After promising to do this mod for the last year, we finally managed to get around to doing this mod. To complete the modification we had the following items
- 2mm drill bit to drill pilot holes and a drill
- Ceramic/Steell drill bit (4mm and 10mm)
- Black ceramic paint
- ProQ OEM Handles (£12.00 from a number of vendors, excluding nuts/bolts and washers, I have no idea where you get these in the state)
- Stainless steel Nuts/bolts and a washer for each of the handles
- BBQ Temperature Grommets ($7 from Cajun Bandit BBQ Mods)
- Pair of pliers
Temperature BBQ Sensor Grommet
Decide where the grommet is going to be placed, we placed ours about 1cm below the top grate screws so the grommet did not interfere with the grate. Drill a pilot hole with the 2mm bit, the grommet is 3/4" about 9.2mm, we didnt have a 9mm ceramic/steel bit so went with a 10mm bit, its a little loose, but once fitted with the collar it doesnt move. After drilling, paint the hole with black ceramic paint and leave till dry (about 4hours), this will prevent corrosion. Fit the collar, and boom you are done.
Handle Installation
This was alot easier than I expected, we decided to place the handles about 3-4cm (1-2") from the top lip of the WSM Stack. The ProQ Oem handles have a lip that only allows the handles to move to 90°, but on others, you will need to make sure that the handle will not rotate and squeeze your fingers against the top lip. We place the handles at about 90° to the front of the unit. Use a marker with the handles to mark the pilot holes and check that its level. Use the 2mm drill bit to drill the pilot holes, then use the ceramic drill bit to drill the holes for the bolts. We used oil on the bit whilst drilling to prevent heat and ripping of the ceramic coating. Once the holes are drilled, paint with black ceramic paint and wait for it to dry. Fit the handles with a washer to prevent it from loosening up.
- 2mm drill bit to drill pilot holes and a drill
- Ceramic/Steell drill bit (4mm and 10mm)
- Black ceramic paint
- ProQ OEM Handles (£12.00 from a number of vendors, excluding nuts/bolts and washers, I have no idea where you get these in the state)
- Stainless steel Nuts/bolts and a washer for each of the handles
- BBQ Temperature Grommets ($7 from Cajun Bandit BBQ Mods)
- Pair of pliers
Temperature BBQ Sensor Grommet
Decide where the grommet is going to be placed, we placed ours about 1cm below the top grate screws so the grommet did not interfere with the grate. Drill a pilot hole with the 2mm bit, the grommet is 3/4" about 9.2mm, we didnt have a 9mm ceramic/steel bit so went with a 10mm bit, its a little loose, but once fitted with the collar it doesnt move. After drilling, paint the hole with black ceramic paint and leave till dry (about 4hours), this will prevent corrosion. Fit the collar, and boom you are done.
Handle Installation
This was alot easier than I expected, we decided to place the handles about 3-4cm (1-2") from the top lip of the WSM Stack. The ProQ Oem handles have a lip that only allows the handles to move to 90°, but on others, you will need to make sure that the handle will not rotate and squeeze your fingers against the top lip. We place the handles at about 90° to the front of the unit. Use a marker with the handles to mark the pilot holes and check that its level. Use the 2mm drill bit to drill the pilot holes, then use the ceramic drill bit to drill the holes for the bolts. We used oil on the bit whilst drilling to prevent heat and ripping of the ceramic coating. Once the holes are drilled, paint with black ceramic paint and wait for it to dry. Fit the handles with a washer to prevent it from loosening up.
