New member with a trash pick Silver A? and some questions


 
J

John K G

New member
Hello All,

My neighbor put out a Weber gas grill for the scrap guy this week. (Since my 20 year old Sunbeam had just about had it. the cart was held up with 4x4s :) and the box was held to the cart with big washers and self tapping screws. and only one gas valve knob would open all the way LOL.) Anyway . Usually when I see a grill out for the trash it is all burned out and ready for the scrap heap. This Weber was different. It was super heavy and the cart and box were not rotted at all. I decided to bring it home. I wouldn't fit in my Subaru wagon so I ended up wheeling it all the way home. It was dirty but in good over all shape . I hooked a bottle to it and it lit right up using a manual grill lighter. So I cleaned it up and it seems to be a nice grill. It needs a igniter and one of the caster wheels is damaged and the light built into the handle is not working, other than that it seems good. So I have a few questions for you experts :

Is it a Weber Genesis Silver A? . (The model, serial number tag a all rubbed off so I cant read it very well).
How old is this thing?
What cover would fit best?
I noticed the front burner burns blue but with orange flames tips, the back burner is all blue flame. I tried bushing the burner and spider screen per Weber web site but it didnt improve too much. any tricks to correct that or is it ok as is?
What is the best way to clean the fire box.(I used a citrus degreaser and the hose but some of the crud is still stuck on there)
The cast iron cooking grates have a lot of build up on the back sides . whats the best way to clean that.

Sorry if I was too long winded. But this was a real score. I was about to buy a 200.00 charbroil to replace that old sunbeam but this seems 100 times better ....and it was free !
 

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Yep it's a Silver A AKA Genesis 500. They're really nice little grills. They cook very well, the full size rotisserie fits on it as well. They get hotter than you would expect from a little 2 burner as well. I gave one to a friend of mine a couple ears back. He loves it
 
John K G said:
Hello All,

My neighbor put out a Weber gas grill for the scrap guy this week. (Since my 20 year old Sunbeam had just about had it. the cart was held up with 4x4s :) and the box was held to the cart with big washers and self tapping screws. and only one gas valve knob would open all the way LOL.) Anyway . Usually when I see a grill out for the trash it is all burned out and ready for the scrap heap. This Weber was different. It was super heavy and the cart and box were not rotted at all. I decided to bring it home. I wouldn't fit in my Subaru wagon so I ended up wheeling it all the way home. It was dirty but in good over all shape . I hooked a bottle to it and it lit right up using a manual grill lighter. So I cleaned it up and it seems to be a nice grill. It needs a igniter and one of the caster wheels is damaged and the light built into the handle is not working, other than that it seems good. So I have a few questions for you experts :

Is it a Weber Genesis Silver A? . (The model, serial number tag a all rubbed off so I cant read it very well).
How old is this thing?
What cover would fit best?
I noticed the front burner burns blue but with orange flames tips, the back burner is all blue flame. I tried bushing the burner and spider screen per Weber web site but it didnt improve too much. any tricks to correct that or is it ok as is?
What is the best way to clean the fire box.(I used a citrus degreaser and the hose but some of the crud is still stuck on there)
The cast iron cooking grates have a lot of build up on the back sides . whats the best way to clean that.

Sorry if I was too long winded. But this was a real score. I was about to buy a 200.00 charbroil to replace that old sunbeam but this seems 100 times better ....and it was free !
Click to expand...

If you want to do a full restoration there is plenty of help here on the board

If you want to just get the grill back into service...

To clean - first - quick scrape of the firebox to get the big loose stuff. Next clean out the drip pan and catch tray which slides out. Then just fire up the grill and set the valves to high and burn off the crud. Once the grill starts smoking brush off the loose stuff and repeat until the smoking dies down. Usually 15 to 30 minutes will do.

The inside of the lid has carbon build up that looks like peeling paint. Just rub off the loose stuff with a gloved hand for now.

I noticed the front burner burns blue but with orange flames tips, the back burner is all blue flame. I tried bushing the burner and spider screen per Weber web site but it didnt improve too much. any tricks to correct that or is it ok as is? _ Look for splits or rot holes in the burners. If the burners are solid and the burner tube holes fairly clean use as is - burner tubes can be purchased if you want in the future.

What cover would fit best? - You could get by without a cover if you use the grill a few times a week. If you only use the grill a few times a year park it in a shed or garage. Partial shade outdoors with good airflow works.

