Trouble with Guru Adaptor Door on the Large Egg

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

I have an older Large Egg and when I added a new fire screen under the bottom vent cover, I had to pry the vent sliding channels out with a slot screwdriver, top and bottom, because the fit was too tight. Finally got it to work.

Last night I used the Guru adaptor on the vent to do my first overnight pork butt (I've always done them in the daytime) and at midnight in limited illumination I had the devil of a time closing off the adaptor with the vent door. I finally used the heat tape that Chubby gave Mickey who sent some to me, covered the open slot, and the butt was done late this morning.

I just went out there with a hammer and wide slot screwdriver to see what it would take to get the vent door closed. It took a lot! I pried out the sliding channels some more, banged into the right side of the adaptor (which knocks the sliding clip out of place...) with the slot and the hammer, and eventually got it closed.

I could never have done this at midnight! I just stuck in the kill plug and decided to ask you guys if there's any way way to slightly curve in the steel on the right side of the adaptor. I don't have a lot of hand strength and is that something a machine or other kind of shop could do without ruining it? Or some way I could do it at home?

This is as far as the door goes without beating it to death:

This as far as it would go just prying out the channels:

After a lot more prying got the door to catch up to the screen:

Finally got it to close after a lot of hammer and screwdriver work:

This is how I'm leaving it until I know what to do about the unbendable steel:

My tools:

I can get the clip up in the groove, it just falls when I bang on anything. Any advice gratefully accepted.

lowercasebill · April 2011

i am impressed with your skills.. i do not have an answer but i sent a link to your post to bbqbob at guru,, i will follow up tomorrow to make sure he got it. i suspect they were in maryland competeing this weekend and will be swamped when they get in tomorrow ,, they are very good at follow up..

Little Steven · April 2011

Judy,

Just slide the top clip pf the guru adapter to the right. There is solid stuff on the left.

Steve

Fidel · April 2011

Why not just slide the screen out when you're using the guru adapter, then put the screen back in when you're not? No reason for the screen to remain in there when using the guru.

It should just easily slide out to the right, then you can just thread it back into the grooves when you need it.

egret · April 2011

It's a little tricky with an older egg. I have an older large myself. For one thing that clip should be in the upper groove and more centered on the adapter. You used the right tools for this, just be sure you get it opened up so it's a little snug and not too loose else the guru adapter has a tendency to fall out when you put the fan assembly on.

egret · April 2011

Not quite so easy when it;'s sitting in the nest..... :blink:

Rusty Rooster · April 2011

Just cover the leftover gaps with aluminum furnace tape. Goes on real easy, seals the gaps and is easily removed when you take the adptor aou. That is how I was shown to do it years ago and it has always worked.

Slotmercenary · April 2011

Greetings,
I also have a couple of older eggs and you will find that after you do several cooks the stainless plate will naturally adopt the "curve" I can slip my doors and the screens completely over like in your last pic very easily. I seldomely take the adapter out of the one egg, because I use it alot and I have two other eggs to use for different temps. Don't worry things will work out.

Grandpas Grub · April 2011

Judy be careful with that screen and the guru adapter. Don't force things too hard, I learned the hard way. The guru adapter ended up pushing/tearing some of the screen away from the screen slider frame. The hole is now about the size of a quarter.

Look at the opening in the upper right picture, top part of screen.

Kent

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

Bill, thanks for going one step further for me. I really appreciate you, and not just for the scalloped potatoes from heaven!

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

OK, I can do that. What a pain using that screen has turned out to be! Thanks.

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

I did either get the cover off or pull it far enough to the right to insert the screen. It is not easy work and I'm not going to go through that on a regular basis. The nest covers up the left side of the vent, so I couldn't unscrew it there if I wanted to get a whole new vent assembly. But thanks for your thoughts.

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

John:

Thanks, I have seen that the clip can slide down, so I went tap-tap, torque-torque and it's just right. When the Guru goes on, I can position the clip back up with my fingernail and it stays. It's a ballet between the clip and the adaptor as far as staying in position. I really don't like having to be so on top of it. Thanks for the input.

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

Thanks for the tip...I made a note for my next Home Depot run. But I hate to resign myself to something this simple not working right!

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

I've had the Guru for about 7 years and through countless cooks, and the adaptor has NEVER conformed. The trouble started when I put the screen in. Thanks for your response.

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

Kent, that's an awful big tear. I have to say, until I put the screens in the Large and Small about 3 months ago, I never has a glowing coal or ash tumble out of the vent opening. I know others have had a fire start, or have the Egg sitting on a wood deck like RRP, but it just has never happened and moreover the Eggs are on concrete.

But now that I've jimmied the vent grooves, I'm not about to remove them and have the covers all wobbly. And I can't install a new vent assembly because of the nest. The best I can do is use furnace tape like Rusty Rooster suggested if the door won't close next time.

Little Steven · April 2011

Hey Judy,

Remember to shut the damper down to about a quarter or you will get draught when the fan is off.

Steve

fiercetimbo17 · April 2011

My adapter also tore up my screen, I found it works best for me when I open the doors all the way insert the adapter as it slides easily behind the doorscat this point and then close the doors until the seal I tight.

Judy Mayberry · April 2011

I went outside and aligned the clip all the way to the right and made all the parts straight (when you touch one thing the others get tilted). You mean on the Guru just the quarter mark at the top that is visible should show, right?

Grandpas Grub · April 2011

I have found that by pushing the guru adapter in when closing the door works. I have the same problem with replacing the screen slider due to the large being int he nest.

Kent

GeorgiaBorn · April 2011

I'm with Fidel. I remove my screen when using the DigiQ. As a matter of fact, I don't use my screen anymore.

Bjorg · December 2012

I confirm that sliding the draft door and screen to the right, setting the guru there and sliding the whole assembly to the left works great.

ttexxan · December 2012

One thing i noticed from org pic you need to have the slide on the guru higher. Mine is new as well and tough to shut. The metal on guru is bendable. Slide guru all the way to the left under the tab. Make sure top piece on guru slides up under lip. When sliding BGE screen and vent closed be sure to really push on the guru right side. This should get easier

Deckhand · December 2012

Bend the adapter plate slightly so that the curve matches the curve of the track. I put mine on the edge of a sturdy worktable with 1/4" of the adaptor in the air and tapped it with a hammer until it had a SLIGHT bend in it... Stuck it out another 1/4" and repeated the process... Turned the adaptor around and did it on the other side. The adapter plate is now SLIGHTLY more curved than the track but when I apply pressure to the "pipe" portion, the plate flattens enough to slide under the screen.

Still a little smoke escapes from the left side of the vent when the fan is blowing.

FlashkaBob · December 2012

The BBQ Guru is bendable. I had the same problem as you. My solution was to take the plate and put it in a vise. No need to clamp excessively. First remove the slider bar. Using only your fingers, bend the plate very slightly away from the fan holder. It doesn't take much.Move the whole thing up a little and do it again. Flip the Guru plate over and do the other side. You can also do this with the slider bar but be careful not to crush it flat in the vise. Mine now matches the curvature of the egg and fits perfectly behind the screen and damper doors.

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Trouble with Guru Adaptor Door on the Large Egg

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