Please help fixing Weber Kettle bottom vent.

[jjdbike]

Hello,

I need to replace the bottom vent on my 22" Weber charcoal kettle. The vent blades are bent / warn out. The nut holding it in & together is worn & corroded. I scarped as clean as I could, doused it in WD40, let sit for an hour and cleaned as well as I could. The top part inside the grill is worn almost flat. I can not get a wrench or tool on it. The bottom nut is totally rated and frozen. I can not pull out the handle that opens and closed the vent. I can't budge anything. I do not know how it's assembled or held together. I think I might be approaching it wrong.

I have a replacement kit which I believe is built and assembled completely differently than the one that's currently on it.

Please see pics below. Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

JD

 

[jjdbike]

Yet again, it will not allow me to insert - upload jpegs from my file.
I've emailed admins about this problem a couple times.
JD

 

[Zak]

From what i recall when i replaced the vent on mine was Weber changed the design a little so it is a little different. Yours has a wing nut on the bottom and of course gets covered in gunk over the years. Try heating it up with a torch and see if that helps any. Worse case, cut it off.

 

[Shadowdog500]

The photos would help. I gave up on posting images directly to forums a long time ago.

Set up a free account at https://postimages.org/ and upload them there. After that you get a direct link for your photo that you can easily add to your posts.

The one thing I will add is to upload the photos at 640x480 so they are the proper size for message boards.

I also wish this forum had a test section where to give people a place to post attempts while they figure stuff like this out.

 

[jgame]

I used a 4" grinder to get mine off.

 

[jjdbike]

Thanks!
Jim D

 

[Drunk Monkey]

Hit it with a torch then a jet of compressed air then give it a good pull.

 

[brimclau]

+ 1 for the angle grinder (or a dremel with cutting disc worst case). that is what I ended up having to do...

 

[Fsonicsmith]

On the newer Webers the bottom "fan" vent is junk. It begins to deform and bind in no time. I used thick leather gloves and twisted each blade until it broke off and see no need to replace it. I suppose if you are trying to go very low and slow you need it but I have an XL BGE and a Shirley for when I need precision smoking.

 

[Smoking Piney]

On the newer Webers the bottom "fan" vent is junk. It begins to deform and bind in no time. I used thick leather gloves and twisted each blade until it broke off and see no need to replace it. I suppose if you are trying to go very low and slow you need it but I have an XL BGE and a Shirley for when I need precision smoking.

Same here. My ash sweeper corroded to pieces years ago. I just pulled it off and I run without one. I have a BGE and an Assassin for low and slow.

 

[GammaRei]

I had this problem as well with my 26" kettle. In the end I did not need any of power tools to remove the assembly. I needed to flip the q over and messed with the lever that allows us to clear out the ash. I was able to twist it and release the lever which holds it all together. It was a pain in the ass and took me a day to figure it out.

- G

 

[Lomey]

Another vote for the grinder. Takes it off in no time.

 

[ttkt57]

Eager to advise as soon as I see pics.

 

[GammaRei]

The photos would help. I gave up on posting images directly to forums a long time ago.

Set up a free account at https://postimages.org/ and upload them there. After that you get a direct link for your photo that you can easily add to your posts.

The one thing I will add is to upload the photos at 640x480 so they are the proper size for message boards.

I also wish this forum had a test section where to give people a place to post attempts while they figure stuff like this out.

I use Imgur. Its free, you can make your photos public or private, it provides the links and does the resizing for you if needed. There is an app for your phone and you can access it easily via computer.

Also, I don't think that a power tool is needed at all for this.

- G

 

[kls44]

Turn it upsidedown, put a few drops of Kroil on the offending area. It should loosen up after a couple hours. If Kroil don't do it then break out the grinder.