a candidate for these type repairs.

Start by reading the thread at the top of the page about how to rebuild grills. There is a wealth of information there.

Good luck.
 
Welcome John,

A couple of months ago I picked up a free E210, cleaned it up a little and gave it to a friend of a friend. They are retired and have a very small back patio at their townhouse and it is perfect for them. I'll be candid, I was pleasantly surprised with it and they love it.

I was not a full nut-and-bolt frame-off restoration, but I gave it a good cleaning and a little touch up paint on the outside of the cook box.

First off: Don't paint the inside of the cook area. The paint isn't made to be with the food.

You can paint the outside, with high heat paint. Rustoleum ultra or Krylon is often used.

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to cleaning, so my normal style is crank it up to high for about 30 mins with the lid closed to burn off most of the grease. I check it every 5 mins to make sure its not on fire, then scrape things down when its done.

Since you've taken it apart you can pressure wash it, or scrape the gunk off the inside.


There are tons of tips and suggestions in this thread, which is within the sticky at the top of this forum.
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From Drab to Fab - Putting together a "How-To" Restoration Guide

In an attempt to "do it right," I've been browsing the restoration threads on this forum. In doing so, I thought it'd be prudent to collect all the various bits of knowledge into one single "how-to" guide. While no single guide can be perfect for everyone or every grill, the idea is to capture...
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Good luck ! Post pics of your progress
 
One more thought. On the inside floor is a white sticker that has the serial number. The first two letters are the date code. Knowing the year may help you source parts for it.
 
DanHoo said:
One more thought. On the inside floor is a white sticker that has the serial number. The first two letters are the date code. Knowing the year may help you source parts for it.
Click to expand...
Let me suggest...if the sticker is intact and legible, get a picture of it before you do anything else.
 
Appreciate your input. I know we bought the unit in 2016/2017. I’ll check and see if it’s still there.

mostly concerned with how to clean the oxidation off the inside aluminum and what, if anything to treat it with after.
 
John Landstrom said:
Appreciate your input. I know we bought the unit in 2016/2017. I’ll check and see if it’s still there.

mostly concerned with how to clean the oxidation off the inside aluminum and what, if anything to treat it with after.
Click to expand...
Check your specific warranty. Some parts may be covered. If you have not done so, call Weber and register the grill before you proceed.
 
just tried to insert a photo. I’m not on any of the social media sites listed. I’m not on any social media.
anyway to insert directly from an Ipad? Eg: copy & paste?

Read the warranty info. It only mentions rust through on stainless parts (my flavor bars were the ceramic covered steel not stainless) and the stainless (?) gas cross tube appears to just have surface rust with no visible rust out holes. No burn through on the lower alum body.
 
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John, I would definitely try to get the inside of the cookbox clean. That white stuff kind of looks like a chemical reaction of some sort, maybe the result of the mouse/mice living in there. I would look into warranty replacement of the piece you show in the picture of the metal support that seems to have rust through.
 
The white stuff is what I call Oxidation. I see it in many if not most of my rehab grills.
 
I would simply use a pad of household steel wool. The kind Mom used to use to scrub out pots and pans. If you are taking the grill apart, then I would use a grill/oven cleaner. That would get rid of a lot of the baked on grease and carbon as well.
 
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