Fixing an old Weber kettle grill

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asicer

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asicer
So this fell off my Weber when I went to use it this past weekend (see attached). Do I:

  1. Re-attach the lower vent cover to the body by mushrooming out the old rivet?
  2. Drill out the old rivet and pull a new rivet?
  3. Drill out the old rivet and replace it with a stainless screw/bolt double nutted?
  4. Just buy a new grill whenever it goes on sale?
The problem with #1 is that I don't have an anvil or buck to back the hammering so I'm likely to just put a dent the area rather than flatten the old rivet.

The problem with #2 is that I don't have any riveting tools.

The problem with #4 is that this thing is 30+ years old and has some sentimental value as it belonged to my mother. It would be cool to pass it down to my kids someday and claim it has been used for 3 generations.

The problem with #3 is that my kids might look at it as a ghetto grill rather than a family heirloom.
 

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#3. It's not ghetto, it's a hotrod grill.
 
Patina latest craze on antiques. So yeah, sand that rust off, primer and paint. Stainless fittings to reattach.
 
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Riveting tools are pretty cheap and handy to have around when you need them.
 
Don't worry about the lower vents. Just control the heat with the upper. Also, I always have issues with the legs falling off when I carry the things. Drilling a hole in each leg mount and attaching a set screw eliminates the problem.

And ditch the sentimental value. It's a rusted tub of sheet metal.
 
Well, it's not an all or nothing thing, maybe. I get the sentimental attachment. But if the lid is fine, maybe order a new lower section and reuse the lid?
 
#3. If you really care, do #3 first then #2 at your convenience.

30yrs ago those kettles were made of a slightly heavier gauge steel and lasted a lot longer than the current versions. I think they made the change around 15-20yrs ago.

As long as there are no holes rusted through, no need for #4.
 
The riveting tool runs about $5 at Harbor Freight. Maybe another $5 to buy a pack of rivets. I have used mine for riveting new convertible car tops, fixing a kneeboard (aviation reference) and various other things over the years.
 
Be a real American. Throw it out and buy a new one........:lol::lol::lol:

Or buy a new pellet grill. I just used my new pellet grill last weekend. I'll never go back to charcoal.

I would go with #3.
 
In place of rivet, just go to your coffee can full of old nuts n bolts, find a small one and use in place of rivet w red Loctite. Rivets much overrated (says the Grumman pilot)
 
This was my granpa's axe. I've replaced the handle three times and the head just once but it was grandpa's.

Now you know what to do.
 
John221us said:
The riveting tool runs about $5 at Harbor Freight. Maybe another $5 to buy a pack of rivets. I have used mine for riveting new convertible car tops, fixing a kneeboard (aviation reference) and various other things over the years.
Click to expand...
Pop-rivets are great for fixing $5 walmart special sandals...
 
I'd use a SS bolt downward and a SS wingnut on the bottom.

If that fails, then do it again, or maybe use your double nut idea, but I think a wing nut would be easier.
 
Convert it into a smoker.

Weber builds good stuff.
 
John221us said:
The riveting tool runs about $5 at Harbor Freight. Maybe another $5 to buy a pack of rivets. I have used mine for riveting new convertible car tops, fixing a kneeboard (aviation reference) and various other things over the years.
Click to expand...
Is the HF tool for pop rivets? The existing one seems to be a solid head steel rivet, maybe 1/2" across the head. I wonder how a hollow aluminum rivet would do in the heat of a kettle grill.

wsuffa said:
Convert it into a smoker.

Weber builds good stuff.
Click to expand...

Actually, the vent fell off when I was grill/smoking a tri-tip. I've also been toying with getting a Slow n' Sear or a Smokenator for it.
 
I'd go for the bolt approach, personally.
 
asicer said:
Is the HF tool for pop rivets? The existing one seems to be a solid head steel rivet, maybe 1/2" across the head. I wonder how a hollow aluminum rivet would do in the heat of a kettle grill.

Actually, the vent fell off when I was grill/smoking a tri-tip. I've also been toying with getting a Slow n' Sear or a Smokenator for it.
Click to expand...

Use a washer with the rivet. The rivet is the way to go, other wise you will always be tightening/replacing the nuts as they come loose. Aluminum is fine. I cook with aluminum foil all the time.
 
The new Weber kettle charcoal grills are very nice. My company gave me one earlier this year for my 10 year service award and I love it.
 
If you actually use it, number 3. If not let it be. Like Matthew says they don't make them like they used to. But if the wood handle finally rots off you might want to get a new one.

I agree the kids aren't likely to want it. The younger generations are steeped in the cheap, disposable, replace-frequently, made-in-China way of life, they don't know any better and wouldn't understand quality if it bit them in the butt.

My husband and I: "Do you want this solid wood handmade twin bed made by your great grandfather?"
Our kid: "No I want to buy particleboard [cr@p] furniture from Ikea!"

True story.
 
Rushie said:
If you actually use it, number 3. If not let it be. Like Matthew says they don't make them like they used to. But if the wood handle finally rots off you might want to get a new one.

I agree the kids aren't likely to want it. The younger generations are steeped in the cheap, disposable, replace-frequently, made-in-China way of life, they don't know any better and wouldn't understand quality if it bit them in the butt.

My husband and I: "Do you want this solid wood handmade twin bed made by your great grandfather?"
Our kid: "No I want to buy particleboard [cr@p] furniture from Ikea!"

