Thanks for the help. I'll hold off on the fan for now.
I found a great thread with more detailed gen info, based on model numbers. There were a lot of variations, probably even more that aren't accounted for in the model number - like variations in inserts, etc..
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/a/masterbuilt-electric-smokehouse-models
Based on that, mine is a 1st gen. 20070211 SS door/with Win, BLK body,1200 Watt HE,RC,W/H, HE access
door, small WCT. So that means black body, REMOTE CONTROL, wheels and handle, heating element access door
small wood chip tray. I'll need to ask my buddy to look for the remote.
The problem with one of the wheels on mine was due to corrosion. The internal inserts are spinning for the two screws. One of the big leveling bolts was the same. It eventually released. I had to cut the heads off the small screws. I didn't see any alternative - it was necessary to remove the wheel mounts to get the back off. Once inside I'll need to figure out how to deal with the screw stubs and the spinning inserts. Anyone with an MES might want to lube or anti-seize the wheel threads. Those screws can rust due to moisture and salt that runs down to the bottom of the smoker, or from the outside.
To replace the rivets, I bought #8-3/4" screws. They seem to be a good fit. I didn't see any advantage to going any longer, since it's just soft foam in there beyond the skin metal. 1/2" might have been okay.
I have good access in the back now, it is just anchored by the inserts at the top. I don't think there is a groove on mine - the panel just rests on the surface. It looks like it will be pretty easy to re-attach.
Given the rust and drippage, etc, I am curious about the bottom - sort of! Not sure if I'll pull it off or not. It could be pretty nasty in there from spills. If there is nasty foam insulation I might want to replace it with fiberglass. I'm not a fan of the polyeurethane foam insulation for this application. It tends to burn near the heating element and then it gives off very toxic fumes. I may cut the darkened section around the element away and re-stuff it.
The heatshrink on the heating element connectors is intact. I'm tempted to leave it alone. But given what others have found, I really should cut it back and check the connection. And of course I want to flip the burner.
I have the original drip pan, with the drain hole, for the bottom. I don't have the oval shaped water bowl, which seems to be part number 910060064 . Is the gen 1 water pan well made? Just wondering if I should order one or try and find something else to replace it.
Do you have any issue using it without water, and grease burning when it hits the hot surface, causing acrid smoke?
It sounds like you have it mostly under control. I too would not be so tempted to take the bottom off.
I think that when you check the connectors to the heating element you will find that with a little tug they probably snap. It doesn't take much.
The water bowl/pan is solid so if you ordered one it would work. If you have something solid to replace it with then feel free to go that way as well. I just foil over mine and no issues with it or any grease burning and I do not put any water in it. I often use foil pans so I rarely collect any grease on/in the water pan or the drip pan for that matter. I also foil over the drip pan to easily clean it up as I won't want to collect anything that will burn.
If you foil, replace foil often, and plan for drippings, you shouldn't have any issues :)
TallBM, the convection fan seemed to me as though it ought to be a big help to equalize temperatures within the smoker. It's too bad that the results so far may not be quite what you were hoping for.
With that said, the location shown makes me wonder if another spot might help it work better?
If it was pointing up, or down, I wonder if it could help circulate the air vertically through the smoker. There are presumably larger temperature gradients up/down, vs left/right, or front/back.
In theory (if going all-out), two fans could maybe help with movement even more. Say, one in the lower-left corner, blowing up, and one in the top-right corner, blowing down, to help move the air in a circle.
Perhaps you could try putting a deflector in front of the fan where it is, to direct the air upwards?
The fan does help quite a bit but I think it loses some effectiveness when I put in the water pan or I use a foil pan on the bottom shelf.
It still stirs air very well BUT all the other stuff
I don't like to let the drippings go directly to the heating element or to the drip pan because I don't want to cause a fire/flame situation.
So I use a foil pan to catch the drippings which then reduces the effectiveness some.
The bottom rack is the most effective for maintaining temp and such so putting the foil pan on the bottom rack to catch drippings then reduces effectiveness.
If I don't use the foil pan and I want a heat shield then I put in the water pan. Well the water pan then reduces effectiveness some.
I gotta figure out a combo that works best because my current approaches don't eliminate effectiveness, but they sure as hell don't give me max effectiveness either, so I'm always playing in the middle.
I chose the fan position based off of convection oven designs and the reported effectiveness of others who have put fan mods in.
Also the location provides zero interference with the water pan and racks and is about as centered as possible with the flipped heating element.
Based on that bit of research I think the position is probably the best but the smoker design and/or my configuration isn't so well suited for the fan to do it's best job. It's the best I think that could be done with what is there so I still need to do some evaluation.
I do think the 2 fans would do better. As as it stands now I'm married to the 1 fan approach and probably not going to add a 2nd fan because I don't want to full with rewiring my controller box to support 2 fans, fixing the existing hole and making 2 more holes, 2 motors, and everything else involved with supporting 2 more fans.
If I were doing it from square one I would take the 2 fan approach and figure out the best design for it all. I'm just too far down the road now to care with messing with it so I'm going to work on maximizing the 1 fan effectiveness with pans. When I can leave the pans out of the equation it does super well, to the point where I get crispy skin on chicken!!! :)
I was thinking about a stirring fan in a vertical smoker may be better on top or bottom. Then with food throughout the smoker nothing may help with the vertical height. Putting that half circle perforated stainless steel, for a 22.5" kettle grill, on the bottom rack with the oval flat bottom water pan on top of the stainless perf gets all therms left and right the same as well as the controller and built in meat probe within a few degrees. It maxes my smoker to 260*f where I leave it. I'll never do anything different. Because it's too consistent and easy. Both my Mes gen 1 40" are identical and I gave my son in law the seasoned one and I just started using my spare that came with a defective controller and misaligned door I had to rehang. The box and door are fine. Pure crap vol. 1 and pure crap vol 2. MB is sending me a new controller. I'm glad I saved my case number from pure crap vol. 1. So after I got a hold of a voice with a pulse it appears things are going to be fine. Customer service is good but I can't seem to steer my self way from defective crap they ship without testing and having to call them. I'm 0-2.
-Kurt
Man sounds like some problems you are working through. I'm sure you'll get it all sorted out.
As I mention in the previous bit of info. I think the fan position I chose is likely the best spot for it in the MES.
If I were designing a smoker with a stirring fan I would have built the fan in the back of the smoker like convection ovens position their fans. The convection oven design takes into account racks, food, etc. for stirring air where my mod does the best it can for positioning with the MES design. As it stands the fan causes no interference what so ever with racks, water pan, heating element, and causes minimal interference with the heating element panel on the back of the smoker.
In the bottom above the heating element, the fan can immediately work on stirring the heat as it is generated. Also it can work on stirring the smoke right as it comes into the smoker from my mailbox mod. That's a win-win.
If I were to do a 2nd fan at this point I think I would pit it on the left side under the bottom rack so I had perpendicular stirring and 1 fan would immediately handle the heat and smoke and the 2nd fan would assist in stirring air with less hindrance from the water pan and racks. At that point I think the 2 fans would provide max performance for the MES design.
I'll let someone else tackle that 2 fan approach though. Currently I am satisfied with my 1 fan and trying to figure out how to maximize it rather then jumping to working with 2 fans to figure out :)
It is all very interesting stuff to try and figure out on the way to making the best smoked food possible :)