I am rehabbing a 1997 Performer and have run into a problem I would appreciate advice on how to deal with it. The dampers on this unit are badly rusted and I want to replace them. I have the Weber kit and all I have to do is take off the old and put the new ones on. Now here is the problem I can't get the control rod out of the "H drive". They are rusted together. If I understand the way these old dampers work, it is the control rod that holds the assembly together by running through the "H drive." I ahve used PB Blaster, but so far I can't budge the control rod. I can not pull, push, or twist the rod. I have hit the H drive with a hammer a few times and have heated it with a torch. This has not yet worked. I have not tried putting a cheater bar through the loop on the control rod and trying to twist the rod because I am afraid I will break the rod and that might make it harder to get out. What do you guys suggest or think I should do?

Larry,

I had a similar problem. Here's what I'd suggest as it worked in my situation. Take either an angle grinder or a dremel with a cutting disk and cut the damper handle off flush with the sides of the H drive. The dampers and H drive should then just lift straight up out of the bowl. Hope this helps. Also: be careful not to hit the porcelain with the cutter.

Second for Jared's method. I did the same thing to my old performer when I bought it. Also had to do the same to OTS when one of the one-touch "sweepers" got bent backwards on a piece of lump.

Just take a Dremel with a cutting wheel and cut through the rod and the whole she-bang just lifts out.

Just curious, but did your Performer come with the Ash Catcher ring and Ash Catcher or did you have to order replacements from Weber? I've been waiting on an ash catcher ring for over three months - on back order I am told.

Good luck. What color is your Performer?

Pat

Thanks guys. Now at long last I have the excuse for a Dremel. Pat mine has the ash catcher. It had everything, but the 5lb tank & the chacoal grate. I checked with Weber on the tank and it is on back order with no date, so I went with a different tank. Had to change the quick connect for a regular screw on connection

Pat,

I'm currently fixing a '99 performer. It was in REAL bad shape. By the time I'm done with it, it's going to be basically brand new.

I ended up having to replace the entire bowl for various examples of previous ownership abuse, but the biggest reason was that Weber customer service told me they weren't making that ash ring any more. So really, my only choice was to get the new bowl with the snap in ash ring. One thing that I did consider was ordering the new ash ring and taking the trusty Dremel and buzzing the "snap tabs" off. Then you would have to cut 2 slots for the ash catcher bar to fit. Really seemed like a lot of extra work and probably wouldn't look right. Good luck with yours.

-Jered

I am lucky that my bowl and ash catcher are in good condition. My lid has a dent in it and about half dollar size spot where the porcelain is gone. I guess I will have to paint it. I am thinking of taking the lid to a body shop and seeing if they can knock out the dents without hurting the porcelain. Although it might be cheaper to just buy a new lid. For now I am going to just leave it alone. The only cooking problem I foresee is the dent makes it impossible to completely close off the lid vent. I do not know how bid a problem this might be in a grill. In my WSM the only time I close off the top vent is to put out the fire.

The Dremel worked like a charm. Thanks for the suggestion and now I own one.

Jered - this is getting stranger and stranger!

Weber told me the ash catcher ring for the older Performer was on back order when I ordered it in October. I've checked back each month - same answer. Today I called to order parts for another grill and asked casually about the ash catcher ring. The rep went away for quite some time only to come back and tell me that it had shipped. Woo hoo!

I get home tonight and there is a box from Weber - Woo Hoo! But when I opened it, it was a tank scale for my Genesis gasser.

So now I am wondering if the order the rep saw shipped was for the scale and perhaps the ring still is backordered.

I am very close to buying one of the new snap in style rings and taking a hacksaw to the leg extensions on the bottom of my bowl to try and create the "slots" for the "snap in" connectors on the new model ash catcher ring.

I wouldn't necessarily mind replacing the bowl, but the color is very unique on my 1992 model - it's a red that turns dark brown when it gets hot and then back to red when it cools down. I doubt the've got those sitting around either!

Either way, its been great fun working on it.

And Larry - those little Dremmel tools are great. Now that you've got one, you'll be amazed at all the stuff you can Dremmel. We use it to file our dog's nails rather than cut them with one of those doggie nail clipper things. Easier on us - easier on the dogs.

Nice to see that there are other folks out there saving some of these great old Webers from the scrap metal heap. They've just got too much life left in them for that.

Pat

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pat Smith,

Larry - I had a quarter sized dent in my kettle dome and I was able to knock it back out from the inside with a couple of hammer taps. It's not perfect but it's barely noticeable. I've had about the same sized dent in my OTS lid for the last 4 years - doesn't affect anything, but you're probably going to want to be able to close that lid vent, don't you think?

Body shop or see if anybody you know has a rubber mallet.

Good luck. When we're done, let's post some pictures to see how we all did.

Pat

Pictures will be good.