[FatCharlie]

Well, I burned off my BGE gasket.  I contacted BGE and they sent me out a Nomex gasket.
I'm not about to dissasemble my BGE, scrape the edges and re-glue every year or so, that sucks.

So, I decided to design a gasket that would not require scraping the egg edges and one that could be
removed for high heat steak searing and pizza cooks.

I cut a ring of steel and applied the Nomex to both sides using the Peramtex Ultra Copper RTV.

I set the ring on the edge, bent the tabs to hold the ring on the edge, adjusted the hinge bands
for the ring thickness and it's done.

Just have to try it out now.

[markh792]

How did it work?

[FatCharlie]

Did some pizzas last night at about 650 degrees, left the gasket it in, sealed perfectly.

Going to do some chickens tonight, we'll see how it does on the lower temps.

[toys4dlr]

Looks good.  Me, I have never replaced the gasket after it failed.  I am lazy and it really did not affect the cooking on it.  But I am using it more for med to high heat cooking, I use the FEC for low and slow. 

My kamado is missing the top spin damper, not that affects the cooking.

[Mark]

Good idea. Fortunately, I've only replaced the gasket once on my #7 Kamado in 15 years.

Like most cookers, Kamados are indeed controlled more by how much are gets in the bottom rather than how much heat leaves the top. As for the spinner top, I wonder if you could juryrig a replacement using a bolt, nuts and a terracotta dish with a drainhole?

[FatCharlie]

Just did a few cooks and tests over the weekend.

High heat 650 degree pizzas, left the gasket ring in, no problem keeping heat, etc. The Nomex gasket ring showed no signs of softening, burning, etc.

Did a couple beer butt chickens. I intentionally placed more wood chunks on the fire to generate lots of smoke so I could see any sealing problems when I decided to shut down the exhaust vent.

The BGE held temp fine and was smoking pretty good when I closed down the exhaust cast vent. I saw a slight whisping of smoke coming out the front, just behind the handle. Not other smoke seen seeping from the gasket seal. I did see the front smoke with my stock, felt gasket as well. Not enough to be concerned about IMO.