@WeberGrills Green EI Code Performer Restore Update 6/26

Setting up to be able to work upright

The plan-

First need to remove the rusted off bolts that secured the Performer’s horizontal cross brace square tubes.  Sprayed them with WD-40, put a vice grip on the rusted bolt and another on the nut and with a little pressure they snapped right off, all four of them.

A photo to remember exactly where the Gas assist tank holder goes before I disassemble it.

For anyone that wold rather replace the bolts with more original starnuts and a bolt, the one that came on the Performer originally is 2 inches.

As I decided to run a threaded rod all the way through the square cross-brace tube and the holes where the bolts I removed was located and then cap the rod off with an acorn nut.  Here was the hardware from Ace Hometown Hardware store, Gloucester MA.

4 acorn nuts, 8 nuts to secure the washers inside the square tube and 4 washers which were the diameter of the inside of the tube to hold it in place.

So I get to the last nut, 8th out of 8, 7 went on flawlessly and were all adjusted to right where I wanted them on the threaded rod.  Wouldn’t you know that last nut wouldn’t go on.  So I put the vice grips to it and it wasn’t til I got about an inch on that I realized that I stripped the thread and there would be no way the acorn nut would screw on.  So back to the hardware store for a new rod and a three extra nuts (for insurance).  the rod was only $2.39 at the Building Center Gloucester MA. I needed two nuts to finish securing the bottom of the frame.  I could only get two of them on and I wasn’t about to strip another rod so I’ll have to wait til i get out of work to get a nut that fits.  The nuts must be mixed with different threads.  Driving me nuts.

So here it is, installed.  I used one of the original washers from the Performer just before the acorn nut.  On the other side I had to cut off about an inch from the rod but now the frame is much more stable.  Hopefully I get out of work in time to grab another nut to finish off this part of the project.   Next up having my buddy Joe Ciolino tack weld the top part of the frame to the vertical supports on the bottom of the frame.

So here she sits, uncleaned but with reattached horizontal cross tubes on the bottom of the frame (minus that one damn nut).