REPLACING MY FELT GASKET FO RTHE FIRST TIME....

JKL

Just made a grand mistake after having the EGG for 6 years. I left the top vent OFF and the bottom vent wide open. Then went into the house to prep my food - only to come out to my EGG at approx 1100°-1200°F. So freakin mad at myself. Smoked the felt right to near char.....mostly at the back of the egg.

Now I have to replace my felt gasket and having nightmares.
I have watched a few YOU TUBE video`s as well as the one on www.biggreenegg.com and they all are using ACETONE to remove the old gasket, glue & grease.
I understand the principle of why all that need to be removed, my biggest concern is the Acetone tainting my egg when i continue to cook on it after the fact. As the acetone is bound to get all over the ceramic inside portion - even the videos show it slopping all down the inside....YIKES

Any thoughts concerns  or ideas on how to do this should be down - Any little tricks to ideas how to do it right the first time.
Let me know Please.
This forum has never let me down before......

Cheers to the EGGHEADS

Skiddymarker

You will get lots of great thoughts - 6 years with a felt gasket must be a record, assume pizza and TREX is not in your vocabulary. 

Acetone is not an issue given that it will evaporate pretty quickly. More of an issue to you inhaling the fumes. I used a small paint brush and worked in sections to take off the old gasket when it was warm - worked like a charm. 

You have lots of choices to replace - some only being installed on either the dome or base with most using just the base. You have to clean the dome, but that's it. 

BGE gasket - high heat. much better than your old felt - but still not the long term answer for most - but if you got 6 years, the Nomex BGE gasket will give you another 10 years. 

High-Que Kevlar Nomex is self stick, like the BGE, and lasts for a long time. I have the pre kevlar version and it has been on my MBGE for 3 years. I have a Cotronics (base only) ready to go on if and when it finally fails. Pizza is a twice a month cook at my house. 

Many use a Rutland wood stove gasket, goes on just the base and required a separate cement to attach it, if you are a DIY kinda guy, easy task. 

Given the six years with a felt - a standard Nomex installs in 15 minutes and might do you just fine and it is food safe. The Jury is still out on that with Cotronics and Rutland, although many eggers use them. 

SGH

This will take it off in mere minutes. No acetone required. It will take it down to shiny white without harming the ceramics. You can't beat it. It's a 3M paint stripper. You can get it at any Walmart for about 4 dollars. Don't use the acetone. It's a waste of both time and money. This is the ticket. Trust me.

TTUEgghead

You already have some great input from a few people who are more knowledgeable than myself, but I can tell you from having replaced the gasket twice in about 4.5 years, it's not as difficult as you imagine once you get started.  I'd have zero concerns about the acetone, it will evaporate away as already mentioned.  It's an easier project than you may imagine it to be once you get started.  I was intimidated too before I started.  

lkapigian

I love my rutland . Did a clean burn first. No acetone no major scraping , pulled the guts , scraped, replaced . Thanks @ RRP

bdsdnfam

I've had my XL for two years and two gaskets later it's a simple project to replace.  The first time I did it the hard way and took the top out of the next.  Dumb and unnecessary.  The second time I replaced it without separating.  Advice....Use the acetone.  It doesn't absorb so it doesn't harm the egg.

jhl192

Contact @RRP. He will hook you up!

yellowdogbbq

I used the 3M paint stripper like @SGH did and it worked great, no need for acetone but there's more than one way to skin a cat.

loveTheEgg

Contact @RRP. He will hook you up!

Skiddymarker

@SGH, well I normally would agree with you, but not this time. I have to say that IMHO. acetone is not a waste of money, many households have it on hand - nothing to buy, including supporting Wally World. You can even use a cheap dollar store acetone based nail polish remover. If I understood it correctly, the OP's gasket is an original and the gasket adhesive used by BGE and High-Que seems to be made to be removed with acetone (well at least in my experience). They strip off very easily. Once the warmed gasket is scraped off (putty knife or razor scraper) or in some cases simply pulled off. a little acetone and a rub with a shop cloth or old linen tea towel and you are done. The acetone also prepares the ceramic to accept the new self adhesive gasket if thats the way you want to go. Once dry, the acetone clean surface will not impair the use of a another gasket material and adhesive, if that's the chosen solution. 

Now if you have tried to "fix" your gasket with Ultra Copper or 3M77, then you probably need a paint stripper and some method to spin it like the drill mounted one you suggest. If you are taking it down to shiny white ceramic, you may be grinding some of the very soft ceramic away - most likely not enough to do any harm, but still removing some of the ceramic. 

I stand by my recommendation, removal of an OEM gasket and preparation of the surface for a new gasket can be handled very quickly, easily and inexpensively using acetone as suggested by many of the felt gasket suppliers.  

