New Bullseye Hinge Problems?

[Beach Bum]

So far its been great. Only about 4-5 cooks. Temp control is amazing. Some not as smokey as I'd like, but I figure that's just learning curve. Have tried chips on the deflector - works but probably need more / sooner? Have not bought a smoke tube yet but open to it. Added a cast iron grill and will be making a drip pan for low slow.

Not sure if this will help. These are photos of the hinges on my 380X. I have one of the original batch. We were at the RT Academy in late 2022 when they debuted. I recall fiddling a bit with the hinge to make the lid sit properly. I think I had to tinker with the order and tightness of the six screws that are used to mount it to the grill and lid. Eventually it was just right.

 

[JohnC]

Not sure if this will help. These are photos of the hinges on my 380X. I have one of the original batch. We were at the RT Academy in late 2022 when they debuted. I recall fiddling a bit with the hinge to make the lid sit properly. I think I had to tinker with the order and tightness of the six screws that are used to mount it to the grill and lid. Eventually it was just right.

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Super helpful thanks man! Might take me a bit to be able to look at it again but great to have a "good deluxe hinge" reference!

 

[Beach Bum]

Super helpful thanks man! Might take me a bit to be able to look at it again but great to have a "good deluxe hinge" reference!

Good luck; happy to help. It looks like you were trying all sorts of variations to make it work. The black machine screws definitely should be inserted on each end. If the hinge is not lining up well with the pre-drilled holes on the lid and grill, I wonder if you have a factory problem on one or both of those parts? I don't recall any problems with them during my assembly.

I do think I may have overtightened and needed to dial back some screws a quarter turn to allow the lid to fully close.

 

[Grilltreats]

My first thought to remedy this possible manufactured error is to open the lid and place a 1/4" or proper thickness needed piece such as a piece of wood or screwdriver or whatever you have under the lid in the very back against the hinge and carefully close the lid putting some pressure on the front of the lid to bend the lid/hinge to give you a tighter fit upfront or to close the gap. Sometimes you have to make it yours once you receive it.

 

[Wthortho]

My one year old 380x came the exact same way from the factory. I got a second hinge from Recteq and it was a little better than ur pics. The problem is definitely a manufacturer issue. I just bent it a touch and lived with it. Surprisingly, it leaks very little smoke and grill stays hot.

 

[deepseaduck]

So I found a few mentions of this problem here and around internet but not a clear answer on solutions...

Brand new Bullseye Deluxe - love it so far - but from the jump the lid didn't close properly. It would "levitate" about 1/2" above the front of the bowl because the hinge was binding at the rear.
Spent hours on it when it was new trying to fiddle thinking I just wasn't adjusting it correctly before realizing it was just not right.

RT CS sent me a new hinge which is slightly better but still not right.

Now I must have 3-4hrs into trying to make this work between the original and new hinge. The hinges are DEFINITELY made wrong - the holes aren't in the right place I think on the bottom part (or, the bends aren't quite right on the bottom which are creating the hole alignment issue)

Only progress I've made is in taking better pictures of the problem to illustrate, I'm pretty good at that now

You can see here if the hinge plates are screwed to the lid and bowl the hinge pin holes are WAY off...
Then alternately if you put the hinge pin and screw it to the bowl only you can see how far the gap is to the lid.

Anybody got suggestions? I've sent these pix to RT CS again but the first time although they DID send me a hinge they tried out the old "that's just how they are supposed to be" on me first (no I don't think a smoker grill is supposed to leave the lid cracked 1/2" open at all times?)

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I took a pencil grinder and slotted the hinge holes just a little bit. It worked perfectly. It doesn’t require taking much off.

 

[CWM1946]

Not sure if this will help. These are photos of the hinges on my 380X. I have one of the original batch. We were at the RT Academy in late 2022 when they debuted. I recall fiddling a bit with the hinge to make the lid sit properly. I think I had to tinker with the order and tightness of the six screws that are used to mount it to the grill and lid. Eventually it was just right.

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I had the same problem. Also was told the gap is supposed to be there. Was first informed to adjust the hinge. No success, was sent a new hinge, no success was finally sent a new lid and, voila, fit fine with either hinge. The Bullseye is my second RT grill. Loved the first one (560 or something) but now I’m the only meat eater. Anyway, QC in China not as good as it should be. A very slight warp in the lid shows up as a gap. If you’re making pizza at 700-900 plus that gap is a big problem. If you’re smoking a prime brisket that gap can ruin $80-100 worth of meat. Get a new lid.

 

[JohnC]

I had the same problem. Also was told the gap is supposed to be there. Was first informed to adjust the hinge. No success, was sent a new hinge, no success was finally sent a new lid and, voila, fit fine with either hinge. The Bullseye is my second RT grill. Loved the first one (560 or something) but now I’m the only meat eater. Anyway, QC in China not as good as it should be. A very slight warp in the lid shows up as a gap. If you’re making pizza at 700-900 plus that gap is a big problem. If you’re smoking a prime brisket that gap can ruin $80-100 worth of meat. Get a new lid.

Just seeing this, thanks man! OK so its the HOLES in the lid that are off. I suspect if I call and try again for a new lid, I won't have luck, as they literally gave me verbiage that was something like "this is the last thing we are going to do for you on this issue". The fact that they've fixed yours shows they have a production mistake either with the hinges or the lids or whatever. I might try again by phone (so far I've used their "online" ticket system) but I won't be super optimistic.

BTW they've been spamming me to "write a review" over and over again, and so I did, giving I think 4 stars and a generally positive "really great grill but lid problem" review and..... They apparently deleted it. That's disappointing but not exactly a surprise this day and age.

 

[JohnC]

My first thought to remedy this possible manufactured error is to open the lid and place a 1/4" or proper thickness needed piece such as a piece of wood or screwdriver or whatever you have under the lid in the very back against the hinge and carefully close the lid putting some pressure on the front of the lid to bend the lid/hinge to give you a tighter fit upfront or to close the gap. Sometimes you have to make it yours once you receive it.

Yeah not bad idea, I areadly tried a variety of shimming washers at some time-expense to me, that definitely won't do it as the fault is in the vertical plane as i only later discovered. I would be open to a little "persuading" like that but I don't think it will work at least not very nicely....

I took a pencil grinder and slotted the hinge holes just a little bit. It worked perfectly. It doesn’t require taking much off.

Since I'm very skeptical about them sorting out this any further, I also think I might just go this route instead as I think its what it needs. I DO have 2 hinges now so I am going to designate one as the "eff it up and see if we can't fix it!" one The nicest way to fix it I thought would be to open the holes up for the big hinge pin but there's a ton of material to take off there, it might be easier to slot the 3 screw mount holes instead.