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Lid Stuck Solid

SmokyArkie
SmokyArkie Posts: 65
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
I was planning on cooking on my LBGE tonight and preheated it to 450. When I came back from the store with the meat I went to open the BGE and it is stuck so tightly the whole BGE will lift out of its cradle and the lid will not budge.

This has never happened before and I have been cooking on it for several months. Obviously I cannot cook on it tonight. My plan is to shut it down and see if the lid will open once the BGE is cold. If it is still stuck I will call for a warranty repair.

Do you have any idea what might have happened? Has this ever happened to you?
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Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    SmokyArkie,

    Your gasket fused. If you have a utility knife just run it around between the top and bottom gasket.

    Steve

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
    Sounds like the gaskets may have welded them selves shut. Do you have the cooking grid in the EGG? If not throw a bunch of lump in through the top and heat her up to 600+. This'll be hot enough to hopefully loosen the melted gaskets and allow you to pull it apart. If not slowly work around the gasket are with a utility knife cutting and pulling. Once you get it open place a few strips of Aluminum Foil around the gasket and shut the dome snuff the fire and alow the egg to cool. AF will keep it from re-welding
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  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Like Steve said. or a butter knife or a putty knife. just slowly ease it between the gaskets, if ya can. and it'll pop open. work your way around slowly
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  • SmokyArkie
    SmokyArkie Posts: 65
    That makes sense. I tried slipping a blade between the BGE lid and base and it is so tight I cannot make a purchase point.

    A fused gasket doesn't sound like it will be any better after it cools.
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  • SmokyArkie
    SmokyArkie Posts: 65
    Yes I had the cooking grid in place. If I didn't I would give your idea of adding more lump a try.

    Thanks
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  • SmokyArkie
    SmokyArkie Posts: 65
    I couldn't get a small blade of any kind between the lid and base. It is so tight I think it would hold compression if it had a piston!
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  • Grillin & Chillin
    Grillin & Chillin Posts: 733
    It happens sometimes on fairly new BGE's. I have begun to believe they actually need to be "broken in" before high heat cooks such as slowly using higher temps such as low & slow the first few cooks then some 300-400 range cooks and then a few 450-550 cooks. Maybe 10-20 cooks before the HIGH temp 600-750 cooks so the gasket adhesive slowly cures. Did you get it open? If it is stuck shut drop some starter cubes in from top and get it heated up as much as you can and it should open then. Your gasket may be toast or stuck together and need replacement. If so break the new gsket in sloooowly before the high temp cooks. Let us know how it works out. Hope this info helps.
    Welcome to the forum
    BGE'er since 1996 Large BGE 1996, Small BGE 1996, Mini BGE 1997
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  • Methos
    Methos Posts: 6

    I pick up an XL back in July, 2012.  I've used the egg several times a week since then.  I also have a Weber Genisis Silver that I  have had for a number of years and still use occasionally when I am tight on time.  I had a pellet smoker that I practically gave away dollar wise but I was not pleased with the inconsistent results.

    To date I've done beef ribs, pork ribs, steaks, chicken parts, beer can chicken, salmon, biscuits, beef pot pies, tamale pie, corn, stuffed peppers, jalopeno (sp!) poppers, trip tip, and the list goes on.!

    Anyway, a couple of days ago I finished a cook and just let it go for a while.  The temp gage was pegged.  I thought, ok, whatever is there is burned off now.  I closed it down.  The next morning the lid was fused shut big time!  Before trying to crack it open with a butter knife or something I placed a few handful's of charcal in the bottom, light it up with several fire sticks (I nomally use the electric fire starter but always have a box on hnad of the fire starters :)) 

    Ok, so after the egg bake for about an hour at 350 I went out and gave the lid a tug.  POP!  No problem, it opened right up. The felt shows the most damage by the handle suggesting the lid could be better 'calibrated'. 

    No matter, it's good now.  Hmmm... maybe salmon and vegi's tonight?  I'd better go fishing....

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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
    2 suggestions.

    If the sticking is because the gasket adhesive melted, and flowed thru the upper and lower felt, you might get it open by heating the interior. Get a propane torch, and canister, and stick it into the bottom vent. Or maybe toss a couple of lumps under the bottom grate, and fire those up at the same time. Try to get the adhesive to melt again.

