I need some help...


 
K

Kevin J

TVWBB Member
Well, I cooked again this weekend and despite a wholly obnoxious WSM, managed to turn out some decent brisket (don't ask about the short ribs). However, it is time to put these cooker problems to bed, and I need some advice.

Awhile back, I picked up a used WSM in what I thought was pretty good condition for $50. Yeah, I was pretty pleased with myself. However, as it turns out this thing leaks like a sieve! There's a reason it was cheap: the center is way out of round, lips are bent, and temp control is very challenging. I've worked the center over but just cannot seem to get it to fit the charcoal bowl properly and am now looking for alternatives.

Since I leak a fair amount of smoke around the lid, I'm thinking I will either
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>coat the lip on the bottom of the lid with vaseline and then put high-temp silicone around the middle section where the lid fits. Let this set a little then put the lid on so the silicone deforms and I get perfect fit.
<LI>Install the smallest fireplace flat braid gasket I can find on the lip around the top of the middle section.[/list]

The bottom to middle section mating, though, has me scratching my head. All I can think of is mounting fireplace gasket around the mouth of the charcoal bowl, down against the bump out. Kind of seems like this may not last a long time though. This is by far the worst fo the problems for me so I need to make this fix work. Next time I cook I'll just make a tin foil gasket, but I want to come up with a more permanent solution so your help would be appreciated.

Kevin
 
I don't know how big your gaps are but you could use gasket material that you cut yourself from your local auto parts store.
 
The foil is a temporary solution but in my opinion its a PITA and looks bad. Ive used it with a ECB and the results were fair. Others have used the bottom few inches of a t-shirt wetted and fit over the cooker at the gaps. I think the braided insulation would probably work the best for a long term solution to the problem and allow you to remove the lid and middle section without having to repack the foil each time. Seating the braid into the lip will allow the section or lid to sit on it and the weight would lock out the air.
 
If it is hardly used, only a year or two old and has no impact damage heck the thing probably left the factory out of round.

I wonder if Weber would help you out Kevin. Even if they send you a new middle section for half price you still got a deal on your WSM.

My top leaks a little smoke too but more so when it was new, I think most of them do. If you don't get a new middle section, perhaps focus on the bottom. Once you have the bottom sealed give it several more cooks before doing anything to the top. You may not need to. As long as you can control your temps it should be good enough.
 
Unless it is real bad, just using it more will probably help.

If you still don't like it. I'll give you $20 for it.
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If it were mine and I'd only paid $50 for it, I'd work on shaping the sections to get 'em to fit, before I'd goop it all up with gaskets and stuff that's just going to pull off, get in the way and generally make it more difficult to use.

Maybe the bottom section can be flexed (bent) to help the fit with the center section. If the lips were bent, I'd straighten 'em with pliers or whatever tool would work and figure there's probably some cracked porcelain already, so wouldn't worry about cracking more. Just hit it with the high-temp BBQ paint in the spots that were bad.
 
I agree that it's worth calling weber and asking their advice. They're supposedly verrrrry helpful.
 
I certainly appreciate everybody's help. I've worked and worked on bending the sections to match, but they never seem to get close enough. I think what I will do is spend a few more hours on it this weekend, and will give weber a call as well. Who knows what they might say.

Barring the above working out, I think I will go the fireplace gasket route as it is cheap and actually made for this particular type of situation. Also, since it is glued with high temp glue and jammed to the lip, I think it should hold up pretty well. I will just do the bottom to middle connection at first and see how things go afterwards.

I'll post back after I've contacted weber and worked everything over and let you know who things turn out.

Kevin
 
when i got one of my WSMs the middle and bottom were out of round.......i called weber and they didnt ask me for reciept or nothing....they just said will send you a free replacement and just repack the defected parts and fedex will pick it up from you......easy, done! all free....i could have kept the parts and they would have never known...but ah not honest and i didnt need them neways....wierd how they didnt get any info from me.....

good luck

but until they arived the wet t shirt thing worked great for me
 
I never posted back with my updates!

I called Weber and they wanted $50-70 depending on whether I needed the bottom or middle section replaced. I worked both sections over more and still couldn't get a good seal. So, I decided that if this thing needed to be tightend up, tight it would get. Some fireplace gasket, gasket cement and away I went.

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Good for you! Glad you got her fixed up good. Looks like a good job on the fix. Now get that 'thang fired up and let us know how it's doing.
Have fun.
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She cooks MUCH better now. Kind of dumb, but right after making the change, with constant wind gusts to 25 and the first time using lump, I cooked a terrific couple of 12 hour butts. My wife said they were the best yet!

Now, I just need to test different types of lump to see what works best out of what is available.
 
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