New Egghead Needs Help With BGE

SmokinBuckeye

New Egghead here! I purchased a new XL 2 weeks ago. I had to wait a week before cooking since I bought the egg with an unfinished table that I wanted to get sealed before using. (I'll post some pics later but there is more important business now) I'm happy to be on the forum. I'm not only new here but this is my first forum ever to join. It's the support and interaction that I've read in this forum that helped me pull the trigger on purchasing my egg. It's that support that I need to lean on now.

During my first cook of a couple of beer-can-chickens I had a ridiculous amount of smoke pouring out of the rear of the egg between the gaskets. I purchased the egg already assembled from the local distributor. I stopped by the next day and explained my issue to them and they agreed to send someone out. When the gentlemen arrived it was obvious they knew less than I did about how to fix the problem. I had already researched here and other places online enough to know that my egg had an 1/8 inch under bite and failed the dollar bill test miserably. They loosened a few bolts, made adjustments and tightened them back up but with no success of fixing anything. They took some pictures and left. They next day I got a call from ACE asking when they could send their Egg expert out with a new bracket and springs to fix the problem. Our schedules could not align but I want to use my egg so I allowed them access to the lanai through a screen door while I was at work.

I couldn't wait to check on my egg the next day when I got home. I was disappointed to find that the under bite was now 1/4 inch. The gasket seal does seem better. However, now when I open the egg the lid somehow shifts once I get to about halfway open. When I close the egg it shifts back. I'm sorry I don't know how to better describe this, but instead of the egg opening smoothly there is a hitch every time I open or close the dome. I'm assuming this is not normal. I intend to call them back and make it right. I'm normally a DIY kind of guy but I spent enough money on the BGE I think it's fair to expect it to be perfect at least until it gets used. Besides, if something gets messed up during the process I want it to be on them instead of me.

Here's where I need your help:

1- Is the 1/4 inch under bite a significant issue as long as the gasket seals? It seems to me that this is an indicator of something being wrong. Shouldn't you be able to get a new egg to line up properly and seal when it has only been used one time?

2- What's the deal with the hinge? The 200+ pound egg almost wobbles when you open it. Something must be wrong. How smooth should the lid open and should I expect any wobble?

3- What suggestions do you have for the steps needed to fix these issues? I intend to have them make things right but it looks like they may need my guidance in order to do so. If they really knew what they were doing I would be posting pictures of my new BGE and food, not my 1/4 inch under bite. Any suggestions on this issue would be great. Thanks for your help!

YEMTrey

First and foremost, congrats on the XL and welcome to the lifestyle and forum!

No, that isn't correct.  You can line it up better than that.  At this point you're better off fixing it on your own than getting the run around and coordinate schedules with your local dealer.  There are many forum posts about aligning the dome on Eggs and I'm sure many will chime in here and help.

Plus, you'll need to know how to adjust it after you have been using it for awhile.  Especially after any high heat cooks.  The bands can expand during high heat.  You'll need to know what to adjust and how to do it to keep them in place and aligned.

And this is also a PSA to all forum members.  REMEMBER TO CHECK YOUR BANDS REGULARLY.  Hate to see pics of broken domes on the ground from the bands expanding and becoming loose.  I leave a wrench on my patio and check them periodically.  

Cheers!

shadowrider

I had an issue with my LBGE when I got it.  First a little underbite is just a fact of life with these things, but your pic shows an amount that I couldn't live with either.  On mine I went back to the dealer and the got it warrantied and a brand new band/hinge assembly got shipped to my house.  While I was waiting on that I finally got it right, but it took many many tries until I found a sequence that worked.  It was a royal PITA!

Here's the thread on what it took to fix mine, it's still holding well, so I guess I got it right.  Bear in mind that the hinge assembly on a large is a bit different that the XL but you may be able to get it right with this info.  Good luck.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182854/lid-underbite#latest

ETA: Be sure to torque your bands once a month or so to keep them set.  I think the bands work themselves loose with the expansion/contraction of the heat cycles from use.

theyolksonyou

Did they bring a spacer set to put between the bands, or just eyeball it?  BGE ships a set of jigs, if you will, to align the bands.

theyolksonyou

A new egg with new bands should be able to align darn near perfectly. 

SmokinBuckeye

theyolksonyou said:

Did they bring a spacer set to put between the bands, or just eyeball it?  BGE ships a set of jigs, if you will, to align the bands.

They did not bring a spacer set. I had even asked the store to bring a set for me when they came. The guys showed up with no spacers even for themselves. They said they throw them away once assembly is complete. I' m guessing none of these gentlemen are BGE owners since they don't understand the value of the spacers. 

I'm happy to know that my expectations of a well alligned new egg are not out of line.

thanks

SmokinBuckeye

shadowrider said:

I had an issue with my LBGE when I got it.  First a little underbite is just a fact of life with these things, but your pic shows an amount that I couldn't live with either.  On mine I went back to the dealer and the got it warrantied and a brand new band/hinge assembly got shipped to my house.  While I was waiting on that I finally got it right, but it took many many tries until I found a sequence that worked.  It was a royal PITA!

Here's the thread on what it took to fix mine, it's still holding well, so I guess I got it right.  Bear in mind that the hinge assembly on a large is a bit different that the XL but you may be able to get it right with this info.  Good luck.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182854/lid-underbite#latest

ETA: Be sure to torque your bands once a month or so to keep them set.  I think the bands work themselves loose with the expansion/contraction of the heat cycles from use.

Thanks for the info. It's good to know that BGE will stand behind me if needed. Also good to know that I should be able to remedy the problem myself if need be.

Jstroke

I have to admit. You are between a rock and a hard place. Your dealer doesn't know how. It stinks but I would get a set of the spacers from either the dealer or the mothership and then do it yourself. The only other recourse would be to reach out to Bruce at mothership and have them find someone from another dealership to do the work.

Tinyfish

I referred to the online assembly instructions for an XL here https://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://forte-products.com/img/BGE%20XL%20BAND%20manual%208-24-07.pdf&ved=0CFsQFjAPahUKEwidoLPzjrTIAhUK1hoKHb1iAp8&usg=AFQjCNGHKPJ-b1wCeuczIrnlYqqO_rc16w start at step 3 and readjust the bands. 

SmokinBuckeye

Thanks to everyone for your help. I ended up calling ACE and telling them that everything still was not right and explained the issues. The next day they sent someone back out with a new set of bands. I am happy to say that everything is now perfect. Good seal, good allignment and sturdy hinge opening. They also brought me a set of spacers at my request. Cooking some spare ribs as we speak and a Boston butt is on tap for tomorrow! Starting off with the basics as I adjust to cooking on a BGE but it has already been much less labor intensive than my Weber Performer. Can't wait to eat!

logchief

Hey Welcome and glad to see they made everything right, I've had great luck with my dealer.  I didn't like that advice to just fix it yourself.  You paid a lot of $$ for that egg and the dealer made a nice profit too.

When I first bought mine I told the dealer "Oh I can assemble it, no prob"  Glad I took their advice and got it whole.

Don't forget the pics, I'm doing a butt tomorrow too.

lousubcap

Welcome aboard and enjoy the journey.  Glad you got that issue resolved.  Degree of kool-aid consumption a matter of choice but many here willing to help at all hours.  (Of course the value of the comments may be clouded by the day of week and time of day coupled with the requisite supervisory adult beverages.)