22in Bar-B-Kettle Bowl Damper mod question

[crasherdawg]

Hey guys, new to the forum and didn't see this topic previously listed (I searched) if it is already posted or if this is in the wrong spot please direct me accordingly.

Last year I "inherited" a late 80's 22in Bar-B-Kettle that had clearly seen better days. I already have a nice new 22in (garage sale find still in the box!) so the old kettle became my "spare". This spring I went searching for a decent outdoor firepit. Everything I found was cheap pot metal that wouldn't last a season out here on the East Coast. The more I looked the more I realized I already had the perfect pit. So the old kettle legs came off and I mounted it in a firepit stand (ironically the bowl of said firepit stand was rusted out by the elements). It's served a dual purpose all season. I fill the kettle with coals, drop on the grill, and it makes mean baked potatoes and corn in the husk! Potatoes go for about 40 minutes and that leaves the new 22in free for burgers etc. I toss the corn in with the potatoes for 5-6 minutes and when they're done we eat. After we're done I remove the kettle grill, drop in an apple log, and the kids roast marshmallows. Since this setup is around the kids (and at their height) I'm slowly adding a couple after market safety features. I found this lid damper https://www.grillparts.com/weber/weber-charcoal-grill-parts.asp?product_id=63070. I liked the thought of it so much I picked up 2 (one for my new 22, one for the firepit lid). That made me think of the bowl dampers, which prompted a couple questions.

The bowl damper kit is here https://www.grillparts.com/weber/weber-charcoal-grill-parts.asp?product_id=63016 The measurements appear to be the same as the lid damper kit previously linked. Because of the stand the bowl dampers aren't easily accessible. I typically leave them full open (both for firepit and for baked potatoes). I like the "thought" of having a single rubber thumb tab that would hopefully make the whole thing easier to adjust if needed. So the questions

- does the lid damper have the same concave bend as the bowl dampers?
- has anyone on here ever swapped out a bowl damper for this lid damper?
- would the proximity to the bowl melt the rubber handle of this lid damper?

As I said I've got 2 lid dampers on order (1 for each lid). The bowl damper wind nuts are rusted on. I'd like to avoid removing them unless I'm making the mod. So if someone knows the answer please share the wealth, but if not I'm willing to be the forum guinea pig! The downside is replacing all 3 would be more costly. I'll likely replace 1, test it, and verify it works as desired before proceeding.

Thanks everyone

[MDurso]

Why can I not remember this?  lol!  Someone here will know for sure.  I remember spec'ing out the dual tab 4 hole vents on the 22 WSM because it followed suit with the older 18.  The lid has a bit of a flatter profile, but they should conform and where I positioned them on the 22  WSM bowl was different than the Bar B position, but there was no difference otherwise.  Whether or not they relieved the pre-from or not later, I don't know.

But get the 3 kit for the bowls, get the regular damper lids for the lids.  It looks right and there's not muss or fuss.  you mentioned safety so for a few measly dollars do it right.

Someone here may actually have parts they could send you, but at such a low cost, I don't know if it would be any less than new.

[crasherdawg]

MDurso thank you for the input. It would actually be more expensive to mod using the rubber tab vents since they are single purcahse and the bowl kit comes with 3 bowl dampers. The lid damper mod is more of a safety thing for me. If a kid accidentally touches anything on a hot BBQ lid it's an issue, a piece of rubber doesn't negate that. On that note I'm looking for a better fire stand ring to keep the kids at bay! ALL of that said, the bowl dampers aren't easily accessible nor are they easily adjustable in the current setup. If the lid damper works it might be easier/more adjustable. Cosmetics are secondary for me since it's a firepit and this is the underside of the bowl!

[MDurso]

The holes are in the same place and you should be able to fit it.  Someone else will chime in soon though.

[addicted-to-smoke]

"Because of the stand the bowl dampers aren't easily accessible."

This has been addressed by several people looking to mod the various (modern) Smokey Joes, since the bottom vent is right underneath the bowl, making access more difficult, especially if the damper is at all stuck.

Drill holes in the damper tabs and connect a bolt/washer/nut. Now you have a handle you can more easily reach. Longer rods = drill holes in each tab and run the rod through both tabs. Then you can get fancy with wood handle ends and so on. Do a search for mini WSM, especially, to see examples.

Stainless steel hardware is best, but be careful on the budget because used One Touch kettles are cheap, and could save you time and money here.

[crasherdawg]

I just realized I forgot to post an update to this, sorry. Dampers on both lids went in WITH A FIGHT. I swear they rivet the lid dampers on just to piss people off! Drilling did only so much and then spun the rivets. I didn't have enough to crimp rivets. End result was light tapping with a rubber mallet and slight dimple from it being removed. I did size the bowl dampers to verify they'd work BUT the more I looked at it the less I thought I'd actually use it. I've already used the lid damper on the firepit, thing of beauty even when the lid's hot the damper is cool to the touch.

[swamprb]

I just realized I forgot to post an update to this, sorry. Dampers on both lids went in WITH A FIGHT. I swear they rivet the lid dampers on just to piss people off! Drilling did only so much and then spun the rivets. I didn't have enough to crimp rivets. End result was light tapping with a rubber mallet and slight dimple from it being removed. I did size the bowl dampers to verify they'd work BUT the more I looked at it the less I thought I'd actually use it. I've already used the lid damper on the firepit, thing of beauty even when the lid's hot the damper is cool to the touch.

Next time you drill into the rivets, try to position the head of the rivet on a piece of rubber and drill slooow.