Best approach to removing the firebox bolt?


 
Tim: You're definitely a Jersey native from living in all those areas! I totally understand the move though. NJ is wonderful from a geographical perspective for us since we like to frequent NYC and Philadelphia. I also love the food in and around town. However, as you know, taxes are terrible and the housing prices are ridiculous...especially when its polar opposites on the pricing spectrum from North to South NJ. In the future we may move but right now it suits our lifestyle and we were able to get a good value 50yr old house (relative to NJ prices lol) with a decent plot in a quiet neighborhood. Being a DIY guy helps keep costs of maintenance down as well. I do go to the poconos a few times too, mainly to go skiing/sledding although I enjoyed the summers there canoeing/rafting. Lots to love in that area for sure!

Gerry: My son loves helping around with chores and projects. One day I will take real advantage of his small hands and arms to reach into my engine bay to access hard to reach areas. :D

LMichaels: You're one of the reasons I started this restoration journey! When I bought my LX I did get a "relatively" good deal. I also conceded to the pseudo-made-in-the-USA "transition" model. I've only had it few months but I do love it so far. I will try and maintain it and see how it goes. Now that I got a working grill I thought I was done until I thought about the N-S configuration. I then researched about getting solid performance on fixer/upper E-W Webers that could be found for cheap. I stumbled on all these restoration posts and here I am attempting my first one. I will be able to compare their performance and reliability as time goes by. I never thought I'd be a multi-grill kinda guy (especially with gassers). I could imagine having a charcoal, smoker and gas but here I am on that slippery slope of modding again. :)
 
Count me among the last to fight the dreaded left bolt in the firebox. I broke it off trying remove and then proceed to drilling. I ended up drilling half of the screw, with the bottom half still remaining I figure I'll make a slightly larger hole in the outer frame with the bolt going from inside the firebox out through the frame, sitting just above half of the old screw, using a wing nut on the other side. Using anti-seize, so I never had to do this again. Then again, once this bad buy is rebuilt, I'll be in maintenance mode.

In the process, I broke about 6 drill bits. This is one tough SOB. Of course, it was the last thing I need to accomplish before the rebuild. Painting as early as Sunday. New stainless bolts from BoltDepot arrived and are very nice!

If my strategy is flawed, beyond what I've screwed up already, please advise.
 
That sounds like it will work fine to me. Its just there to prevent the cookbox from coming off the frame anyway.

On a different note, I was able to score another Gen Silver (2 burner version) as a donor for the frame and the side table. This donor is in better condition than the 3 burner. I just need to make time to continue my restore. This good spring weather forced my hand to becoming a landscaper. I'm hoping to make more progress before July 4th hits! I need to order that rust inhibitor/encapsulator pronto.
 
There is nothing interchangeable between the 2 burner and the 3 burner models. So treat the 2 burner as a stand alone project not a donor
 
It is compatible from a frame perspective and that’s what I was interested in. As far as internals like the burners and controls I agree they are completely different.
 
They are not even compatible as far as the frame either. The frame dimensions are much smaller to accommodate the smaller fire box
 
Larry is correct. The two burner frames are not as wide or long as a three burner. Very few of the critical parts are exchangeable between the two types of grills.
 
Yah, that is how it goes. Pretty soon you will have 9 grills jammed into your garage.
 
Dissolve firebox bolt with alum solution?

Hello all! First post here. I picked up a free* Genesis Silver B a few days ago and have been immersed in TVWBB since.

I'm not doing a complete restoration but I'm in the process of getting my new to me grill clean and serviceable.

I have the firebox bolt problem, same as everyone else. My question is has anyone tried dissolving the stub of the bolt with alum? I'm thinking about setting the firebox on end and siliconing an aluminum can over the bolt then filling with a saturated alum solution and letting it sit.

*I'm not so sure free is the best approach given the number of problems I have to fix. Paying $100 for a grill in better shape might have been a better approach. The frame is in poor condition and needs repairs to the Frame Connectors and to the Right Frame which needs the tabs welded as they ripped off after the frame connectors rusted out. The crossover tube had a hole in it and the catch pan and holder were also missing. I'm trying to get this thing going for minimum dollars but I'm strongly feeling the pull of RCplanebuyer's cooking grates and flavorizer bars.

Here she is in all her original neglected glory. Can anyone tell the year and model number by looking at it? The label with the model number is unreadable.

