Dollar Bill test: 70% pass 30% Fail... Suggestions

allsid · August 2012

I am not mechanical, but I am logical. I understand how things work, while not the best at fixing things. That is why I am so frustrated with the hinge mechanism on my large. I just don't understand all the idiosyncrasies.

I replaced my gasket last week and have cooked on it twice. Turned out decent, but I am failing the dollar bill test from about 10 o'clock to 2 o' clock assuming the hinge is noon. The rest of the egg is tighter than a frogs behind.

It's not like I can see light or anything where it seems loose, but compared to the passing parts of the dollar bill test its pretty leaky.

Any suggestions for how I can get the remaining area to pass the dollar bill test?

Many thanks- P

OLD NORTH STATE BBQ CO. · August 2012

The Dollar bill test is overrated. Are you having difficulty holding a temperture? If not, just go with it. If you're that bothered by it, get a Rutland Gasket. That will solve your problem.

bettysnephew · August 2012

I have an XL, but what I did to get the best seal was to close the lid, Loosen the cinch bolt on the back and then push down on the lid and tighten the bolt again while keeping the pressure on the lid. You may need an assistant to help depending on access to your Egg. It worked for me by climbing on the table and laying across the Egg. I may have also lifted the band in the area by the hinge a little, but I don't remember.

tazcrash · August 2012

+1 on bettysnephew technique.
Loosen bolt, push down on dome ( even open and close.... carefully) , then tighten.

Skiddymarker · August 2012

tazcrash said:

+1 on bettysnephew technique. Loosen bolt, push down on dome ( even open and close.... carefully) , then tighten.

+2 - on bettysnephew technique. If you want a seal all around, the dome must change position with respect to the band. There is very little if anything you can do with the hinge, but the dome/band relationship is adjustable. If you open and close with a loose band - be very, very careful as the dome can shift when you least expect it.

tjv · August 2012

I would not worry about it unless you can't control temps on low and slow cooks. If it leaks at the felt you'll automatically adjust at the lower slider or upper daisy......I typically change the gasket to do something different on the egg.

t

gdenby · August 2012

Assuming you have checked and adjusted the bolt that clamps the dome band, check the nuts that hold the band to the dome. One of my Eggs had a gap where you describe. What I eventually found was that the 4 nuts were all at least a half turn loose.

This happened to me after I left the dome open for a couple of hours after a cleaning session. When I closed the dome, I heard a spring make a slight "boing" sound. I spent weeks messing w. the spring tightness, and other hinge bolts.

My recollection is that I loosened the band, tightened the nuts securing it to the dome, then re-tightened the bolt. No problems since.

allsid · August 2012

Thanks for all the ideas.

I guess I just need to remind myself to chill out, it's just not worth being too hung up on-

Hillbilly-Hightech · August 2012

We can all give you information, but if you're like me, it's cool to actually "see" what someone is talking about. This guy has, in my opinion, the best video out there in terms of band & hinge adjustments - and the funny thing is, he doesn't even speak a word of English - just goes to show that sometimes, the language of BBQ is universal (I know, cheesy) hehe :D

mountaindewbass · August 2012

Yeahm. Mthe lid alignment is mostly for the look of the egg... It has not changed the function. If you cant hold temps then you will want to fix it.. But im assuming you can hold the temp

twlangan · September 2012

I replaced my felt gasket with a Rutland on the bottom rim - nothing on the dome. I tried the dollar bill trick and got much the same result as you. Like yourself, I cannot observe any visual gaps anywhere around - but a dollar bill does slip out much easier from 10-2. I have experienced no troubles holding temps, no smoke leakage, and it shuts down just fine. The way I am looking at it - if smoke won't escape, air won't enter. I have put it out of my mind.

One thing I have not gotten around to trying, but would like to just for curiosity's sake, is putting a light inside when it is dark outside to see if I can see any light around the gasket.

allsid · September 2012

@twlangan is a rutland bottom and nothing or who cares on the top a proven method? I am a big subscriber to one and done and dont want to be replacing gaskets over and over. My new one (3 cooks now) is chard on the inside rim despite me making sure it did not overlap on the coal side of the domes.

twlangan · September 2012

As far as I can tell, putting the Rutland on the bottom rim and nothing on the dome is the way people are doing it. The Rutland is a thick gasket and takes up about the same space as both stock felt gaskets. Been using mine for a couple of months now, doing pizzas at about 600 deg each week and the gasket still looks like the day I applied it. I've been very happy with it.

makis · September 2012

After my second Trex steak cooking I am gasket-less and the dome has some minor gap with the bottom.

I cooked three butts and two stuffed chickens starting 10pm Saturday and finished 2pm today @230*F and no problem regulating or maintaining heat, just smaller adjustments on the DW.

So relax and keep on cooking...

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Dollar Bill test: 70% pass 30% Fail... Suggestions

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