My Genesis 1000 rehab in progress


 
Functionally, that spacer bracket is there to protect the durawood from melting if it gets too close to the crossmember next to the firebox. Lots of ways to duplicate that functionality, but to save the bracket, an easy one would be to use a fender washer under the bolt (brass or stainless is best).
 
Ed Pinnell said:
Functionally, that spacer bracket is there to protect the durawood from melting if it gets too close to the crossmember next to the firebox. Lots of ways to duplicate that functionality, but to save the bracket, an easy one would be to use a fender washer under the bolt (brass or stainless is best).
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Such a simple solution but one that I did not think of! The exact reason why I appreciate this forum so much. I will be replacing the durawood with cedar so I don't think the spacer is as important but for the cost of a couple of SS fender washers why not.
 
About the broken bolt...finesse is hard to explain, but if it were me I would try heating the area around the broken bolt with a propane torch. Aluminum melts at around 1200*, much lower than steel, but the tragic thing is that it doesn't change color before it melts. Aluminum also expands at a higher rate than steel, so heating usually works pretty well...but you have to use common sense and not cause damage. If you have a punch, not a center punch but a pin punch, you can heat the surrounding area with a torch and try tapping on that broken bolt with a hammer and a punch. Larry says these fireboxes are prone to shattering, and I believe him, so try gently tapping and see if it has an effect. You are trying to coax it out, not hammer it out. If you don't see anything happening, no progress or movement with the tapping, don't keep hitting it until something does happen...let it cool down and drill it out.

EDIT: If you can back it up, bracing the back side by standing it on a pile of lumber, so that you are only applying force to a small isolated area instead of the whole side of the box, all the better. It's a risk, though, so if you are more comfortable drilling, then drill away!
 
Ed Pinnell said:
About the broken bolt...finesse is hard to explain, but if it were me I would try heating the area around the broken bolt with a propane torch. Aluminum melts at around 1200*, much lower than steel, but the tragic thing is that it doesn't change color before it melts. Aluminum also expands at a higher rate than steel, so heating usually works pretty well...but you have to use common sense and not cause damage. If you have a punch, not a center punch but a pin punch, you can heat the surrounding area with a torch and try tapping on that broken bolt with a hammer and a punch. Larry says these fireboxes are prone to shattering, and I believe him, so try gently tapping and see if it has an effect. You are trying to coax it out, not hammer it out. If you don't see anything happening, no progress or movement with the tapping, don't keep hitting it until something does happen...let it cool down and drill it out.

EDIT: If you can back it up, bracing the back side by standing it on a pile of lumber, so that you are only applying force to a small isolated area instead of the whole side of the box, all the better. It's a risk, though, so if you are more comfortable drilling, then drill away!
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I have both a propane torch and a pin punch set that I use for guns so that method could be an option. My current plan is to grind the nub as flat as possible and hit it with a left hand drill bit after punching the center with an awl. I will be working on this tomorrow night so I will update what ends up working. The obvious problem is the aluminum is so much softer than the bolt and the bit will want to wander into and chew that up before it does the steel.
 
Well, I hope Bruce or somebody with more experience weighs in here, but my life experience tells me that you don't put a nut on a threaded object unless you want to make sure that it does not vibrate loose..."double nutting"...and there is no reason for a manufacturer to thread a cookbox and then put a nut on it. Why would you do that?

I've only been into 3 grills, and that is a through-hole, not a threaded hole, or if it is threaded it should be a through-hole if it has a nut. The corrosion is causing you to think it is a threaded hole, I believe.
 
Ed Pinnell said:
Well, I hope Bruce or somebody with more experience weighs in here, but my life experience tells me that you don't put a nut on a threaded object unless you want to make sure that it does not vibrate loose..."double nutting"...and there is no reason for a manufacturer to thread a cookbox and then put a nut on it. Why would you do that?

I've only been into 3 grills, and that is a through-hole, not a threaded hole, or if it is threaded it should be a through-hole if it has a nut. The corrosion is causing you to think it is a threaded hole, I believe.
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Now that I think about it you are right that the bolt is corroded in a through hole so the left hand bit is not needed. In theory it should be easier to remove then right? Lol

Thus, if it is simply a corroded through hole I should be able to just use a pin punch and bang the hell out of it. As far as I know aluminum is not brittle unless it is heated. So I could possibly skip the heating and try to punch it without heating it first after soaking in some PB Blaster. I am justing thinking out loud now.
 
You are scaring me now. Would you bang the heck out of a Winchester '94? More to follow...
 
Finesse. Like with a horse, or a stubborn person whom you might be married to.

Absolutely, there are degrees of force. Yes, by all means, try to be peaceable and get this vintage Weber to see things your way. Not time to get medieval yet.

So soak it with Kroil, or PB Blaster, or oil of wintergreen, Liquid Wrench, any of those. In my experience, it works maybe 10% of the time, but you might get lucky. Won't know until you try, right? Tapping, not hammering, looking to see if it has any effect. You might have to drill later, so take care not to mushroom or distort the surface that will only make it harder to remove later. Remember that you are applying impact to the entire side of the cookbox and that multiple heating/cooling cycles have likely made the cookbox susceptible to shattering, like Larry with the voice of experience warns. Very gentle taps here, very gentle.

EDIT: I cringe reading this, knowing how easily these things shatter. You have been warned.

Ok, that isn't working, then it's time to get serious. Use like a 1" a spade bit, or the biggest bit you have (just makes it harder to locate under the firebox), drill a hole or a divot into a 2x4. Take a stack of lumber, a convenient height, doesn't matter, but something you can put under the side of your firebox to support it so that you are localizing the impact. Do not cause the impact to affect the whole side! You will likely blow the whole side out.

Have a family friend hold the cookbox on top of the stack of lumber with the divot or hole you created with the spade bit under the broken screw while you tap on it. It's at an angle so it won't be easy. You can get more aggressive here because it is well supported and the impact is localized. Make sure the divot or hole is under the broken bolt you are trying to remove so you aren't fighting yourself. This should convince that old Weber to see the light and toss in the towel.

Failing that, your final step is to drill, Parker, drill, drill, drill. In the center. Knowing that if you drift off to the side the aluminum is softer than the steel that you are trying to remove and whatever happens, happens. It's still going to work, either way.
 
I didn't take into account the amount of heating/cooling cycles that the cook box has previously been through (and based on cleaning it has been a lot) that will make the aluminum more brittle. Also didn't know shattering cook boxes were so ubiquitous. Worse comes to worse the cook box just sits on the frame...better than a cracked box. It's not like this grill is going to be doing back flips on the back patio.
 
Or drill. You can always just drill it out. Lots of people just drill it out. There is nothing wrong with drilling it out, absolutely nothing. I really don't think you want a blazing hot grill floating around without being anchored, do you? Doesn't sound safe to me.

Just do it! Drill it or drive it out, whichever you are more comfortable with...it's gonna work, just don't go crazy with the hammer is all.
 
I think I am going to go with my original idea of drilling it out. Grind it flat and then use a center punch (I will get one from HF) and then drill out with normal drill bits.
 
Also, I really appreciate your input and detailed responses Ed. I am hoping that I am overthinking this and I will have that bolt out and be ready to paint tomorrow.
 
I ground it nice and flat, used a center punch, and then started with a normal 1/8" bit and worked my way up. Easy peasy.
 
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