Lion Grill Cleaning & Repair

Lion builds stainless gas grills with cast stainless burners at a price well below the luxury brands. The two models we see constantly are the L75000 (32-inch) and the L90000 (40-inch). Many have a rear infrared rotisserie burner and lit knobs. Lion also sells side burners, refrigerators, doors and drawers, and ready-made islands.

A lot of Lion grills went into islands built by landscapers and contractors around Southern California, which means a lot of them have the same few model sizes. That's good news when a Lion eventually needs replacing, because the cutouts are predictable.

• Ignition. The ignition module or individual electrodes stop sparking. See igniter replacement.
• Flame tamers. Heat distribution plates that warp or rust over time, and grease buildup on them that causes flare-ups. See heat plate replacement.
• Rotisserie burner. Rear infrared burners that stop lighting.
• Knob lights that go out.
• Island gas connections. Flex lines and fittings in islands that were never properly leak tested. See the gas leak soap test.

The cast stainless burners hold up well, so burner replacement is less common on Lions than ignition and heat plate work.

Grates, flame tamers and burners come out. We clear ports and venturi tubes, scrape and degrease the firebox with a biodegradable cleaner, and clean the drip tray and grease path. We check the rotisserie burner and test ignition and flame on every burner. If the grill is in an island, we open the access doors and check for grease drips, rodents and the condition of the gas connections. Drop cloths go down first, and grease and rinse water leave with us. See grill cleaning.

Lion parts are generally easy to get, and many common parts fit across model years. The rating label is usually on the grill head, often under the control panel or visible with the drip tray removed. When an old Lion is rusted through, a new grill head of the same size often drops right into the existing island. We supply and install replacements, Lion or another brand. See replacing a built-in grill in the same cutout.

For islands, a yearly look at everything, not just the grill, catches problems early. Our outdoor kitchen maintenance checklist lists what to check.

A lot of Lion islands also have a Lion side burner, and those tend to go unused until a holiday. Light it once a month or so to keep spiders from settling into the burner.