    Failing that, immediately shift the torch to the gasket, and start burning it away till you can get a knife into it. This assumes that the gasket has fused into a single glop. I had to do that once. Only needed to work a good sized pocket knife blade into the charred gasket for an inch or two. Then I wiggled a very blunt weeding tool in the gap. I was able to pop the lid, leaving most of the top gasket melted to the bottom. As I did it, I had visions of the dome cracking, but the gasket mush gave way first.

    I suppose worse comes to worse, expect to take a hacksaw blade to the gasket, and cut enough slots till the dome can be opened.
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  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,838

    This happens all the time on mine. I've cooked on Imperial Kamadosfot years before I stepped up to BGE and a standard tool with the Kamados is this grill lifter http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kamado-King-Inc-Grill-handle-barbaucue-cooker-kamado-charcoal-/110824728614?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cdab2826   I use it as prybar to open the lid prying on the shelf bracket to the top hinge ring. Metal to metal. DO NOT PRY ON THE CERAMICS! It also works well on the top slider when it gets glued shut for the same reason. I've been putting cornmeal on the gasket which helps from sticking together gasket to gasket. Oh yeah another great thing about this tool is it has bottle opener at the othe end!

    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
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  • Pxcplanner
    Pxcplanner Posts: 3
    Lid has just started to stick. I have the Rutland gasket on it and it's two years old. No high temp cooks everything =<400 degrees. Not interested in how to open it but what is causing it to stick and solutions.  Thanks 
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  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 13,701
    Welcome, impressive how a newbie can dig up an eight year old thread  =)
    canuckland
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 21,672
    Canugghead said:
    Welcome, impressive how a newbie can dig up an eight year old thread  =)
    And jumped in deep end.  Rutland gaskets cannot freeze shut or stick together.

    I would rather light a candle than curse your darkness.

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  • frazzdaddy
    frazzdaddy Posts: 2,617
    Put some wd40 on the hinges. Let it sit for a bit. I agree on the Rutland not sticking.
    Xl bge ,LG bge, two 4' crusher cone fire pits. Weber Genisis gasser and 
    Two rusty Weber kettles. 

    Two Rivers Farm
    Moncure N.C.
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  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 254
    I was glad when my original gasket went to dust. I put one of the RRp specials on it a few years back and it is still doing fine. Believe me the grill has had some high temp burns for cleaning and still holds a steady 225 for hours on end. up grade my friend you will not regret it.

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  • Pxcplanner
    Pxcplanner Posts: 3
    I appreciate the responses but I do have the Rutland gasket on the egg and it does stick shut. Had to pull it apart the last three times I've cooked.  I'm not melting the adhesive.  Seems like the black greasy material formed during the past two years cooking is what is sealing it shut. Any idea how to remove this buildup?
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  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 254
    I have a small area in the back that gets kinda black. I am thinking it is lid adjustment. I have been using a old school square head grill brush. Lightly in one lateral direction like to the left or right. It seems to help. If that doesn’t then maybe a new gasket and better lid alignment 
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  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    Goo-Gone?  Will a solvent of some sort attack the stuff?  Be careful not to get it on the ceramics.
    Clinton, Iowa
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  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 254
    I would think it would cause issues to the permatex
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  • jetman96
    jetman96 Posts: 127
    If it's grease, Dawn dish soap is what I would try. Clean out the egg first, then soak some paper towels with Dawn and water and lay on the gasket. After it's soaked a while, wipe off, or scrub with a brush, if needed. Hose it down until water is clear. If that doesn't work, maybe Oven Cleaner? I'd be wary about that though, because it might impregnate in the gasket and affect future cooks.
    Cincinnati, OH
    Large BGE
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  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 26,453
    jetman96 said:
    If it's grease, Dawn dish soap is what I would try. Clean out the egg first, then soak some paper towels with Dawn and water and lay on the gasket. After it's soaked a while, wipe off, or scrub with a brush, if needed. Hose it down until water is clear. If that doesn't work, maybe Oven Cleaner? I'd be wary about that though, because it might impregnate in the gasket and affect future cooks.
    A lot of effort to save a few bucks for a new gasket...
    Re-gasketing the USA one yard at a time 
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,583
    cover the gasket with baking soda. mix white vinegar with a little dawn soap in a spray bottle shake and spray the gasket withe the solution. the vinegar and baking soda will lift the grease up and out of the gasket pores, the soap keeps the grease in suspension. this works when your house and shrubs get skunked as well albeit your yard smells like a salad for a few days
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • ThrasherIII
    ThrasherIII Posts: 254
    I will go ahead and ask for another gasket. So if i have this issue i am only down for the day
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