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do I really need to remove the dome to replace the gasket

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laserdoc85
laserdoc85 Posts: 577
in EggHead Forum
On my MBGE do I need to remove the dome to replace th gasket?  My rear hinge does not have springs,not sure if the newer ones do on a medium. I have never removed the lid for 13 years,Nor have I tightened the band bolts or even checked them. If I can get by without pulling the lid then I will. If I have to remove it then how tight do I tighten the bolts back
Jefferson .GA.  
Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • BigWader
    BigWader Posts: 673
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    I didn't remove the lid on my LBGE when I did the hi temp gasket.  In the end I got a small gap on the lower half where I didn't get the joint scrunched tightly enough together.  Pretty sure that could have happened with the dome apart though.

    Toronto, Canada

    Large BGE, Small BGE

     

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  • jtippers
    jtippers Posts: 512
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    Not sure about the medium egg... But i left the dome on my large when replacing the gasket.
    SBGE December 2012 •  XLBGE December 2013 •  Yoder YS640 July
    Location: Jasper, Georgia

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  • Charlesmaneri
    Charlesmaneri Posts: 1,295
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    It's easer if you remove the dome
    2 Large Eggs and a Mini 2 Pit Bulls and a Pork shoulder or butt nearby and 100% SICILIAN
    Long Island N.Y.
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  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
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    It takes about 10 second to remove the dome.......why not just make it easy on yourself?

    5/16" deep well socket

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  • Eggcelsior
    Eggcelsior Posts: 14,414
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    I'd remove it. Not removing it during a gasket change is why I now have a large.
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  • jscarfo
    jscarfo Posts: 405
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    I just have gasket on bottom seems pretty airtight
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    Not being a smarty*ss here, but after seeing your egg of 13 years which hasn't seen TLC I'd be inclined to take no middle road, but only do one or the other of my suggestions. 

    The simplest is leave the band and nuts alone and don't even replace the gasket, but surely by now you have seen the "stuff" falling from that dome so you might at least take a putty knife and knock off the flakes.

     My second suggestion would be to do a long burn out and then do a complete tear apart and clean it and replace anything needed. 13 years and no cleaning maintenance means you have been lucky IMHO.
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
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    Your not being a smart a#%. I did receive my hi temp gasket today and I figure I would replace it just because. Heck I can hardly tell if the original one is even fully intact. I guess with no spring on the hinge I just lossen the two nuts and take the bands and dome off. Oh I have taken the fire ring out and vacuumed it out many times, think I will do the big burn off tomorrow
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
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    I have a MBGE, albeit a 2011 model and I take the dome off to redo the gasket (twice for BGE gaskets under warranty and once for a Nomex - still there after almost two years). For yours, I'd suggest you scrape both the base and dome, put a new gasket on only the base. See how the dome closes and check to see if the dome binds due to a thicker new gasket (the old one was likely a BGE felt surface protector) see how she works. If it doesn't close at the rear, try loosening the dome, don't remove it, just loosen and see if it will self align. If not, then you have a decision to make on how to replace the dome gasket, remove the dome or try it with the dome in place. Much easier with it off, but given the age of your egg, I'd get new fasteners before I even started.
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
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    Oh by the way I did get the Rutland gasket along with the red hi temp permatex rtv silicone
    This is what I use to attach the gasket with ,,right?
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,888
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    laserdoc85 said:
    Oh by the way I did get the Rutland gasket along with the red hi temp permatex rtv silicone
    This is what I use to attach the gasket with ,,right?
    The Ultra Copper works better, but hey...what should I know about Rutland gaskets? #956 went out yesterday. LOL
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
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  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
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    Just take the dome off and make it easy on yourself.  Lefty loosey, righty tighty.

    BTW Ron, order for #957 coming tomorrow.  Just bought an XL and I'm going to throw a Rutland on before I assemble it.

    Mike

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,188
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    I recently replaced the gaskets on my XL.  I didn't want to remove the bands unless I had to so I removed the four bolts in the hinge pivots and left the bands in place.  I then removed the lid without loosening the upper band and flipped it over to replace the gasket.  After both gaskets were done, I reset the dome on the base and reinstalled the four hinge bolts.  Did the dollar bill test and it was pretty good.  I did loosen the top band a bit at that point and got a great seal all around.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
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    Dont I just lay a bead of that hi temp RTV down and then the gasket on top of it ?
     Do I just do the bottom of the egg and not the dome Or do I seal both the dome and the bottom.?
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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  • laserdoc85
    laserdoc85 Posts: 577
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    laserdoc85 said:
    Dont I just lay a bead of that hi temp RTV down and then the gasket on top of it ?
     Do I just do the bottom of the egg and not the dome Or do I seal both the dome and the bottom.?
    of course I would clean the old gasket off down to the base.
    Jefferson .GA.  
    Been egging since 1985 on a medium egg
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