Is the box on yours steel? Mine appears to be heavy cast aluminum. I can't see
any degradation on it at all. Side shelves are also aluminum as is the heavy
base. I think the uprights are steel but they might be plastic with steel rods
through them, hard to tell without ruining the paint. Should last a long long
time. The guy I got it from got it used so we have no real idea how old it is.
He replaced it with a $600 Weber. Used that for a year and asked for this one
back. I just smiled.
-Curt
From: Randy Bennell <rbenn...@bennell.ca>
To: Curt Raymond <curtlud...@yahoo.com>; Mercedes Discussion List
<mercedes@okiebenz.com>
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 3:15 PM
Subject: Re: [MBZ] OT BBQ
I think mine must be a newer but not better model. It has 3 stainless
steel tubes that run front to back. The venturi is built into the front
end of the tube. They each attach to the front wall of the burner box
with a small stainless bolt threaded into an insert attached to the wall
and protrude through. The brass feeds from the valves just protrude into
the hole in the end of each tube. No cast iron in sight and no physical
attachment.
The inserts were seized and I twisted them out of the metal getting the
burner tubes loose. I had to use a steel strap as a repair patch but
such is life. The BBQ box is deteriorating somewhat. Should be good for
another few years.
RB
On 23/03/2015 11:02 AM, Curt Raymond via Mercedes wrote:
> I also have an old Vermont castings grill. I got it from a co-worker who
> didn't want to rebuild it again. The venturi tubes (which I think is the same
> as what you call burner tubes) had rotted out. Sadly the screws which held
> the tubes to the burner broke in the brass burner and I had no luck getting
> them out. I ended up getting a new cast iron burner and tubes and we've been
> using it since I think 2009 or 2010. I got the parts from an online supplier.
> My local Vermont Castings place had no desire to look up parts for me and was
> notably un-helpful.
> I need to pull it apart this year and clean since the flame is getting
> noticeably yellow. Other than that I really see no reason that I'd ever need
> to replace it. It looks and operates exactly the same today as it did the day
> I fixed it. If it does someday fail I'll be looking for another used top
> quality grill to rebuild. We had a cheap "Outback" brand before this grill
> and it was garbage. At camp we've got a $100 Kmart cheapie which is fine
> since a more expensive grill would probably get stolen but my grill is a
> million times better.
> My dad gets a new cheap grill every 3-5 years. I feel like I'm way ahead of
> him with mine...
> -Curt
> From: Randy Bennell via Mercedes <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
> To: Mercedes Discussion List <mercedes@okiebenz.com>
> Sent: Monday, March 23, 2015 11:52 AM
> Subject: [MBZ] OT BBQ
>
> We have a Vermont Castings BBQ that we have had for a long while and
> like despite the fact that it is showing its age.
> We needed to do some repair on it so a week or so ago, I ordered some
> parts online.
>
> Vermont Castings has changed hands according to their website and they
> no longer wish to deal with the public. One is supposed to find the
> local dealer and deal through them.
> They do have a limited online outlet for some parts but I have checked
> it a few times and the ones I need are always "out of stock".
>
> I ordered parts that were aftermarket replacements in order to keep the
> thing going. Burner tubes and heat plates. The heat plates are fine but
> different as the originals were ceramic coated steel and the new ones
> are stainless steel. Apart from that the fit is ok so they will work. We
> shall see how long they last.
>
> The burner tubes are a different story. At first glance they appear to
> be pretty much identical. However, I could not get them to fit. I would
> have had to either modify the BBQ housing or the new burner tubes in
> order to make them work. As luck would have it, I discovered I did not
> really need them so I will just return the new tubes. The shutter valve
> that lets air in has screen and the screen had become plugged up with
> what looks to be fluff from dandelions etc. I used a little wire brush
> to clean them up and reinstalled the original tubes and they seem to
> work fine. I had been concerned that the holes in the tubes had become
> enlarged over time but it does not appear that that is an issue. The
> holes in the new tubes appeared to be similar size. The burners are now
> showing decent blue flame so my issue with the quality of the flame
> before was likely just an issue of the air intakes being plugged up.
>
> I need to refill some propane tanks before we can give it a good test
> and cook something but for now I think I am ok.
>
> Frustrating when parts do not fit the way they should. Not sure exactly
> what the issue is but the tube just would not fit in such a way that the
> brass feed from the control valve would fit in the end of the tube. The
> original just slips in like it should. The new ones would have required
> some modification so if I had to do it I could but I was reluctant to
> really get into it. I did not want to damage the new tubes so that they
> could not be returned if they never did work properly.
>
> RB
>
> _______________________________________
>
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