2Za8Aie.jpg
 
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Welcome! Mine was in worse condition. After tinkering with mine, I learned that my firebox, lid and manifold were the important components I wanted in good shape. I planned on replacing the burners, grates and flavorizer bars regardless.

My frame needs work as well but there are so many viable solutions depending on how much of a project you want it to be. Key thing is to stop the rusting. You can just cut away and then bolt or weld on new cross members.

As for your approach I have no clue. I'd be interested to know if that technique works. If you've ever had to drill other bolts out in the past, this is no different. In fact its easier in the sense that you can position yourself or the grill into a workable position.

Good luck!
 
Mikey B::
My suggestion is to hold off on all the herculean attempts to resurect that grill and find another grill, hopefully for free or not a lot more and combine the two into one complete and solid grill. It sounds like the frame on that one is what I would consider junk and that is the main thing with these grills. You should be able to find a donor grill with a solid frame. Unless you have access to welding equipment, going that route could wind up costing you a lot more than a donor grill would.

The crossover tubes are available for about $10 on ebay or $12 on Amazon. The catch pan (the small one that collects drippings) with holder is about $15 - $20 on amazon.

Again, a donor grill might just give you everything you need to make one complete grill.
 
AlexDeDios said:
LOL not if my wife has any say in the matter. I might be limited to 3. :-)
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Yup. After finding this neat little community I'm already scouring Craig's List. I like fixing things and Weber Grills are right in the sweet spot of being cheap, fun and useful.

I think I'm going to make a drill guide from a steel plate and use welding clamps to clamp it right over the center of the firebox bolt then drill the thing out.
 
Bruce said:
Mikey B::
My suggestion is to hold off on all the herculean attempts to resurect that grill and find another grill, hopefully for free or not a lot more and combine the two into one complete and solid grill. It sounds like the frame on that one is what I would consider junk and that is the main thing with these grills. You should be able to find a donor grill with a solid frame. Unless you have access to welding equipment, going that route could wind up costing you a lot more than a donor grill would.

The crossover tubes are available for about $10 on ebay or $12 on Amazon. The catch pan (the small one that collects drippings) with holder is about $15 - $20 on amazon.

Again, a donor grill might just give you everything you need to make one complete grill.
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I think that's excellent advice. Unfortunately after spending a day taking the whole thing apart and doing a fair amount of cleaning I'm psychologically committed. I have learned that free is not necessarily the best price.

From my immersion here the last few days it's clear the problem areas are more or less the same on every grill. My frame connectors are salvageable with the hardware from McMaster-Carr and I have a MIG welder which I picked up cheap some time ago - long story - which I have never tried to use. Welding is on my bucket list and so now is the time to learn. :)
 
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Free is always good in my situation. I grab almost any FREE Weber grill. I have saved a ton of money doing my rehabs by being able to hit up my stock of spare parts for a part that was missing or trashed on the grill I was working on.
 
Well. I seem to be venturing down the rabbit hole of collecting “free” parts grills right now. I had been extremely lucky when I found my Genny listed for $40, got it for $20! I found a free Redhead thinking it would be a good parts supply for tuning up my blue silver B on permanent loan to wife’s son. Thankfully, before I got waist deep in the project, Bruce made me realize the firebox is NOT the same size so, I have a bunch of spare parts reclining in my garage for who knows what!
 
Bruce said:
Free is always good in my situation. I grab almost any FREE Weber grill. I have saved a ton of money doing my rehabs by being able to hit up my stock of spare parts for a part that was missing or trashed on the grill I was working on.
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I'm trying not to get carried away. "Hmmm, this thing would look really nice with a stainless steel frame."

Seems to me cleaning the firebox is the really tough/labor-intensive part of the job. I've pressure-washed mine and was surprised how resilient the carbon is. There must be some combination of soaking/pressure washing/media blasting that makes it easier.
 
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If you want the stainless frame then look for an 05-06 Genesis Platinum. Hard to come by but they pop up here and there.

As far as cleaning the firebox, if you want it shiny clean then nothing will beat an angle grinder and cup brush. I've been there and done that though and now resort to using Sam's Club oven and grill cleaner and a pressure washer because it's easier and less time consuming. It won't get it nice and shiny though, just clean enough for me at least.
 
The shiny effect to me seems only worthwhile if you are trying to sell the grill. Otherwise, cook a few burgers and chickens and you will see that you are wasting your time for your own personal grill. My opinion, anyway.

Slainte!
 
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