Weber EP-330 knobs/manifold posts bent

[Homercles 10206]

Ok so in the 7 years I’ve had the thing, never had this problem but the wind last night was just strong enough at the right points where my Weber EP-330 keeled over onto its face, spilling everything onto the ground...flavor bars, racks, burner covers, etc.

 

My key concern here is the brass posts connecting the plastic control knobs to the manifold assembly are all bent up by about 30 degrees or so...with one that appears to be completely missing (just a spring and rubber cover exposed).

 

On Weber’s site it shows those posts as separate parts to order, but I can’t imagine that the underlying manifold pieces aren’t bent too.

 

Questions:

 

1) How do those brass posts connect to the manifold? Just slide on?

 

2) Should I just put everything back together, see if it works, before I flip out about buying a $150 manifold? If so can I just try to bend those posts back?

 

3) Anyone ever remove and replace that manifold before?

 

I’ll do the YouTube, google research but more in depth but figured I’d take a shot here first.

[Gil Bang 26235]

great news, you get to buy a new grill. 

[Jerry Callo 8959]

As long as the remainder of the grill is in good shape, it is worth paying replace parts (if you have to).  $150 is nothing compared to a new grill.  I'd pull the manifold out and check for cracks or other damage.  If it looks OK, buy replacement brass posts and give it a shot (on mine, it appears that the brass posts are held on by two small Phillips head screws).  You can buy the manifold next, if need be.  

Edited January 20, 2019 by Jerry Callo
I tried looking at a schematic to determine which parts you were talking about until it dawned on me to go in the back yard and remove the cover from my Genesis to have a look. 

[Homercles 10206]

Just closing this one out. Called Weber and got a new manifold ($95), 3 new main knobs (rip-off at $28) and a sear station knob ($8) that I probably didn’t need. Came with instructions that were pretty good. Took me two hours but I also did some cleaning of the firebox while I was in there and replaced the igniters that they’d sent me years ago under warranty but I’d never bothered to replace.

Hardest part was removing and reinstalling the bolts that hold down the burners, Years of grease had them cemented in there.

The control panel must be bent a bit as a screw on the underside rubs on the left door if I try to open it fully wide but that’s not worth another $100.

Otherwise runs like a champ up to 650 no sweat.