Is this a WSM? Need answers fast!

[dward51]

Not sure how badly bent the vents are, but if it's stuck they probably have some smoking grease on them that has set up.  I went out to look at my top vent date stamp last night when I let the dog out for her last chipmunk patrol of the yard and noticed my top vent is stuck.  Well duh, I think I've only closed it one time since 2005 and that was to quench a grease fire (don't ask - my bad).   I suspect that if it was heated up the grease/gunk would be loose enough to slide the vent, and suspect the same would true of yours as well.  So before you do the drill and replace thing, you might try some heat or even a little WD40 to soak in overnight.

Your call as we have not seen the vents and you have.

 

[fpnmf]

>>>[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]  a little WD40 to soak in overnight.[/color]

[color= rgb(24, 24, 24)]wd40 is 99% kerosene..use PB Blaster..works great!![/color]

 

[dward51]

Yep, good stuff too. 

I just kind of hate to see an old WSM (especially if it's a very old no date stamp model) be modified if the original parts can be salvaged and bent back into alignment.

 

[dml85]

I'll give it a shot to loosen up the dampers.  A couple were bent pretty bad, but if I can just bend them back and still get good seals when closing then I'll just stick with them.  I put some PB Blaster on the dampers the first night but didn't put much on, so I make go a little heavy and just let it sit. 

 

[linguica]

When the dampers on my Weber locked up, I drilled out the rivets, wire brushed the metal and replaced it with small nut and bolt secured with a jam nut.

 

[dml85]

That's what I was thinking to do.  I'll see if i can make the originals work, if not i'll replace them.  I bought another set, only $6. 

 

[JckDanls 07]

try a torch just to heat em up a little and see if they will break loose...

 

[linguica]

try a torch just to heat em up a little and see if they will break loose...

With care..........aluminum melts at 1221 deg F

 

[JckDanls 07]

With care..........aluminum melts at 1221 deg F

Yea.. I only meant a butane (map) torch.. not oxy-acetylene

 

[linguica]

Yea.. I only meant a butane (map) torch.. not oxy-acetylene

A propane torch is a tool for burning the flammable gas propane (C[sub]3[/sub]H[sub]8[/sub]). The maximum adiabatic flame temperature a propane torch can achieve with air is 2,268 kelvins (1,995 °C/3,623 °F). Some propane torches are also used with a tank of pure oxygen to achieve a flame temperature nearing 3,095 kelvins (2,820 °C/5,110 °F).

The maximum adiabatic flame temperature of butane with air is 2,243 K (1,970 °C; 3,578 °F).

Work heat transfer temperature will be sustainably lower but still above 1200 deg F.

  A lot of fancy words, yes. A few years ago I was using a mapp tourch on a piece of aluminum. One moment it's on my bike, the next it's a puddle on mt shoe. It melted really fast.