Best way to clean an older WSM to install Nomex gaskets

[Don Fry]

I have an older 18.5 WSM that I have used for a number of years fighting air leaks. Finally got around to ordering the Nomex gasket kit from BBQGaskets.com

Since this is a well seasoned smoker, I am interested in how others who have done this mod to a well-used smoker have cleaned it and prepped it for installing the Nomex gaskets. Don't laugh, but I am considering using a pressure washer set on low setting and doing the seasoning process all over again.

Also the pictures show the door gasket being applied to the smoker body vs. the door. Is that what you did or did you apply it to the door instead?

 

[Gary S]

Don you probably have gone ahead by now but I put Nomex on two 18's I owned. The first one I did the entire inside of the door. For the second I placed a single strip on the inside of the smoker body across the bottom only where there is more air space. The nomex reduced that space and that was all I needed to do for the door. I did the bowl and the top of the mid section on both units.
As for cleaning, I used a kitchen cleaner degreaser and had no problem. You are only cleaning a small area anyway and the porcelain was in good shape so it was no issue.
The biggest concern is curing the adhesive. The material that was supplied to me needed to be cured at 400 degrees. I used a propane torch to start the process and built a good fire in the smoker and let it cook for a couple of hours. The material is still on there a year later and just through our first winter. I think you will be please with the results.

 

[Don Fry]

Hey Gary, thanks for getting back on this. You are correct that I already moved forward on cleaning. I started out using some degreaser but got impatient. Ended up using a couple of cans of oven cleaner and let the pieces sit in the sun in contractor bags for a couple of hours. The middle section took two times but I essentially now have a really clean unseasoned smoker. Broke my heart because mine is a 2005 model and there were years of love that ended up getting washed across my driveway. One big plus was that I found out that what I always thought was a problem with my door was really a problem with the midsection itself. There was a dent along the one side of where the door mounts and that was the reason for the poor sealing door, not the door itself. I beat on it with a nylon hammer and got as straight as possible. I also was able fix up some areas in the base that were out of round. Amazing how easy it was to see all those problems once it was clean. Hope all this makes the re-seasoning worth it.

I just finished installing the gaskets this evening. The instructions that came with mine and based on what is written on the tube, there is no high temp curing required with the adhesive. Instruction said to allow 24 hours for adhesive to dry and harden. Regardless, based on what I found online, I threw the gasket material in the dryer and ran it for 30 minutes on high to allow it to shrink. Gave it a little time to cool and installed it. I still plan to do a high temp burn for a couple of hours after the 24 hours is up to help the drying/curing process.

The only thing I don't like it how the gasket is visible around the sides of the front door. But if it doesn't leak I will learn to live with it and be mighty happy.

Had quite a bit of extra gasket material left over so I might eventually purchase the CB door and try mounting the gasket material to the door instead.

 

[Gary S]

That's great Don, maybe a different kit or adhesive now. Sorry about your loss of all the memorable Gunk
My kit definately required the curing at 400 degrees and also suggested I moisten the gasket material before installing it. I did that and found by gently stretching it I narrowed the width and reduced the thickness. It worked really well this way going around the lower mid section to seal the bowl. I think it's fairly common for the bowls to be out of round so installing the nomex sure tightens up the fit. You will be able to save a lot of fuel as it will be easier to regulate and choke out after your cook. I usually take the WSM left overs and use them for my kettle.
Have a great day

It is a different kit Don and the method of gasket installation for the bowl is also different. I tucked my gasket against the lower ridge of the mid section not on the bowl itself. No matter. I bought my kit from an ebay store.

 

[George Curtis]

i still really wonder why the need for this. i'm not really questioning you personally so please understand this.
but i have never had much issue with the door on mine. in fact when i bought it used it looked like waves in the ocean
it was so rippled. after 15 minutes of work it fits near perfect and very little smoke escapes.
is there something else going on that i don't understand ?

 

[Don Fry]

Hey George no offense taken. As I mentioned earlier, I have had this smoker since 2005. It has always been a problem child in terms of running hot. I also could tell from the body and the lid of the smoker that I had a number of air leaks and areas that didn’t seal properly. Believe me, I have done everything possible with that door other than putting it on backwards and could never get it to work right. I knew that it had leaks, but was never able to resolve them. I learned to live with it and just cook at hotter temps. I will still able to make the best BBQ I ever ate. I decided to give the gasket kit a try to see if that would resolve the problems.

Because of all the gunk built up I was not able to see the problems were with the smoker itself. This is my first and only WSM so all my learning has taken place on it. Since degunking I found a slight dent in the middle section that prevents the door from sealing along the one side and the area in the base that is out of round. I originally bought this new off Ebay years ago so no doubt I received a scratch and dent model and being new of WSM at the time wasn’t able to fully recognize the problems.

With the recent adjustments that I made to the middle section and the gasket, it seals completely now. The top now has absolutely no leakage. I am still working on the bottom section because the gasket material didn’t allow enough clearance for the middle section to be mounted into the base. Therefore, I removed that piece of Nomex and will try to deal with the problem by continuing to get the bottom back to round and possible running a high temp silicon bead on the middle section to help it seal. I will also call the gasket guys this week and see if they have a solution for the bottom section.

In my first test run this afternoon after running it up as close as I could get it to 400 degrees for a couple of hours, I was able to close all the vents and choke the fire out totally within about 1.5 to 2 hours. I could not have come close to that before so I am already happy with the improvements it gave me.

Not saying that this is an option that everyone should do. If you are able to get your WSM to seal and perform the way you want without them that is great. But if you have a problem smoker like mine has been, this is an option worth pursuing.

 

[George Curtis]

ok, now i see. so how low could you keep it ?

 

[Gary S]

Don if you can get more material, moisten it and stretch it a a couple of inches at a time. This will narrow the Nomex and thin it out a bit. Lay the centre section on its side, glue the material just under the lower ridge near the bottom of the barrel and then assemble the smoker. The ridge will help stop the material from riding up. I was able to keep the gasket material down so that it was not visible. It turns black with use anyway.
I had exactly the same crease on my smoker mid section right at one side of the door plus the bowl was way out of round. I was so pleased with the results when I bought the second smoker, the new model after using a couple of times I did the Nomex anyhow.

 

[Don Fry]

Finally finished getting the gaskets the way I wanted. I took Gary S's advice and placed the bottom gasket right below the rib on the bottom. Didn't do it exactly the same way, but this works for me. I also did a little bit of TLC on the bottom bowl with a big piece of smoke wood and have it as close to round as possible. That together with the gaskets has it sealing up tight. On my test burn tonight I got just a little whisper of smoke initially around upper seal by the lid. I also get just a little around the two bottom corners of the door. Saw absolutely nothing around the bottom seal. When I got home this evening I shut all the vents and temp dropped from 385 to 100 in less than an hour. I'm happy with that. Ribs going for record tomorrow.

Here is a picture of the gaskets in place on the middle section.

Here is the entire smoker assembled. Note how the gasket sits at the bottom. Please don't pay attention to my "high tech" way to plug the probe eyelet closed. Only time will tell how they hold up.

 

[Gary S]

Glad it worked out for you Don.