True story.
Click to expand...
When I was in college we went for the cheap, made in China, Hibachi grills - the ones that were like $5.99 at K-mart. As we've gotten older and had a bit more income, we went to the DuCanes, Webers, and so-forth of the world. Sorta depends on the use - for one-time use something of Harbor Fright quality will work, for lots of use we go with very good quality. Between our grill and smoker (both Weber) we grill or smoke food probably 80% of the time when we don't go out.
 
Rushie said:
If you actually use it, number 3. If not let it be. Like Matthew says they don't make them like they used to. But if the wood handle finally rots off you might want to get a new one.
Click to expand...

I like the OneTouch versions, and the kind with the good ash catchers are really nice.


If it's really old school, it will predate even the wood handles.

One of our BBQ team guys has one of these, in black:

rons-vintage-weber-grill.jpg

search
 
John221us said:
The riveting tool runs about $5 at Harbor Freight. Maybe another $5 to buy a pack of rivets. I have used mine for riveting new convertible car tops, fixing a kneeboard (aviation reference) and various other things over the years.
Click to expand...
I bought the $5 riveting tool at HF recently and it came with a variety of rivets included. Yay.

If you care for the sentimental value, I recommend to rivet it, as you can already detect from my post. Very easy to do, no need to empty the ashes, just stick the door on, push the rivet in, squeeze the gun (once or twice) until it breaks off the stem and you're done. :)
 
wsuffa said:
When I was in college we went for the cheap, made in China, Hibachi grills - the ones that were like $5.99 at K-mart. As we've gotten older and had a bit more income, we went to the DuCanes, Webers, and so-forth of the world. Sorta depends on the use - for one-time use something of Harbor Fright quality will work, for lots of use we go with very good quality. Between our grill and smoker (both Weber) we grill or smoke food probably 80% of the time when we don't go out.
Click to expand...

In college we ate Rice'a'Roni made on an illegal hot plate in our dorm room. Anything grilled would have been nice. Of course I'm so old I predate trade with China.
 
Before you buy the rivet tool and make the vent new, power wash it and paint it with fireplace paint.
 
Rushie said:
In college we ate Rice'a'Roni made on an illegal hot plate in our dorm room. Anything grilled would have been nice. Of course I'm so old I predate trade with China.
Click to expand...
To go along with the hot plate, we had the electric popcorn popper that would heat just about anything.

bf518cf1ac2ea589176742001a427cda--popcorn-grandparents.jpg
 
cgrab said:
Before you buy the rivet tool and make the vent new, power wash it and paint it with fireplace paint.
Click to expand...
That's not how "redneck repairs" are done... of course, in that perspective, stuffing tinfoil in the hole is the right approach.
 
Vents fell off mine too, it works fine without them but the downside is you can't close them to put the fire out and re-use the charcoal.
 
Rushie said:
In college we ate Rice'a'Roni made on an illegal hot plate in our dorm room. Anything grilled would have been nice. Of course I'm so old I predate trade with China.
Click to expand...
First year I lived in a dorm. The old popcorn poppers worked fine.

Other years I lived in an apartment off-campus & had a car. The Hibachi worked OK for that. It also worked for day trips up to the mountains.
 
Rushie said:
But if the wood handle finally rots off you might want to get a new one.
Click to expand...

It already did last year. A few minutes with Google and I was able to locate. a modern plastic one at an Ace Hardware store 30 minutes away.

The younger generations are steeped in the cheap, disposable, replace-frequently, made-in-China way of life, they don't know any better and wouldn't understand quality if it bit them in the butt.
Click to expand...

I fit that description but I think I am slowly coming around.

cowman said:
Vents fell off mine too, it works fine without them but the downside is you can't close them to put the fire out and re-use the charcoal.
Click to expand...

For grilling and searing, I agree. However there are times I need to control the smoke.
 
John221us said:
Use a washer with the rivet. The rivet is the way to go, other wise you will always be tightening/replacing the nuts as they come loose. Aluminum is fine. I cook with aluminum foil all the time.
Click to expand...
Like I said: RED Loctite.
High enough tech
 
My Weber is new enough that it has the three bladed internal vent, with the outside lever (leever?) I replaced the blades a couple years ago, but now they need to be replaced again, and the last replacement set is so rusted together I don't know how I will get it off without doing a major bulk grind job or perhaps a cutting torch.

The riveted outside vent is FAR better. Way much better.
 
Sac Arrow said:
My Weber is new enough that it has the three bladed internal vent, with the outside lever (leever?) I replaced the blades a couple years ago, but now they need to be replaced again, and the last replacement set is so rusted together I don't know how I will get it off without doing a major bulk grind job or perhaps a cutting torch.

The riveted outside vent is FAR better. Way much better.
Click to expand...

The sweeper you have (OneTouch), is my preferred over the three-vent models. Easier to clean out the ash, but really gets corroded.

Get a replacement kit either online or locally. Turn the kettle over, try to unscrew the thumb screw holding the sweeper together. It will probably break off. You'll have to drill out what's left of the screw. Grab the sweeper handle with pliers or ViseGrips or similar and work it around until it pulls out. The rest of the mechanism will come apart easily enough after that. The new blades do go on in a particular order, so pay attention to the instructions. Yes, I've done this before.
 
Dude, you have an excuse to buy new tools. Always buy new tools if you have an excuse. When the red box if full, you'll have an excuse to buy a bigger box. Soon you'll have enough tools to start building an RV8.

They may not ultimately want the Webber, but they will want the RV8

#2 is the only way...for the children....
 
Rushie said:
In college we ate Rice'a'Roni made on an illegal hot plate in our dorm room. Anything grilled would have been nice. Of course I'm so old I predate trade with China.
Click to expand...

Damn, you are old. US trade with China started in 1784.
 
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