problems with my extra large lid alignment

promad

I think I'm just chasing my tail on this and getting frustrated , everything was fine till I noticed my lid was hitting the hinge in the back instead of the metal flat tabs hitting the hinge first , so I adjusted on it and got that part right then it was leaking between the lid and bowl then I got it to were it has a overbite !!! lol , can some one tell me how to start from scratch and adjust the bands and hinge to were everything lines up and works problems with my extra large lid

westernbbq

this was sent to me from BGE directly- i did it once, and have never had a problem since with the overbite, uneven lid closing, etc.  Hope this helps

XL Hinge Adjustment

 

If your XL Egg has become difficult to open or close, it is time to perform some preventative maintenance on your grill.  As the XL Egg ages, you need to adjust and lubricate the side and rear hinges on the grill.  Over time these pivot points will lose their lubrication, and once that happens, one side will tighten up each time the dome is opened and closed.  This is why one side of the hinge usually does not function as well as it used to. 

The XL has (2) side hinge assemblies and (2) rear hinge assemblies.  There is a linkage bar connecting the upper and lower brackets on each hinge.  There are (2) nuts and bolts on each of these linkage arms.  Make sure each nut is completely tight, then back (loosen) it off ¼ turn.  Next you need to apply lubricating oil ( 3 in 1 oil, gun oil) or graphite powder to each of those pivot points and work into the hinge.  This adjustment should let your hinge work normally again.  If you forced the dome open or closed, check the black bands on the grill to be sure they are safely positioned around the Egg.  The bottom band needs to be 1/8” below the bottom gasket.  If the bottom band is too far down, the dome will set back on the base.  You also won’t have any room to adjust the dome (move it back and forward) using the slotted bracket on the side of the grill (upper band).  When the bottom band is positioned right under the bottom basket, you will have the maximum amount of adjustability using that slotted side hinge on the top band.  The location of the top band is fine as long as it’s located above the top gasket and safely on the ceramic surface. 

Finally, make sure the bands are even all the way around the grill and that both carriage bolts are tightened until the ends of the black bands are about ½” apart.  Loose carriage bolts will let the bands slip when the grill is hot. 

It is a good idea to adjust and lubricate these hinges every year.  Think of it as spring cleaning for your grill.  At the same time, check all fasteners for tightness and remove the internal ceramic components (fire ring & fire box) so you can sweep out the grill.  The average griller needs to do this a year.  These simple steps will keep your XL Egg is good working order. 

 

promad

thanks , I'm gonna try this

westernbbq

you bet, i went back through archived emails late last nite and the text copied here came right out of a document that Duane at BGE HQ sent to me about two years ago when i was having a similar issue to what you're dealing with right now.  It took me a couple of tries but i got it right and have not had any problems since

i also lubricate my hinges with graphite- it seems to work a little better for me than a liquid oil but then, my eggs sit in the hot desert sun all summer so that may have something to do with it.

promad

i got it a little better but I finally watched a video and I don't have the spacers you put between the dome and base , does anybody have a set maybe I could borrow or don't want or want to sell ? I think that's my problem , I can get it pretty good but then when I put the springs on it's like everything changes !!!

Jeepster47

@promad ... you don't really need the spacers.  My dealer leaves them in the bag.  I talked him out of a set and after using them once, I'll probably never use them again.  If you really want to try them, go talk your dealer out of a set.  In fact, why haven't you involved your dealer in the realignment?  Get him to come out and correct the alignment and show you in person how to do it.

If you are aligning the bands with the springs off and then installing the springs afterwards, as your post suggests, then that may be your problem.

Tinyfish

Thanks for posting info. I just fixed my underbite on the XL.

promad

i didn't buy it from a dealer