Spirit burner tubes fail in two honest ways: rust-through on the top row of ports, and a crushed inlet that no longer seals on the brass orifice. They fail in one dishonest way: a three-burner kit on a two-burner E-210 because the lid says Spirit. The 210 firebox is narrower. The tubes are shorter.
Confirm 210 versus 310
- Count the knobs that feed the main box (ignore a side burner). Two mains: E-210 family. Three mains: E-310 family.
- Read the plate for Spirit versus Spirit II (GS4). GS4 tubes have a different profile and crossover.
- Mixing original Spirit tubes onto GS4 valves is how you get a leak at the shutter.
- Search Amazon or BBQGuys for Weber Spirit E-210 burner or E-310 burner. Compare diagram length to the tube in your hand. We do not invent ASINs.
Safety
- Tank off and removed if you can lift it. Box cold.
- You will slide thin metal over a brass orifice. If you bend the orifice, the valve may leak forever.
- Do not enlarge orifices.
Removal
- Photograph the firebox, electrode, and crossover.
- Grates and flavorizer bars out. E-210 has two bars; E-310 has three.
- Disconnect the electrode only if it blocks the left tube — pull the spade, do not break the ceramic.
- Remove the rear retainer screws or pins (one per tube on most years). Some Spirits use a single strap.
- Lift the back of each tube and slide off the orifice. If it fights, twist gently — do not pry the valve.
Inspect
- Hold each tube to the sky. Factory ports are even. Extra pinholes, a split seam, or a corkscrewed tube is scrap.
- Brush the inlets. Mud-dauber nest → look into the remaining tubes and consider inlet covers for storage.
- Brass orifices should be round and open. A flattened orifice from a previous rough removal is a valve job. Do not drill it “open.”
Install
- Dry-fit each new tube: inlet over orifice, rear hole over the retainer. If it does not land, you have the wrong length. Stop. Do not slot a 310 to fit a 210.
- Slide fully on. You should not see the orifice beside the inlet. A visible brass tip is a leak and a flashback risk.
- Start the retainer screws. Do not crank them until all tubes are on.
- Refit the crossover so it contacts every tube. GS4 and original crossovers are not mix-and-match.
- Refit the electrode and confirm the gap.
- Flavorizers centered over the tubes. A bar between tubes dumps fat into ports.
- Tank on. Soap-and-water on the tank joint. Lid open. Light each burner. Blue rows. A roaring jet at the front is a tube not on the orifice — shut down and reseat.
After the first cooks
- New stainless can smell like oil for one burn-off. Stay with the grill.
- If one tube is darker after a week, it may have settled off the orifice — check retainers.
- Two of three tubes perforated and flavorizers also lace → add bars plus tubes plus time. A tired Spirit with a clean box is worth the parts. A thin box is not. See repair versus replace.
Not affiliated with Weber. Official diagrams win arguments about GS4 versus original.