Hi all,
I mounted a pit viper fan on my Weber kettle (22") today. It is really simple, but I thought I'd share some pics here, just in case it helps someone else.
What you need
Instructions
So, it should be mounted below the lower grate, and still not be in the way for the bottom vent 'blades'. I eyeballed it pretty much, but I also held the adapter in place with a finger to make sure I could still turn the bottom vent freely.
The pictures should illustrate pretty well, otherwise just fire off some questions and I'll see if I can't help and/or clarify.
The nice thing about the drill bit is you start small, and then keep pushing it in/down until the whole is the size you want. Wear ear protection, drilling in sheet metal like this makes one helluva noice. And protective goggles.
Also: drill from the inside out, not the other way around. Since the kettle is concave (looking from the inside), it is easier to get the drill to 'bite' or take without wandering off. If drilling from the outside, you're gonna have to create a small dimple with a center punch first. If you have the tools, it only takes seconds, but I'm a lazy guy, and drilling from the inside was quicker
Here's the 28 mm hole. As you can see it is very close to the bottom vent blades. This is to be able to mount it below the lower grate
Here's a closeup. I still haven't polished the sharp edges.
Here's what it looks like from the outside (still raw. I placed to the right of the vent grip, figured it was a smart place)
Here you can see the inside of the adapter, with the air hole pointing downwards (important). The downward facing air outlet is what provides the clearance, i.e. the bottom vent blade almost goes 'under' the vent adapter.
And here's the fan in place. Time to smoke some meat!
Some comments
1. yes, that is a large dent you see in the upper left corner of the last photo. I bought it used off of craigs list.
2. No, I didn't apply any rust sealant. Still pondering whether I should. Most likely. I think I will do that next weekend.
I mounted a pit viper fan on my Weber kettle (22") today. It is really simple, but I thought I'd share some pics here, just in case it helps someone else.
What you need
- A drill
- A step drill bit (I drilled a 28 mm hole).
- The pit viper adapter (duh...)
- A metal file (to soften the edges of the newly drilled hole)
Instructions
So, it should be mounted below the lower grate, and still not be in the way for the bottom vent 'blades'. I eyeballed it pretty much, but I also held the adapter in place with a finger to make sure I could still turn the bottom vent freely.
The pictures should illustrate pretty well, otherwise just fire off some questions and I'll see if I can't help and/or clarify.
The nice thing about the drill bit is you start small, and then keep pushing it in/down until the whole is the size you want. Wear ear protection, drilling in sheet metal like this makes one helluva noice. And protective goggles.
Also: drill from the inside out, not the other way around. Since the kettle is concave (looking from the inside), it is easier to get the drill to 'bite' or take without wandering off. If drilling from the outside, you're gonna have to create a small dimple with a center punch first. If you have the tools, it only takes seconds, but I'm a lazy guy, and drilling from the inside was quicker
Here's the 28 mm hole. As you can see it is very close to the bottom vent blades. This is to be able to mount it below the lower grate
Here's a closeup. I still haven't polished the sharp edges.
Here's what it looks like from the outside (still raw. I placed to the right of the vent grip, figured it was a smart place)
Here you can see the inside of the adapter, with the air hole pointing downwards (important). The downward facing air outlet is what provides the clearance, i.e. the bottom vent blade almost goes 'under' the vent adapter.
And here's the fan in place. Time to smoke some meat!
Some comments
1. yes, that is a large dent you see in the upper left corner of the last photo. I bought it used off of craigs list.
2. No, I didn't apply any rust sealant. Still pondering whether I should. Most likely. I think I will do that next weekend.
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