Replacing a Hopper-Barrel Gasket

Any grill with a hopper-burner assembly (HBA) has a square gasket that helps seal the connection between the HBA and the grill's body (barrel). 

Grill Compatibility

Grills with a Hopper-Barrel Assembly (HBA) have a hopper-barrel gasket. 

Grills without an HBA:

• Portable Grills
• New Timberlines & Ironwoods
  • These grills have a hopper assembly; not a hopper-burner assembly (the auger tube and firepot are not a part of the hopper assembly)
    
    

Where Is the Hopper-Barrel Gasket and What Does It Do?

The hopper-barrel gasket sits between the HBA and the grill's body, placed around the auger/burner tube, providing a seal between the two parts. Most of the time you won't see it without removing the HBA from the grill, but occasionally you will see it peek out from the top or bottom of the HBA or even from the inside of the grill in the small space between the auger tube and the entry point on the grill barrel. It's made from fiber glass.

It stays in place by the tension created when screwing on the HBA to the grill. Similar to how an O-ring prevents water from seeping through the connection point of water pipe and a faucet, the hopper-barrel gasket creates a seal that both affects thermal insulation and keeps grease, ash and smoke from escaping the barrel from the connection point.

When to Replace a Hopper-Barrel Gasket

The most common time that you would want to replace a hopper-barrel gasket is when a customer notices grease leaking down the side of their grill and the source appears to be coming from where the HBA and the grill's body meet.

How to Replace a Hopper-Barrel Gasket

1. Remove the HBA
   • AC Grills: AC Hopper-Burner Assembly
   • D2 Grills: D2 Hopper-Burner Assembly
2. As you pull the HBA away from the grill, the hopper-barrel gasket will either fall onto the auger tube or it may remain stuck/fused to the side of the grill.
3. Remove the old hopper-barrel gasket.
   • If the gasket is fused to the side of the grill due to the heat during use. If this is the case, have the customer scrape the remnants of the old gasket using a non-metal tool so as not to scratch the paint.
4. Slide the gasket over the burner/auger tube and position it in place as you slide the HBA back into place.
5. Reattach the hopper-burner assembly.