Replacing a Woodridge Elite Hopper Cavity

What's in This Article?

 

The instructions outlined in this article apply to the following hopper cavity replacement SKU on Traeger's Woodridge Elite grills.

  • Hopper Replacement SKU: KIT0981
  • Woodridge Elite Grill SKU: TFC97XLH

These instructions also incorporate an optional step to replace the hopper cavity wire harness, KIT0921, should the situation require.

Tools Needed

  • Phillips screwdriver

Pro Tips

  • Expected Duration: 1 hour
  • Get a second person to help. You'll need to flip the entire grill on its back.
  • All screws, unless otherwise noted, are 1/4-20 X 1/2" screws.
  • Create a secure space to set aside hardware.
  • As you remove hardware, keep them separated in groupings according to step.

Replacing a Hopper Cavity on a Woodridge Elite Grill

Step 1. Prepare the grill

  1. Power Off the Grill: Turn off and unplug the grill from power.
  2. Empty the Hopper: Place a pellet bucket below the pellet dump door, open the pellet dump door, and allow all pellets to flow into the bucket. Once empty, close the pellet dump door.
  3. Remove Internal Components: Open the grill lid and remove grates, drip tray, grease chute, grease keg, and heat baffle. Set all components aside.
    Woodridge grates.gif Woodridge drip tray removal.gif

Step 2. Disassemble grill parts required to remove the hopper cavity

  1. Remove the Hopper Lid
    1. Unscrew the x4 screws from the hopper lid hinges and set aside.
  2. Remove the Controller & Trim Bands
    1. Below the controller, remove the x4 screws from the filler panel. Set the panel aside. 
    2. Open the hopper lid and remove the x2 screws from the controller trim, keeping the controller installed in the trim.
      Woodridge Pro Controller Step 2.jpg
    3. Remove x2 screws from the lower portion of the controller trim at the front of the grill.
      SKU1 Controller reverse (1).gif
    4. Carefully lift up the controller and trim belt, then disconnect the RTD and Hopper Wiring harness from the back of the controller. Place the controller and trim belt aside on a work surface.
      SKU1 Controller reverse.gif
    5. Remove the trim band between the hopper and the lid by unscrewing the x1 screw and sliding it out from the rear of the grill. Set aside.
      Woodridge Heritage Piece (1).gif
  3. Remove the Lid & Backsplash
    1. Open the grill lid. From the inside of the grill, remove the cotter pin from both the right and left hinges (1 pin each side) by pulling on the looped end.
      Cotter Pin KIT0928.JPG

      Lid.gif
    2. Person 1: Hold the grill lid in place
    3. Person 2: Push the two clevis pins out of the grill lid/backsplash and remove the two 3/8" washers (1 on each side).
      Clevis Pin Hinge KIT0928.JPG
    4. With the help of another person, carefully lift the lid off of the grill and set aside.
      Lid (2).gif
    5. Remove the x2 screws from the center backsplash at the rear of the grill and remove the back hooks.
      Backsplash and Hooks.gif
    6. Remove the x2 screws from both the left and right backsplash on the inside (x4 screws total).
      Backsplash and Hooks (2).gif
    7. Lift the 3 backsplash panels off of the grill.
  4. Remove Rear Cabinet Panels
    1. Remove both rear cabinet panels and the upper-rear trim piece as a single piece by unscrewing the 8 screws (2 screws are on the upper-rear trim, 3 screws are on each rear wall).
  5. Remove the power cord from the grill
  6. Remove side burner assembly
    1. Remove side burner cover and set aside.
    2. Remove 5x 1/4-20 X 1/2" screws from the side burner shelf assembly. 3x are located at the front of the grill, and 2x are located at the back.
    3. Slide the side burner shelf assembly out to remove it from the grill and set it aside.
  7. Flip over Grill
    1. With the help of another person, flip the grill upside-down so the legs are pointed upward.
    2. Pro Tip: Use a large piece of cardboard or a drop cloth to prevent scratches.
  8. Remove the Stainless-Steel Towel Holder
    1. Unscrew the 4 screws holding the towel holder in place.
  9. Remove Caster Wheels & Cabinet Legs
    Woodridge Elite Wheels.png
    1. Remove the 2 caster wheels on the hopper side by unscrewing the x screws holding them in place
    2. Remove the 2 cabinet legs mounted to the hopper by unscrewing the 8 screws with washers between the legs and the hopper.  Also unscrew the 4 screws between the legs and the cabinet base (these screws are visible only after the caster wheels have been removed). Set the legs aside.
      • If these 4 screws are dropped under the caster brackets, they can be pushed out the open corners of the caster brackets. 
  10. Remove the Auger Box
    1. Remove the auger box by unscrewing x4 screws with washers.
      remove auger box.png
  11. Remove the Hopper
    1. Remove the x4 screws holding the connector plates to the hopper. Leave the x4 screws holding the connector plates to the grill body.
    2. Slide the hopper assembly away from the grill.
    3. Remove the hopper pellet guard (ETL grate) by unscrewing x2 screws and set aside.
      hopper grate removal.jpg

Step 3. If also replacing the Hopper Wire Harness (KIT0921), install Harness in new hopper cavity

    1. Flip the new hopper upside-down so the two bottom covers are visible.
    2. Remove the x3 screws (#8 X 3/8" thread forming screws) from the larger of the two covers. Remove the cover and set aside.
    3. On the new hopper wiring harness, note the tags labeled "A" and "B" at each end. Insert the hopper wiring harness into the cavity with the "A" end pointing up and the "B" end pointing down.
      • “A” connects to the auger box and “B” connects to the controller.
    4. Push the 2X preinstalled fir tree zip ties into the holes in the hopper wall.
    5. Reattach the bottom hopper cover using 3x #8 X 3/8" thread forming screws.

Step 4. Install the new hopper cavity

  1. From the service kit, attach the new removable panel to the new hopper using x9 screws.
  2. Install the hopper pellet guard (ETL grate) and secure in place using x2 screws.
  3. Slide the new hopper assembly into place and secure using x4 screws to mount connectors plates to hopper.

Step 5. Reassemble the grill

  1. Reinstall the auger box assembly by first re-connecting wire harness by the fan and then fastening with x4 screws with washers.
  2. Remount the x2 cabinet legs to the hopper by using x8 screws with washers between the legs and the hopper, and then x4 screws between cabinet base and legs.
  3. Remount the x2 caster wheels to the cabinet base using x8 screws with washers.
  4. Reinstall the stainless-steel towel holder with x4 screws.
  5. With the help of another person, flip the grill back over so it's right-side up.
  6. Place the backsplash on grill body and fasten using x4 screws inside the grill. Ensure the RTD connector and wire are fed through the outside of the grill body.
  7. Set the grill lid in place and secure using x2 hinge pins. Lock the hinge pins in place using x2 clevis pins with washers.
  8. Reconnect the 3 wire harness connectors to back of controller. Mount the controller to the hopper using x4 screws.
  9. Mount the side trim panel with P.A.L. rail to the hopper using x4 screws.
  10. Reinstall the trim band located between the hopper and the lid by sliding into place from the rear of the grill and secure using x1 screw.
  11. Set the hopper lid in place and secure using x4 screws.
  12. Reinstall the cabinet hopper crossbar with x4 screws.
  13. Re-route the Y-power cable through all clips.
  14. Reinstall the rear cabinet walls and upper-rear trim assembly to rear of cabinet using x8 crews.
  15. Reinstall the grease keg, side burner cover, grease chute, heat baffle, drip tray, and all grill grates.
  16. Service Complete!
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