I recently had a custom made T-Pit built. It's an interesting configuration where the fire box is directly under the cook chamber right in the middle....thus the "T" configuration. There are 2 large dampers, one on each side of the fire box and my heat source is 2) 6" low pressure propane burners. It took a bit of time and patience to figure this out but I discovered that the damper settings play a HUGE role in temperature control. Yes, I have a micro fine adjustable needle valve to regulate the flow of propane but did discover a significant issue. If the dampers are too far open you get too much air and even the slightest puff of breeze will add oxygen to the firebox and create a temperature spike. If the dampers are closed too far you don't get enough air for the burners to burn efficiently and temps are all over the charts. I don't know if you have played with the dampers or not but if you haven't I'd recommend it before tossing the unit. Additionally, I have no idea what the cost or quality level of your smoker is but that could be part of the problem. I understand and respect that some folks just can't drop several thousand dollars on a top quality pit. For the love of good Q, if all you someone can afford is a less expensive unit, one of the pitfalls (no pun intended) is that it'll require more attention. Regardless I'd recommend trying virtually everything you can think of, or get advice for here, before giving up. Once you get it dialed in you'll be happy that you spent the time figuring it out. If you have not already done so, you may also want to consider the purchase of a good digital thermometer. You made no mention of what type you're using. the factory therms tend to be junk and extremely inaccurate.....and a good therm is a LOT less expensive than a new pit :)
Hoping to help a little bit,
Robert