ChokeOnSmoke

Yup, the paint stripper works great, no need for chemicals.

Put on a Rutland adhered with Permatex Ultra Copper. (less than a $20 solution and will last forever).

RRP

There are non-believers and then there are believers. My 10 year old Rutland backs up the believers, but then I really don't know how long it will really last! At my age I may need one of you believers to read my obit and come over and rip it off my BGE after I pass away and then post about it! Thanks in advance! hehehe

ChokeOnSmoke

Believer!! >-

SGH

@RRP‌
I'm a true believer brother. There is a Rutland on every smoker I own except the mini. And it should arrive tomorrow!! Again thanks for all of your help and for hooking me up with the undisputed and unchallenged king of gaskets. The Rutland!!!!

Skiddymarker

@RRP - no doubt that could happen. A Rutland Grapho-Glas is coasting doing duty on an egg. my wood stove gasket is exposed to heat similar to a runaway egg for hours, the current one on my Regency !S1100 is at least 10 years old. I don't think anyone doubts the Rutland will outlive the egger. 

The question has always been, do you want to use one? 

ckillian

What is this gasket you speak of?

bcsnave

yellowdogbbq said:

I used the 3M paint stripper like @SGH did and it worked great, no need for acetone but there's more than one way to skin a cat.

Yellow dog....why you so mean to cats?

bcsnave

ckillian said:

What is this gasket you speak of?

It is a gasket from a far away land ...they call...... illi-noise

ckillian

Oh, now I remember. Mine had one once. Not for the last three years, though.

Haven't missed it.

bcsnave

oh wise grasshopper,,,,you no cook with gasket?

 

Skiddymarker

@ChokeOnSmoke - understand using a glass Rutland is one of the lowest cost options available, so is Cotronics ceramic. Neither the Rutland nor the Cotronics are food safe approved, personally I have more faith in ceramic. 

I would not let a little acetone concern me if I was using graphite impregnated fibre glass declared by it manufacturer to not be tested as safe around food and then stuck on with the keytone laced Permatex. Lots of experience with Permatex copper - best gasket maker around, follow the instructions carefully. 

lkapigian

@RRP I am a believer - I abuse my egg.....something about Patron I am sure- Still looks brand new- When I replaced mine, I used no acetone, just did a raging clean burn and it scraped right off

NPHuskerFL

+1 Rutland. & Believer

ChokeOnSmoke

@Skiddymarker - I respect your decision not to use a Rutland.  Everyone needs to do their own research and then make a decision they feel comfortable with.  My comment on acetone was more geared toward meaning it was unnecessary to use acetone (paint stripper much easier), more than I don't want chemicals soaking into the ceramic.  I'm glad we all have different ways of doing things or this forum would be mighty boring.  Cook on my friend!!

Zmokin

So does anyone use a rutland on both the base & the dome?

RRP

Zmokin said:

So does anyone use a rutland on both the base & the dome?

No need to when applied properly! But why would I have an opinion? LOL

Zmokin

RRP said:

Zmokin said:

So does anyone use a rutland on both the base & the dome?

No need to when applied properly! But why would I have an opinion? LOL

my concern is having soft squishy stuff on both sides of my probe wires when the dome is closed

RRP

Suit yourself, but I have yet to fry any of my BBQ Guru cables in 12 years and those are like $45 replacements. Even with the cheaper $6 type cable probes the only ones I have fried were not from the gasket level but from my letting the BGE get over 396 degrees! Yup I said 396 degrees which is where most cables get fried.

Zmokin

Well, I'm not worried about the temp on my cables as I rarely take my egg over 350, it's the hard surface putting a crimp I want to avoid, hence my preference to have the cable be sandwiched by two sides of soft & squishy.

RRP

Zmokin said:

Well, I'm not worried about the temp on my cables as I rarely take my egg over 350, it's the hard surface putting a crimp I want to avoid, hence my preference to have the cable be sandwiched by two sides of soft & squishy.

that's fine! If you love the world of egging under 350 degrees then that obviously is your safety zone and so be it! Trust me, there is another side here that likes steaks seared at say 700 and pizzas baked at 500 and so MANY other higher temperatures that a BGE is fully capable of! Your ceramic egg is NOT a wimpy device.

Skiddymarker

Zmokin said:

Well, I'm not worried about the temp on my cables as I rarely take my egg over 350, it's the hard surface putting a crimp I want to avoid, hence my preference to have the cable be sandwiched by two sides of soft & squishy.

If you are worried about your cables, and that's a reasonable concern, you need a thinner gasket - something in the 1/8" or 1/16" range. Cotronics ceramic would fit the bill. The Rutland is made to be compressed with a locking door as on a wood stove. They work, as would any glass or ceramic tape gasket.