When I've had the time I've been restoring a Genesis Silver B grill. I have it completely apart now. The end caps were difficult to remove because of spinning bolts but using a screwdriver as a wedge on the outside heads worked like a charm. One bolt holding the firebox to the upper frame was horrible to get out -- I had to cut it off.
I scrubbed the grill parts with ZEP degreaser I'd gotten from Home Depot, but it doesn't seem to work well in getting all the grease off. Any ideas on a better degreaser or degreasing method? I'd like to repaint the frame, firebox and endcaps.
I'm embarrassed to admit that in a moment of thoughtlessness I'd used some 320-grit sand paper on the top of the black porcelain hood and it left some dull scuff marks. How can I make the hood enamel shine again?
Thanks for reading my questions.
Hi Stephen,
Welcome to TVWBB forum! My wife's family is actually from the southwest suburbs of Chicago, and my father-in-law was a pastor for many years just a couple blocks from Midway Airport.
On the de-greaser question, my go to is usually Simple Green, but some situations are beyond that. I hate messing with Easy Off or equivalent oven cleaners but they can sometimes help as long as you don't breathe those dangerous fumes
!
Some members have been having great results with Dawn Power Dissolver. Don't get tricked by similar names on cheaper stuff. Here is the real product on Amazon; it is expensive but the real deal. You can do some searching on this forum for member testimonials of some pretty incredible results:
https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01F2EE88S/tvwb-20
Ultimately, to get a firebox or the insides of the side pieces of the hood TOTALLY clean and back to raw aluminum you will most likely have to resort to what others of us here do: Get a 4 inch angle grinder (cheap options abound at Harbor Freight), buy some wire cup brushes, get some eye, ear and breathing safety stuff and wire brush it all off. Check out some posts by Bruce and you will see some of his beautiful results. Not too long ago I did a comparison thread on angle grinders that you might find helpful:
https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?75152-Angles-on-Angle-Grinders&highlight=angle+grinders
It all depends on how much you want to put into it. If the grill is just for your own use, you really DON'T need to do all that wire brushing. The grill will be back to "seasoned" in just a couple uses. Those of us who refurbish grills for resale do this because many buyers are sold when they see the inside of a grill look almost brand new.
On the disassembly issues you had, they are all pretty common and to be expected. You generally have to replace some of the hardware and treating the frame with rust converter is often needed.
Don't feel too bad about the hood, although I agree with Larry that you probably will not be able to get it back. His glass compounding idea I suppose is worth a try.
Most of all, HAVE FUN working on your grill and then USE IT or MAKE MONEY ON IT!