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What happened? Need help ASAP!

I have a Large BGE and have used it religously for the last 4 or 5 years. I have never had any issues from it, using it for everything from low temp smokes to high temp steaks. This past week I decided to try my hand at pizza making. I run the grill up to about 600-650 temp and cooked a couple pizzas on 5/20. I started noticing my gasket was wearing but it was still holding on and no smoke was escaping the crack so I thought it was fine. Fast forward to Memorial Day weekend. On 5/25 I did a couple hour cook, mostly around 350 degrees. Everything was fine, still no smoke leaking from the crack and everything worked as it should. The next day I had family over and we decided to cook a few pizzas again. After the first pizza I noticed some smoke escaping the seam so I figured that cook would do my gasket in. I cooked the first and second pizza with no issue, but when I went to put the third in my dome slipped out of the band and toppled over the edge of the deck. I'm not sure what would have caused this. I tighten all bolts and bands a couple times a year and have never had an issue with them loosening. The dome appears to be fine, but with small children at the house this grill has now become a liability. I need to figure out how to resolve this immediately so that it doesn't happen again. Thank you for your help.

Comments

  • probe1957
    probe1957 Posts: 222
    Did you tighten the bolts on the band until they bent?
  • The Cen-Tex Smoker
    The Cen-Tex Smoker Posts: 22,951
    edited May 2013
    it's your bands. the several hot pizza cooks you did loosened them up. I've had the same thing happen twice (but my dome didn't fall out). 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • ssramage
    ssramage Posts: 2
    Until the bands bent? No. I tightened them until tight, the grill is 5 years old and they've been tightened the same way every few months for that length of time with no issues until now.
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    edited May 2013
    I'm guessing the couple of pizza cooks caused the band to loosen. Keep a wrench by your egg and make sure everything is tight before you light up for pizzzas? you're lucky the dome survived!

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • scottc454
    scottc454 Posts: 94
    The band will always be looser when hot.  You need to tighten the bolts until the bolts bend - like it says in the freakin' manual!  (sorry, couldn't help that).  If you do that, it will still be tight enough when hot.  

    I've had my egg a couple years and have never had to re-tighten bolts. 


  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Torque wrench is what is required.  Normally people "overtorque" things because they keep yurning until they move the bolt, this is proven to be worse than "not" tightening bolts.  Once it is properly torqued, it should be fine and then rechecked yearly.
  • Wylecyot
    Wylecyot Posts: 203
    Best suggestion is to invest in a torque wrench.  The torque on the carriage bolts is suppose to be 125 inch pounds, or just over 10 foot pounds.  As mentioned above, the bolts will bend.  I check mine regularly, and often need to give a little tightening. 

    Hope this helps!
    Large BGE, Medium BGE, Kamado Joe Jr, 36" Blackstone Griddle Blackstone Tailgater and Roccbox owner/operator from Los Angeles
  • I've had my egg a couple years and have never had to re-tighten bolts. 


    You will................

    I've had mine like 8 years or so and have had them come loose twice. 
    Keepin' It Weird in The ATX FBTX
  • Haws72688
    Haws72688 Posts: 41
    Sorry to hijack this, but does anyone know offhand what size the bolts are?  My toolkit is rather limited right now, but I'd like to grab something to tighten mine up with after reading this!
    Grand Rapids, MI
  • tgkleman
    tgkleman Posts: 216
    There are also some a few youtube videos on tightening the bolts.  As mentioned, the bolts should start to bend.
  • Charlie tuna
    Charlie tuna Posts: 2,191
    Haws72688 said:
    Sorry to hijack this, but does anyone know offhand what size the bolts are?  My toolkit is rather limited right now, but I'd like to grab something to tighten mine up with after reading this!
     
    The nut size is half inch.  This nut is on a carrage bolt which hold tension on the ring.

  • Haws72688
    Haws72688 Posts: 41
    Thanks, definitely stopping for an Egg Wrench on the way home!
    Grand Rapids, MI
  • Mine fell out and busted to smitherines!  Count your lucky stars!!!
  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
    The Egg gods are smiling on you. When my medium dome slipped out onto the nice, soft grass, it went "pop" and Humpty Dumpty'ed on me. The tale is true. All the King's Horses and all the King's men couldn't do anything.  :((