After replacing my Big Green Egg gasket twice since I got it 8-10 years ago using the company’s product, I decided to investigate further a suggestion made years ago that I was never able to track down - get a high temperature automotive gasket. After some recommendations here and poking around on BGE sites, I came to Ron Pratt, who seems to be the gasket expert and an all around good guy. He sells a cut piece of high temperature Rutland Gasket for the princely sum of $11 cut to the size of the large BGE. I suppose he sells different lengths for other sizes. He also provides detailed instructions and there are some videos or photos on the Internet to help. The only additional cost is a tube of high temperature automotive gasket adhesive that cost me something like $8. If he makes any real money doing this I would be surprised, because the $11 includes shipping and handling, and the mailing cost of the box alone is a substantial part of his cost.
I replaced my gasket a few weeks ago. Obviously, I do not know if it will last for a decade, as other people claim it has for them, but so far it makes a great seal and works fine. You only put the gasket on one side, which saves the aggravation of either working upside down or removing the entire cover just to get a gasket on the top.
My only addition to his directions is that when you squeeze the adhesive out of the tube and spread it on the BGE before placing the gasket in the adhesive, do not spread the adhesive all the way to the edge of the surface because it you do, some of it will ooze out the edge and you will have to use your fine motor skills with a razor blade knife to clean it up after the stuff dries.
Not true. I have been running without a gasket for years, but it does cause temp & smoking issues, especially during winter if you’re in a temparate/cold climate.
The gasket is (probably) fine, but at the temps the BGE works at I gotta think I don’t want automotive adhesive that close to my food. Then again I have no idea what kind of adhesive they’re using on the gasket that’s already in there.
Gasket sounds really weird if you say it over and over.
An interesting thought, but I don’t know about the gasket you get from BGE, and some random spray adhesive they tell you to use. I tend to think that an automotive adhesive designed to withstand the high heat of an automobile engine that is, after all, powered by exploding gasoline, is less likely to break down than a spray can of stuff designed to let me stick photos onto mounting board.
Do you cook food in your engine? Automotives sealants should never be used near food. You’ll have a hell of a time removing the old sealant next time. BTW, the only gasket sealing from exploding gasses is a head gasket which is sealing between two machined surfaces torqued together at 100-150ftlbs. Good luck using that on the Egg. Keep us updated on the results.
Haven’t installed new yet, just noticed the other day when I did a long smoke that I was losing smoke out the sides. Thanks for the tip, I’ve got a project for this afternoon.