The grill looks like a 2004 or so based on the frame design and the knobs. So about 16 years old. It should last for a while and it could be restored if you are into that.
 
JimK said:
Interesting mod on the handle. Looks like a nice find for ya!
Click to expand...
That isn't really a mod on the handle. That is the Grill Out Handle Light that weber made about 15 - 20 years ago. You see them pop up on Ebay every so often. I have one on my grill with LED's and love it.
 
Thanks for the info so far. I think for now I want to get it up and running as a everyday griller vs full restoration at this time. I got the starter to work by pushing the black wire back on the electrode. It is working for now but may need to be replaced. I havent looked at the grill light yest but i imagine it has corroded batteries in it. if I cant get it going I may look for one or a new light system if there is such a thing. . The grate/shelf on the cart could use some paint do you just use regular spray paint on that or high heat spray?

I heated the grill and scraped it down and it is much better but there is still some crud . Do you guys use any oven cleaner or something like that?
The burner looked good so I guess I will just use it as is for now

As for the cover. I live in MA and use the grill a fair bit in the spring/ summer with less use in the fall/winter. I dont have a garage or shed space to store it. based on this info do you not recommend covering it or only covering in the winter? I would like to keeps this as long as possible

Thanks again for all the advise.
 
Just use a good outdoor spray paint on the bottom rack. Only parts that get direct heat or right next to the cook box need the high temp stuff.
I use Sams Club grill cleaner. You get three bottles for about $10 and it works well for me.
The question of "To cover or not to cover". Covering it sounds logical, but the covers tend to trap a lot of moisture under them which can be worse than it getting rained on occasionally. But, without a cover, you have the rain and the sun which can be equally hard on a grill. I would probably find a cover that has good ventilation and doesn't go all the way to the ground.
 
I think you have scored yourself a very solid little cooker there. I scored a free, lesser 2-burner version (Spirit 500 I think) and I absolutely love it. I spent less than $100 to replace the internals and I use my little red grill a few times a month now. Your grill looks like it's in very good condition compared to mine when I picked it up. Mine had potting soil inside like it was used as a flower pot.

Be careful with restoring these free finds - you might find yourself searching Craigslist for other free, older Webers to restore.
 
John K G said:
Thanks for the info so far. I think for now I want to get it up and running as a everyday griller vs full restoration at this time. I got the starter to work by pushing the black wire back on the electrode. It is working for now but may need to be replaced. I havent looked at the grill light yest but i imagine it has corroded batteries in it. if I cant get it going I may look for one or a new light system if there is such a thing. . The grate/shelf on the cart could use some paint do you just use regular spray paint on that or high heat spray?

I heated the grill and scraped it down and it is much better but there is still some crud . Do you guys use any oven cleaner or something like that?
The burner looked good so I guess I will just use it as is for now

As for the cover. I live in MA and use the grill a fair bit in the spring/ summer with less use in the fall/winter. I dont have a garage or shed space to store it. based on this info do you not recommend covering it or only covering in the winter? I would like to keeps this as long as possible

Thanks again for all the advise.
Click to expand...
Hi John I am in MA too. Two of our grills get used daily year round with no covers and no issues. Right now we are battling Tree Pollen so everything gets a yellow coating so a cover might help.

There are other posts on this site where people grind out the firebox or sandblast it to bare metal. They look nice but too much work for me.

Avoid oven cleaner or paint inside the cast aluminum firebox. The cast aluminum is porous and will absorb stuff that can out-gas later
 
thanks for all the info so far . I am still not sure if i should get a cover or no cover My sunbeam grillmaster was uncovered and the the cart ended up being the weak point it basically rusted through and started to collapse.
The weber cart seems much heavier but I not sure what is worse condensation under the cover or the harsh MA weather . Isaw some pics on line showing a 1/2 length cover for the silver A. what are your thoughts on these and can you even get them still
 
Definitely get one with at least a few inches of clearance on the bottom and some kind of ventilation on top/sides.
 
I think a cover with lots of ventilation is the way to go.

I put a beer can chicken rack thingy on top of the lid before putting the cover on. Creates some extra air space inside and also a nice tented slope that helps the rain and snow roll off on its own. That would also raise the bottom a couple inches. If you are buying a cheap unbranded cover you can also just trim the bottom -- either all around or in just a couple of spots..

I also cut out a rectangle on the back side which faces the house to further increase ventilation and prevent grill lift off in very high winds.
 
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