Can I fix this?


 
C

ChrisR

New member
I was trying to remove the pin using PB and tapping, didn't work.. try to drilled over the screw, didn't work ... but after letting soaking in the PB over night I could remove the pins from the lid. Felling confident I tried tapping on the cook box and I end up braking it.... there is anyway to fix that? I read about QuickStell and JB Weld, is this something I should try?
 

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I don't think any kind of feasible repair will hold up to the stress of being the hinge point for the lid. I am afraid you need to be on the hunt for a donor grill or maybe find someone who has one in their parts inventory that you can get. Shipping will be the problem there.
 
You will need to find someone that does aluminum welding. I don't think there is another workable solution for that. I am guessing there is too much pressure for JBWeld to work and it would have to be the high heat kind.

What model of grill is that?
 
ChrisR said:
I was trying to remove the pin using PB and tapping, didn't work.. try to drilled over the screw, didn't work ... but after letting soaking in the PB over night I could remove the pins from the lid. Felling confident I tried tapping on the cook box and I end up braking it.... there is anyway to fix that? I read about QuickStell and JB Weld, is this something I should try?
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Anything CAN be fixed with the right amount of knowledge, skill and the right tools. The real question is if worth it. I’m assuming it’s cast aluminum so find an experienced welder to fix that might not be cost effective. The other route is purchasing a new lid. I’m my opinion anything in between would just be a bandaid.
 
If you throw enough money at anything nearly anything can be fixed. Sadly had you done a little research here you would have seen many warnings (mostly by me) that hammers and other striking objects should never ever be anywhere near cast aluminum (any cast metal for that matter) as the casting process turns it brittle like glass
 
NickF said:
Anything CAN be fixed with the right amount of knowledge, skill and the right tools. The real question is if worth it. I’m assuming it’s cast aluminum so find an experienced welder to fix that might not be cost effective. The other route is purchasing a new lid. I’m my opinion anything in between would just be a bandaid.
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He needs the cookbox, not the lid.

LMichaels said:
If you throw enough money at anything nearly anything can be fixed. Sadly had you done a little research here you would have seen many warnings (mostly by me) that hammers and other striking objects should never ever be anywhere near cast aluminum (any cast metal for that matter) as the casting process turns it brittle like glass
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Yep, Larry, you are the one who has warned several times about hammering on cook boxes. I didn't realize the difference between regular and cast aluminum before. I have had pretty good luck doing so, but maybe I am not as aggressive as some or maybe it is the way I do it. I try to keep a lot of support around the underside of what I a hammering on.
 
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It's not truly a matter of how aggressive. The crystalline structure of the metal changes so drastically from the casting process it's just a matter of how and where you catch it just right and it will shatter like glass. I have had it go OK to hit it and then been surprised with a little tap and bang it shatters.
 
I think I broke one cook box in the last two years and I have probably banged on over a dozen for one reason or another. But, like you said, the one that I did break was on a blow that was certainly less aggressive than some of the others I had delivered to it previously.
 
I see quite a few E-310s on Facebook, LetGo, and OfferUp for free. Most have totally rusted cabinets and are a mess, but I bet a majority of those have fireboxes that are in good enough shape. If I were you, I'd just keep an eye out for a free donor grill, salvage the parts you need and trash the rest, including your old firebox.

Until you find a donor freebie, you could use Chuck's patch fix.
 
This oops just reminded me that it is time to do my annual cleaning of my Genesis which includes removing the lid pins and firebox attachment bolts as well as rust inspection of the base cabinet. Doing this annually keeps the firebox bolts from getting too gunked in and allows for removal of corrosion due to dissimilar metals between aluminum and steel.
 
The first E3xx grill I picked up was free. I realized why when I picked it up. The cookbox was broke in both places where the lit buts up against it when open to keep it from going all the way back. The lid when I got, did go all the way back.
While I like the effort of the guy that cobbled the lid like that, I really think it is a temporary fix and will eventually fail completely.
 
When the pins get stuck and don’t want to come out does it happen because the pins are aluminum OR stainless steel ? or because the box is aluminum ?
 
It's becxause the pins are mild steel and the box is aluminum and they tend to corrode together. Never hit cast aluminum (or cast metal of any kind) it's structure during casting becomes crystalline (like glass) and we all know what glass does if you hit it with a hammer
 
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