Wolf $10K Built-In Grill Restore


 
LMichaels said:
Why the need for a blow torch to simply light the grill? My long stick lighters don't even have butane in them anymore. I simply rely on the spark. They work fine. But, what I really want to do is make some type of crossover tube system for it so I only need to light one or 2 times not 6
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The stick lighters we have bought require you to stick it in the hole or down from the top of the grate.

They ones we had bought have not been long enough.

Blow torch also works to light the firepit and the offset.
 
Really nice grill, especially for around 20 years old. I think I solved the igniter problem in my thread using ceramic igniters made for Weber. I vaguely remember Larry asking about it for his grill. Nice job on those grates!
 
Joe Anshien said:
Really nice grill, especially for around 20 years old. I think I solved the igniter problem in my thread using ceramic igniters made for Weber. I vaguely remember Larry asking about it for his grill. Nice job on those grates!
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Yeah, Joe, I may have to PM you to get a review on that. I would really like to do 2 things with it. Fix the igniter(s) and or perhaps find a way to do a single igniter as in an old Genesis and simply be able to light one burner then have the rest light off that via a XOver of some type. I seem to recall having picked your brain a little but honestly with all the crap that been going on in my life I have forgotten.
 
LMichaels said:
Yes you did. Not only that.............those red knobs? $80 each!
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That's just stupid. I'm sorry but that's just stupid.

Stupid prices for stupid people with stupid money.

A mercedes ignition coil pack for a V12, which fires 12 spark plugs (24 spark plugs per car, 2 per cylinder), at microsecond intervals, and simultaneously measures the ionization of the air in the cylinders cost about that much brand new from Germany.

These ignite a grill.

It's good to know Wolf grills are for the stupid, should I ever meet such a stupid in person with a new Wolf grill.
 
I did quite a bit of googling to try to find parts for the igniters on our Wolf grill. Most of the parts are obsolete and the few still available are quite spendy as many have noted. The only igniter that still works is the one for the side burners. All of the electrodes, brackets, and wires for the ones inside the grill are long gone.

Mine has 6 burners (mentally, I number them 1 to 6 from left to right), the IR, and the dual side burners.
  • The side burners share a single port rotary igniter. Port refers to the terminal where the electrode wire connects. So 1 electrode on a single port, 2 on 2-port, 3 on a 3-port.
  • The left two burners (1& 2) and the IR are served by a 3-port rotary igniter.
  • The middle two burners (3 & 4) are served by a 2-port rotary igniter.
  • The right two burners (5 & 6) are served by a 2-port rotary igniter.
Using Googlefu, it appears to me that the OEM for the rotary igniters is a company called Channel Products. I don't know if my rotary igniters still work or not since the wire leads, electrodes, and brackets are long gone.

Channel Products | Gallery

At Channel Products we engineer thousands of components and component systems.
www.channelproducts.com

I believe the following Channel Products part numbers are what is on my Wolf:
1-port Channel Products UP-5B
2-port Channel Products UP-6B
3-port Channel Products UP-8B

I have not contacted Channel Products to find out where to purchase their products. This is still a one day project for me.....
 
Igniters are very simple and readily exchangeable. I have substituted many aftermarket ones for OEMs. On page 7 of this thread I showed how I used generic Weber replacement ceramic ones on the original bracket with a link to them. I just bent the mounting metal around the original mount with a link to the setup that came with 4 of them for $25. There are other ways to skin this cat depending on what components are bad. I tested the original switches with a standard piezio push button to check switches, and actual igniters. This is a pic from P7 that shows how I mounted the igniters.
1704982829674.jpeg
 
Joe Anshien said:
Igniters are very simple and readily exchangeable. I have substituted many aftermarket ones for OEMs. On page 7 of this thread I showed how I used generic Weber replacement ceramic ones on the original bracket with a link to them. I just bent the mounting metal around the original mount with a link to the setup that came with 4 of them for $25. There are other ways to skin this cat depending on what components are bad. I tested the original switches with a standard piezio push button to check switches, and actual igniters. This is a pic from P7 that shows how I mounted the igniters.
View attachment 85007
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In my case all the original brackets broke off. The rivets (or spot welds) I forgot which are what "corroded?" and gave way. Joe, I THINK it was you who pointed me to a way to add XOver ignition without a need to drill into the original burners. But I lost track. My thinking is if I can find a way for the other 5 burners to light off of one, then no matter if I put in a clicker type or just use my stick lighter, my life is much easier as I only would need to light one then let the others light off it. Though, I am unsure just how far one can take that Xover type ignition.
If my life slows down a little this spring summer I may pull the Wolf apart, give it another "refresh" and then look into doing something like this. Since it's no longer a "main" cooker I will not care if I knock it out of commission for a good while so I can "engineer" something with your help perhaps. I honestly think I would use it more, if I could make it easier to use. My wife actually likes using it, but hates trying to light it or change number of burners that are in use.
I WILL be picking your brain more in depth Joe, with photos and ideas, once I see how this coming outdoor season shapes up for me. But if it is anything like last year, it will likely stay under the cover 98% of the time like last year. A lot will depend on what happens with our dad. Whole long "story" I will not go into here. Just suffice to say, the whole of last year was total chaos for my sister and myself, and IDK if this year is shaping up the same :(
 
LMichaels said:
In my case all the original brackets broke off. The rivets (or spot welds) I forgot which are what "corroded?" and gave way. Joe, I THINK it was you who pointed me to a way to add XOver ignition without a need to drill into the original burners. But I lost track. My thinking is if I can find a way for the other 5 burners to light off of one, then no matter if I put in a clicker type or just use my stick lighter, my life is much easier as I only would need to light one then let the others light off it. Though, I am unsure just how far one can take that Xover type ignition.
If my life slows down a little this spring summer I may pull the Wolf apart, give it another "refresh" and then look into doing something like this. Since it's no longer a "main" cooker I will not care if I knock it out of commission for a good while so I can "engineer" something with your help perhaps. I honestly think I would use it more, if I could make it easier to use. My wife actually likes using it, but hates trying to light it or change number of burners that are in use.
I WILL be picking your brain more in depth Joe, with photos and ideas, once I see how this coming outdoor season shapes up for me. But if it is anything like last year, it will likely stay under the cover 98% of the time like last year. A lot will depend on what happens with our dad. Whole long "story" I will not go into here. Just suffice to say, the whole of last year was total chaos for my sister and myself, and IDK if this year is shaping up the same :(
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No problem. I think xovers would be tough as the burners would need holes in them for tubes to go burner to burner. Then you would have to light every tube to go from one end to the other. Maybe simple steel L bracket bolted or riveted to the front of the firebox to replace the corroded ones to mount aftermarket igniters would be an option. Anyway. Just post when ready.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Igniters are very simple and readily exchangeable. I have substituted many aftermarket ones for OEMs. On page 7 of this thread I showed how I used generic Weber replacement ceramic ones on the original bracket with a link to them. I just bent the mounting metal around the original mount with a link to the setup that came with 4 of them for $25. There are other ways to skin this cat depending on what components are bad. I tested the original switches with a standard piezio push button to check switches, and actual igniters. This is a pic from P7 that shows how I mounted the igniters.
View attachment 85007
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I saw that, thank you.

My Wolf came with rotary piezo electric igniters. The later ones switched to push button battery operation similar to the one you used.
 
@Joe Anshien - on page 1 you have a picture of the front of this grill.

There is an instruction sticker above the Wolf logo. Any chance you have a zoom picture of this? Mine is long gone and just a white mess.
 
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