Weber 22.5 bullet and Maverick 732

[banjo picker]

I'd like to hear from anyone who is currently using both of these items and has set up the probes under the rim of the kettle top.

No crimping and no water is supposed to keep the thing working.

Problem to solve is how to prevent the cable from crimping.

I'm thinking of nomex mounted on the lower rim and leaving a a gap for the cables to go through with nothing touching them.  This would solve the problem of a rim crimping the cable and limit the smoke loss to a negligible amount.

Your thoughts or solutions that you have used.

I'm not going to drill any holes!

Banjo Picker

 

[JckDanls 07]

I took my cut off tool in the die grinder (probably could use a hack saw) and cut a notch about a 1/4" wide in the edge of the cover where it sits on the base...cut the two slits and then use pliers to bend back and forth and break the tab off...only go deep enough to where the notch is only above the base about an 1/8"... then just let your wires run out threw the notch....ask Q if you don't understand...

"edited".. I misread your post... thought you said "KETTLE"... but I would think you could do it on the bullet as well... will just put your transmitter towards the top of the bullet tho... Or you could order the longer (6') probes from Todd If you want the transmitter to sit on the table or ground...

 

[banjo picker]

Tnx Jack,

I'm trying to eliminate cutting or drilling the porceline.

I'd thought of doing what you suggest but decided to hold up untill I ran this up the pole and see what other suggestions come in.

Banjo Picker
 

 

[JckDanls 07]

Disregard everything I said then... I was not aware that the lid to the smoker is porceline... I thought it was metal like the lid on the Kettle...

 

[hkeiner]

I'm trying to eliminate cutting or drilling the porceline.

Seems your only other viable choice is to run the wires through the vent opening on the lid. It will be kind of a pain when you want to remove the lid, but at least you would not need to do any cutting/drilling.  A lot of us run the wires through the vent on the MES instead of running them between the door and the box. 

 

[fpnmf]

Before I drilled the holes I just laid the wires on the rim and gently put the cover on.

Never had any crimping issues.

Drilling the holes doesnt hurt it.

Just put some tape on and use a punch to get them started.

 

[dougmays]

Seems your only other viable choice is to run the wires through the vent opening on the lid. It will be kind of a pain when you want to remove the lid, but at least you would not need to do any cutting/drilling.  A lot of us run the wires through the vent on the MES instead of running them between the door and the box. 

As hkeiner said you can run the prob through the top vent hole.

personally in my WSM i prefer to run the prob cable down through the door on the side. it wont crimp or bend the wire and mine fits nice and tight to not allow much smoke to come out.

hope this helps. there is also a mod that alot have done where you drill a hold in the side and put a nice fitting in to make it not look ghetto-rigged

 

[bama bbq]

I cut a small slit with a dremel tool.  There is a gasket kit that might allow the wire to not crimp but I don't have this mod installed so can't say for sure.

Here's what I did:

...and here's a link to the gasket: http://www.bbqgaskets.com/catalog_4.html

 

[banjo picker]

Thanks Guys!

All good suggestions, I particularly liked the one through the door but after looking at the nomex/gasket and adhesive, I will probably go that way.

You would think that the folks at Weber would come up with a notch in the system to accommodate wires from probes.

The bullet is a good smoker and it could use a simple fix for the wires and that is best done when it is made.

Banjo Picker

Thanks again all.