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My lid adjustment is driving me crazy.

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vandrv
vandrv Posts: 19
in EggHead Forum
I have a medium BGE that I purchased used. I replaced the gasket and have had problems ever since. I can get the lid so there is no gap, and tighten the bolts down, but after opening and closing the lid a few times there is a fairly large gap on one side. I probably made a mistake of fooling with the bolts on the hinge. but I have no idea exactly how tight they should be. I don't know whether they are either too tight or too loose, or if something has maybe gotten bent. I just know I cannot get the lid to stay sealed like it should. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks 
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  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
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    Do you have any pics of the offending parts?
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  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    The most common error I see is people pushing the bands too far onto the ceramic haunch. A photo would help. 
    1. Loosen the bolts on the top and bottom bands that hold the lid and base. 
    2. Align the lid so it lines up as close to perfect as you can front to back and side to side
    3. Align the lower band with the top of the bottom ceramics. Right where the gasket meets the ceramics. 
    4. Tighten the lower band so it won't move, but not all the way. 
    5. Align the top band so it is just on the ceramics and is parallel with the lower band all the way around(similar to the bottom). If you have a local dealer, go to them and get the red spacers the will perfectly space the bands for you. 
    6. Tighten the upper band so it doesn't move, but not all the way. 
    7. Now, tighten the lower band. 
    8. Now tighten the upper band. 
    9. Done. 
    FYI, you should never have to mess with the hinge assembly itself. Good luck. 

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  • morrobayrich
    morrobayrich Posts: 104
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    Take a look at: http://www.greeneggers.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=1387736&catid=1

    Morro Bay, CA
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    If your bands are really off you are screwed. My old large got off and I spent several years trying to fix it. I could get them perfect then fire the egg up and everything would shift back after a couple cooks. I finally sold my large I couldn't deal with it anymore. The band design on the egg is garbage the xl is a little better since it has slotted holes but BGE needs to change the bands they suck.
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  • vandrv
    vandrv Posts: 19
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    I will try and post some pictures tomorrow. I don't have enough light tonight. Both bands are pretty much aligned with the gaskets, and I can get it adjusted so there is very little gap, but opening and closing the lid does something to the alignment on one side. The lid doesn't open and close smoothly like I think it should. My guess is that fooling with it, I have either bent the bands or I have the torque on the hinge bolts way out of adjustment. I know now I should not have messed with the hinge assembly, but it is too late now. Is there any guide which might help me figure out how tight theses bolts should be? One other quick question, I have never posted images here, do they need to be hosted somewhere like photobucket or can you upload them directly to this site? Thanks for all your help.
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    edited December 2015
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    I stripped one of my bolts and trying to get it off I slightly bent a band. It was never right again. A new band for the large is $100 I'm telling you if you bent it just get anew band. I wasted $500 in my time and never got it right again. 
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I had to replace the bands on my large.  It worked fine for 6yrs then it got outta whack like your describing.  No problem after replacing the bands roughly a year ago.  

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • vandrv
    vandrv Posts: 19
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    I'm thinking new bands might be the way to go. 
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
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    I got tired of fighting it.  Does the med have 1 or 2 springs on the hinge?   Just curious if a spring bolt needs to be tweaked a bit. 

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • vandrv
    vandrv Posts: 19
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     Mattman3969 said:
    I got tired of fighting it.  Does the med have 1 or 2 springs on the hinge?   Just curious if a spring bolt needs to be tweaked a bit. 


    It only has one spring. The only tweaking I can do is to adjust the torque of the bolt. I have no idea as to whether I am even close to correct.
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
    edited December 2015
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    This may be helpful.

    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1179274/psa-use-a-torque-wrench-to-tighten-the-bands-and-how-to-eliminate-under-overbite/p1


    I have a miniscule (<1/4") underbite now after 8 months. Personally, its not worth obsessing about. Food still tastes great.


    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    edited December 2015
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    Agree with Cali on over/under bite.  If no smoke is leaking your all good.  

    You said you had a gap.  Something that worked for me and was suggested by @theyolksonyou is once the band bolts are loose you can take a ratchet strap over the dome and under the base and crank it tight once you have the dome in position then tighten the band bolts up.  This helped me for a while. I think my hi

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
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  • vandrv
    vandrv Posts: 19
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    The problem isn't over or under bite. if I loosen the bolts, I can get everything to line up perfectly with no gap. I then tighten the bolts and after opening the lid several times the gap returns. If I loosen the hinge bolts to where the spring does nothing, it will stay in place, but if I tighten those bolts the problem returns. I'm reasonably sure that either I have either bent the bands or the hinge slightly, or that I have no idea as to what the tension on the spring bolts should be..
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  • Tinyfish
    Tinyfish Posts: 1,755
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    Crank down on those bolts the ceramic won't break. On my XL the hinge bolts are supposed to bend when tightened  correctly it even says so in the instructions. On the XL you need 125 in/pounds torque for the bolts.
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  • GASGUY
    GASGUY Posts: 111
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    Trust me, best to submit warranty claim or buy a new spring hinge set up. Although I found many helpful tips, nothing ever helped for more then a few cooks without issues returning. Drove me crazy. Also think extreme high temps and clean burns cause damage to bands. Perhaps too much expansion or contraction of metal.

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  • vandrv
    vandrv Posts: 19
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    GASGUY said:

    Trust me, best to submit warranty claim or buy a new spring hinge set up. Although I found many helpful tips, nothing ever helped for more then a few cooks without issues returning. Drove me crazy. Also think extreme high temps and clean burns cause damage to bands. Perhaps too much expansion or contraction of metal.

    The warranty has long since expired on this. I agree it is time to bite the bullet and just buy a new bands. I have the same problem you had, I can get it adjusted perfectly, and the problem always returns. The band bolts are definitely tight. I think the bands have probably somehow bent. Thanks for all the help. I will report  back when I replace the bands.
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