Successful Gasket Installation Without Adhesive?

bot did you open a can of worms. I am in the same spot. I have decided to just wait. Why are you replacing your gasket?

With the standard gasket I've never used adhesive other than the self stick and have never had one come loose. Like Bill said cleaning is the key. From what I've heard Nomex is another story.

I can relate. The littlel chef says that i am Mr Fix it.
It is a guy thang. Well old school says, If it ain't broke don't fix it. I am torn between both worlds. Bubba-izum

This is not hard at all and it isn’t an all day project. It took me less than 20 - 25 minutes to remove & replace a gasket on my medium.

Do not use Sandpaper or power tools there is no need and it voids the warranty. Sanding or using power flap sanders will change the surface match of the base/dome match. There are a couple of ways to easily and quickly remove and clean the gasket on a egg.

Use acetone for final clean but not for removing the old felt or adhesive. If you want or need help let me know and I will get some information to you.

It will be easier if the dome is off of the egg.

Replacing the gasket on a CLEAN surface. Take your felt gasket and remove a few inches the adhesive protective strip and begin the application. Do not stretch whatsoever when applying. When the ends meet I use a new razor blade or razor knife to get a good match. Should you cut short then put a small patch of gasket in the gasket. You do not want any gaps whatsoever. Repeat on the other side of the egg.

You should have some felt left over. Use that left over to put a seal up in the ceramic top. It will help with shutdown for a tight seal and will help keep the ceramic top from falling off.

Close the egg and let it sit. I have let the gasket sit for 5 hours and for more than 24 hours before using. Frankly I haven’t noticed any difference.

The very important next step is checking the alignment. If you can see any type of gap – do not use the egg. Adjust the dome. Perform the ‘Dollar Bill Test.’ Around the dome. If you have any easy or light pull spots, adjust the dome.

There is a video floating around urging folks to loosen the hinge bolts on the bands. Don’t Do It. Bands should be tightened to where the bolts bend.

The ‘cure’ theory. I feel it is an urban legend at best. With that said, it doesn’t hurt to keep the egg under 500° - 550°.

Good eggin, GG

On the four or so standard gaskets I installed, I used no spray adhesive. On the Nomex ones, I've I start out with the regular adhesive and once the backer melts off then I use the spray. If I were you I wouldn't use the spray unless the original fails.

Thanks Mike for the information.

I sure hate the idea of a double install of the gasket.

I spent quite a bit of time trying to remove the adhesive membrane from some Nomex. So far no luck. I can't even pull an end off.

I might try using some heat but I think that will get real uncomfortable real quick.

Kent

When I installed the Nomex I just put it on. Cook a few times at low temps. Cook a few burgers and keep the temps under 400. Once everything looks good then do a pizza or two at 550. Bye Bye backer.

Thats when it gets fun. I remove the Nomex and carefully lay it to the side. I then open up the dome and throw in a full load of charcoal. Add a few small bolts or nuts between the dome and base, then close the dome, put miss daisy off to the side, and open the lower vent fully. Come back in an hour and a half. Walla cleaned gasket surfaces. Remove the nuts and bolts and go to bed. Next morning clean the surfaces with Acetone and then a little spray adhesive on the egg and gasket that you saved, let it get tacky and reinstall.

Mike,

That is a fantastic way to clean the surface.

A while back I posted a method of cleaning old gasket off. That method didn't use heat. It was fast and pretty easy.

This last medium failure - dome at 550° or so I opened it and took the pictures I posted this last week.

I closed and was just going to wait until the next day to remove and clean. At 500° I decided to clean the gasket while hot. I pulled the gasket off easily. Used a stiff putty knife and the adhesive membrane came off easily. That removal took maybe 8 to 12 minutes both top and bottom.

I am going to change out the large to nomex before the cold sets in. I am going to fire up the egg and let it sit at 500° with the dome proped open and the dome covered with the ceramic cover.

I am thinking this might be a very quick way to remove the old gasket.

I am not sure if the adhesive membrane on the Nomex is the same that is on the felt. If it is, the results will be the same with both gasket materials. The adhesive membrane fail's at a lower temp than the gasket material.

I need to see if I can find the temp specs on 3M 77.

Thanks for the post. It helped my thoughs on the high temp cleanning theory.

GG

LOL, my wife doesn't let me touch money or sharp knives.

Thank you, with what you said and what I am experiencing, I wouldn't expect you to have gasket problems.

Other than the 700° you are not getting the gasket area relative all that hot.

When you do the dollar bill test is there any spots that freely or have a very light tug - or most of the spots a medium to tough tug?

When measuring the temps the only time I could get (or the only time I got) a failure whe when the dome was at 700° for 8 minutes or so. This may be a little off as on this failure test I have the gap in the fire ring to inside diamater blocked.

I took a reading at the gasket level and the temp read of 460° ceramic & band. The felt read 456°. The felt is a soft surface so I am not sure if the felt reading was correct or not.

The air passing on the outside of the fire box and fire ring will somewhat act as an insulator to the egg ceramic itself. I am thinking the egg ceramic insulates or in some way is possibly somewhat of a heatsink for the adhesive/gasket.

Kent