Newbie with an old Genesis--learning to refurb!


 
John-NY said:
One year ago I'd never owned a Weber product.
I discovered these forums.
Since then I have actively purchased 9 Weber grill products.
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I actually met someone this past summer who has five of the Weber kettles. I was like OMG. 😱 He says it's "sort of a hobby." I honestly didn't realize Weber collecting was a thing.
 
Bruce said:
Looks like you are getting the advice you need. If you really want to bring the grill back to good condition and grilling performance, we will all help you. If money is an issue, I would do what Dave suggests and make the new floor my last investment. Even if it rusts out, as long as the legs are in decent shape, the grill doesn't need a good floor to keep grilling well.

There is tons of info in this forum and if you have questions as you go, just ask and you will get plenty of opinions and advice. There are several members who refurbish these older weber grills and resell them and know what it takes to get them back into service.

I definitely think the grates are in need of replacing. Solid rod stainless steel is the way to go. Those metal flakes on your CI grates are a series dental hazard.
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I do want to do this. Today I am hoping to get the outside clean, and the cart clean, and perhaps get a spritz of some kind of degreaser on the parts that need it (I will have to read what to get in the other threads, and purchase an appropriate product). I also think I should go ahead and order the flavorizer bars and a new grill grate, so at least I could potentially cook on this in the evenings if I want to, while the refurb is in progress.
 
THyde said:
Use a razor scraper on the drip pan if it is porcelain coated steel (I have an older grill that’s what I use on mine) then steel wool if you want it perfect.

Steel wool and or a brass brush for the burner tubes. You can use water just dry them out good before reuse. Pay special attention to cleaning the holes where the flames come out, brush perpendicular to the rods. Get the holes really perfect.

Yes replace those flavorizers.

I highly recommend solid stainless rod grates. The coated cast iron flakes. The solid stainless rod grates are indestructible and do not rust. Look into the CharGon grate cleaner for those. I think you can get quilmetal 9mm grates for that grill, a little bit of money but your cooks will be ten times better than where you ended up now with fish screens :)

A good cleaning and attention to detail, new grates and flavorizers bars and you will be amazed! Above all, have fun! I do not envy the project you have around the grill, our house is newer at 1928 but it’s still closing in on a hundred years old so I feel your pain!
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Okay I have a bunch of razor scrapers, and I have brass brushes. I am worried about the ends of the burners where they screw into the box. I don't know if I can get those screws cleaned sufficiently to get them out, or if the ends where they burners attach are actually rusted through. Will get closer photos today.
 
Joe Anshien said:
I would think to start with these as a possibilities to get back to working and will not break the bank


And these.
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OMGOSH that's SERIOUSLY less money than I was expecting! I was expecting $25 EACH for the flavorizer bars.

I don't know much about steel thickness. Of course I have heard "304 stainless" before, but don't really know what that means. That looks like it should fit my grill according to what the description says. I need to measure. Will do that asap.

Do you consider this high-quality? Or is this a "mid-grade" to get me going? Reading through all the posts in order, so this may be answered below. Apologies if it is.

ETA: This is where I have so much learning to do. I don't see my grill listed in the grates description for these grates. Y'all may know they will fit anyhow. ?
 
You do NOT want to take those screws out. They are used as locating pins and the burners just slide in under them.
Simple green is a good safe degreaser/cleaner that a lot of people on here use when cleaning their grills.

You will have to remove the front control panel and the gas manifold to get the burners out. It really is not hat bad a job. Just ask if you need more instructions.
 
I've had luck with a powerwasher as step one before I go it with other tools/supplies. I won't clean everything perfectly, but it is a good optional first step.
 
DanHoo said:
@Cassondra Murray can you post a pic of the inside of the cart, from the front with the doors open?

And a closeup also a pic of the lower corners where the doors pivot on the hinge.

The 300 series are grills are notorious for rusting inside. It would be interesting to see yours as part of the overall rehab.
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I will get photos for you!

Is "16 gauge" thicker than the "304 stainless" in one of the earlier posts? This is where I'm a bit clueless. I don't know metal in those ways.

