Making a 1997 Skyline 520LP (as) pristine (as I can)


 
So I find myself thinking...what reason would someone have to leave that part off during assembly? Another thought would be that Weber started offering the Durawood tables before it was known that the tables would warp if placed too close to the cookbox, and that bracket was an afterthought, so some grills in the field didn't have it. Regardless, my 1998 Platinum I has the bracket, but I don't put too much faith in it, because the bracket gets hotter than the blazes, too...I still keep my Durawood well away from the cookbox.

Did you get your bowed Durawood straightened out? I wonder if a heat gun would help.
 
Every Durawood side table I've looked at up close has the warp. Nature of the material vs the heat. Thk G for parts grills!
 
Ed Pinnell said:
So I find myself thinking...what reason would someone have to leave that part off during assembly? Another thought would be that Weber started offering the Durawood tables before it was known that the tables would warp if placed too close to the cookbox, and that bracket was an afterthought, so some grills in the field didn't have it. Regardless, my 1998 Platinum I has the bracket, but I don't put too much faith in it, because the bracket gets hotter than the blazes, too...I still keep my Durawood well away from the cookbox.

Did you get your bowed Durawood straightened out? I wonder if a heat gun would help.
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I haven't yet, no. Not sure best move. I do have some older durawood planks that are still straight I could replace, but would want to get the shield up first, which brings me to this...

IMG_5906.jpeg

Bolt has snapped off in the cook box, so no way to attach the shield. Any thoughts on getting out? Started to drill, but wasn't making progress.
 
DanJC said:
I haven't yet, no. Not sure best move. I do have some older durawood planks that are still straight I could replace, but would want to get the shield up first, which brings me to this...

View attachment 14922

Bolt has snapped off in the cook box, so no way to attach the shield. Any thoughts on getting out? Started to drill, but wasn't making progress.
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You can try drilling it out, start with a small drill bit and work your way up.
After you've got a small hole drilled, try heating it up with a small torch. Home depot sells them for like $20, handy little tools.
I just kept swapping back and forth between drilling and torching and eventually it just fell out.
 
Bruce said:
Yah, I agree.

Basically, grind the stuff flat and use one of these to start the hole to drill it out:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CML2DYM/?tag=tvwb-20

Then drill it out starting with a 1/8" bit (high quality) and take it slow. Then progress up in bit size until you get it fully drilled out.
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To add to what Bruce said, the reason it is recommended that you use a center drill is because it is rigid, stiff, and doesn't tend to flex and "walk" when starting a hole like the corresponding drill of its size.
 
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Well, I didn't have a torch, center punch, or center drill, nor whatever is required to grind down flat, so just attacked the bastard w/ drill bits.

Stayed low and slow. Managed to drill all the way through up to 5/32", which caused the fossilized bolt/nut that was protruding into the fire box to finally fall off.

Now I think I just need to keep drilling through up to 1/4" in order to fit a shiny new stainless bolt in there.

Thanks all!
 

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DanJC said:
Well, I didn't have a torch, center punch, or center drill, nor whatever is required to grind down flat, so just attacked the bastard w/ drill bits.

Stayed low and slow. Managed to drill all the way through up to 5/32", which caused the fossilized bolt/nut that was protruding into the fire box to finally fall off.

Now I think I just need to keep drilling through up to 1/4" in order to fit a shiny new stainless bolt in there.

Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Wow, not a tool guy, eh? Well, got 'er done, just the same...many times, that broken bolt will know when its met its match and just fall out at some point, which sounds like its happened. The rest is just cleanup.

You done good! Time to move on to the next problem! Oh, yeah, don't forget the anti-sieze.
 
I have always said, a good mechanic with an average set of tools will always outdo an average mechanic with a good set of tools. It's not the tool, it's the guy using it.

McGuyver is my hero.
 
Ed Pinnell said:
I have always said, a good mechanic with an average set of tools will always outdo an average mechanic with a good set of tools. It's not the tool, it's the guy using it.

McGuyver is my hero.
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If the tool world is anything like the outdoors world, there's lots of weekend warriors w/ a million tools and no idea what to do w/ them.
 
My slogan often is, “Timing - and tools - are everything.”

Having the right tool sure does help. I wouldn’t have been able to fix my sink without the Harbor Freight Knipex knock-off pliers I had recently picked up.
 
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