Phil (Big Phil)
TVWBB Member
Shortly after putting a 16 lb pork but on my 02 performer saturday morning I had to move it under a makeshift shelter for impending weather. To my dismay I heard a sickening crash and looked down to see the rack under the grill and cross members laying on the ground! Apparently there are "built in square nuts" on the inside of the 36" rails between the wheel bracket and caster bracket. 3 of the 4 rusted out!
To make things worse Weber does not make any replacement frame parts for the old style Performer any more!
So while smoking a pork butt I had to do major surgery completely removing the cross braces knocking out the rusted nuts and after a trip to HD I returned with 3' pieces of 1/4" all thread. Put the cross braces back in place and threaded the all thread through them and tightnened them down with a washer and lock nut on each end. I figure I'm good for another 5 years or so! I knocked of additional rust with a grinding wheel and hit all the reapired areas with rustoleum!
To top it all off the pork butt after 16 hours on came of for 3 hours wrapped in the cooler and back on to crisp up! It was unbelievable!
To make things worse Weber does not make any replacement frame parts for the old style Performer any more!
So while smoking a pork butt I had to do major surgery completely removing the cross braces knocking out the rusted nuts and after a trip to HD I returned with 3' pieces of 1/4" all thread. Put the cross braces back in place and threaded the all thread through them and tightnened them down with a washer and lock nut on each end. I figure I'm good for another 5 years or so! I knocked of additional rust with a grinding wheel and hit all the reapired areas with rustoleum!
To top it all off the pork butt after 16 hours on came of for 3 hours wrapped in the cooler and back on to crisp up! It was unbelievable!