ETA: Sorry for the long string of replies. Don't mean to spam the forum. Just learning and appreciate everyone's responses. 🤗
 
Richard in NS said:
You do NOT want to take those screws out. They are used as locating pins and the burners just slide in under them.
Simple green is a good safe degreaser/cleaner that a lot of people on here use when cleaning their grills.

You will have to remove the front control panel and the gas manifold to get the burners out. It really is not hat bad a job. Just ask if you need more instructions.
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Okay THANKS! I will clean around those screws. My husband actually assembled this grill when we got it new, so I'll have to figure out how to get that front off. Of course, if I remember correctly, the burners were already in place in the box. (I may be mistaken about that, but I think they were.) I have to remove this front to deal with the decrepit ignitor anyhow I think, plus I'd like to clean in there/de-spider it, etc.
 
Scott Smith said:
I've had luck with a powerwasher as step one before I go it with other tools/supplies. I won't clean everything perfectly, but it is a good optional first step.
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Is there anything fragile on these grills that I don't want to blast with water, or hit with some other kind of chemical? I would assume the electrical connections need to be kept dry, and the inside of the burners. If I do get water in the burners, will it not light? (Dumb-sounding question probably, but I assumed the LP gas would flow and ignite in spite of a bit of moisture in there--more learning curve, obviously. 😣
 
For what its worth, most of the folks here don't post enough of their real name to become searchable on the internet. My user name is my entire real name, but there are many of me out there.
 
Cassondra Murray said:
Is there anything fragile on these grills that I don't want to blast with water, or hit with some other kind of chemical? I would assume the electrical connections need to be kept dry, and the inside of the burners. If I do get water in the burners, will it not light? (Dumb-sounding question probably, but I assumed the LP gas would flow and ignite in spite of a bit of moisture in there--more learning curve, obviously. 😣
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Common sense applies, I guess. I just mostly blast the outside and the greasy bits on the inside. I don't aim for the burners or the wires. I do clean the tank. These grills are designed to be outside and can take some abuse. My other life theory is that if something breaks after a little pressure washing, you probably needed to replace it anyway.
 
Cassondra Murray said:
I do want to do this. Today I am hoping to get the outside clean, and the cart clean, and perhaps get a spritz of some kind of degreaser on the parts that need it (I will have to read what to get in the other threads, and purchase an appropriate product). I also think I should go ahead and order the flavorizer bars and a new grill grate, so at least I could potentially cook on this in the evenings if I want to, while the refurb is in progress.
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Takes time. Caked grease on mine has been slow going, and rust has been a challenge. But if it were fast it wouldn't be a fun hobby.
 
Scott Smith said:
Common sense applies, I guess. I just mostly blast the outside and the greasy bits on the inside. I don't aim for the burners or the wires. I do clean the tank. These grills are designed to be outside and can take some abuse. My other life theory is that if something breaks after a little pressure washing, you probably needed to replace it anyway.
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Be careful with the manifold
 
Good luck on your project. You've got this!
I can appreciate how much you love this grill. I get attached to inanimate objects too. Some people may think it's silly, but who cares? :D
Can't wait to see the results.
 
Cassondra Murray said:
I will get photos for you!

Is "16 gauge" thicker than the "304 stainless" in one of the earlier posts? This is where I'm a bit clueless. I don't know metal in those ways.

ETA: Sorry for the long string of replies. Don't mean to spam the forum. Just learning and appreciate everyone's responses. 🤗
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16 gauge is how thick it is. 16 is thicker than 18

304 is a kind of stainless.
 
Scott Smith said:
For what its worth, most of the folks here don't post enough of their real name to become searchable on the internet. My user name is my entire real name, but there are many of me out there.
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It said it was required when I signed up. It was not my preference to put my real name, but it said I would be denied membership if I didn't. I don't use my real name on any other forum.
 
Definitely consider replacing with stainless steel cooking grates. They clean up great and will season nicely. My grill (2009) is similar to yours and came with them. They’re still perfect!
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