How to fit a grill motor
Updated: 23 October 2026
The motor is in your hand and the gas barbecue is already built. How to fit a grill motor is the order after the purchase: a bracket that clears the lid, the square end seated, the meat balanced, the lead off the hot metal, and a probe in the poultry. The [grill motor comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/grill-motor) is where the listings sit. This page does not rank them. We used manufacturer fit notes and the Food Standards Agency cooking page. If you are still choosing a shaft size, that sequence is the [grill motor buying guide](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/grill-motor/sub/grill-motor-buying-guide).
The motor is in your hand and the gas barbecue is already built.
The motor is in your hand and the gas barbecue is already built. How to fit a grill motor is the order after the purchase: a bracket that clears the lid, the square end seated, the meat balanced, the lead off the hot metal, and a probe in the poultry. The grill motor comparison is where the listings sit. This page does not rank them. We used manufacturer fit notes and the Food Standards Agency cooking page. If you are still choosing a shaft size, that sequence is the grill motor buying guide.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Drive | Mount | Supply | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  onlyfire onlyfire F-BRMA212-PE1-UK, mains | 5/16 inch (8 mm) square | Printed as 3 inch (7.6 mm) | 220–240 V mains | 9.2 | about £23.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  onlyfire onlyfire F-BRMA312-SS1-UK, stainless | 5/16 inch (8 mm) square | 3 inch (7.6 cm) | 220–240 V mains | 8.8 | about £26.72 | View offer |
| Alternative |  onlyfire onlyfire Cyprus motor, 6.4 mm | 6.4 x 6.4 mm | Cyprus grills only; mount width not stated | 220–240 V mains | 7.6 | about £21.99 | View offer |
On this page
Bracket first, then the square end
Look at the side of the hood before you slide anything on. Napoleon, Char-Broil UK and BeefEater all start the same way: the bracket is already on the barbecue, and the motor slides onto it. If there is no bracket, and the only route is a new hole near the gas hose, stop. A gas-safe fitter should take that job. A clip-on Cyprus foukou is a different mount, on the Cyprus grill motor page. The spit goes in pointed end first. An 8 mm end, a 6.5 mm end and a 6.4 mm end are different parts. If the square will not enter without force, it is the wrong motor. Tighten the forks so the joint cannot spin on the rod.
Balance the load before you close the lid
A motor that turns an empty rod and stalls under the meat is telling you about balance or about the stated load. Forcing the shaft is how couplings strip. Broil King UK’s test: loosen the spit balance, let the heavy side fall to the bottom, set the balance at the highest point, and tighten it. Laying the rod over a sink makes that low point obvious. Then run the motor and adjust if the turn is uneven. A counterweight sits opposite the heavy side. Stated loads here run from about 2–3 kg up to seller figures of 15 kg, 18 kg and 40 kg. We did not hang those weights. If it still will not turn, rebalance. Put the drip tray under the meat before you close the lid.
Lead, rain, and when to stop
Route the lead before you light the burners. Napoleon’s CE-GB manual says to keep leads and gas hoses off heated surfaces, to keep the motor electrically grounded, and to supply the outdoor appliance through an RCD-protected circuit. The electrical rating printed for that grill is not a wattage for your replacement motor. A lead draped over the hood will cook itself. Unplug the motor when you are not using it. If the plug or the socket is scorched, or a non-UK plug has arrived, stop and call an electrician. No motor in this set prints an IP rating, so the housing is not a rainproof claim. If rain is falling, unplug a mains motor and bring it in. Tape around a square that was the wrong size does not fix the fit.
Check the meat, not the motor
A motor that turns smoothly has not cooked the bird. The Food Standards Agency’s cooking guidance, for England, Northern Ireland and Wales, says poultry and pork should be cooked through. One combination is 70°C for 2 minutes. The equivalents on the same page are 60°C for 45 minutes, 65°C for 10 minutes, 75°C for 30 seconds, and 80°C for 6 seconds. Probe the thickest part and keep the tip off the bone. Without a probe, look for clear juices, no pink meat, and food that is steaming hot. Browning on the skin is not that check. Do not borrow oven minutes-per-kilogram. Napoleon’s UK article still puts balance and about 3 to 6 RPM at the centre of this way of cooking. The best grill motor page is for choosing an 8 mm mains drive before you fit one.
Common questions
What if the barbecue has no bracket?
These steps assume a bracket that already clears the lid, or one the grill maker supplied. Char-Broil UK describes pulling the motor bracket slightly away from the lid on their Professional grill. If you have no bracket, and adding one means drilling near a gas hose, stop. A clip-on foukou uses a different fitting from a gas-grill slide.
How do I balance a chicken so the motor does not stall?
Loosen the balance, let the heavy side fall, set the balance opposite that side, and tighten it. If the empty spit turns and the loaded one stalls, the joint is over the stated load or still unbalanced.
Where does the lead sit relative to the lid and the gas hose?
Keep the lead and the gas hose off heated metal, and use a grounded motor on an RCD-protected outdoor circuit. If the plug or socket is scorched, or the plug is not a UK pattern, an electrician takes over.
Can I leave a mains motor on the grill in the rain?
You should not, on the evidence in this set. None of the motors we listed prints an IP rating, so rain resistance is unclaimed. Unplug a mains motor and bring it in, or follow the grill maker’s cover rules with the motor removed. A battery motor is not sealed unless the listing prints a rating.
How do I know poultry on the spit is cooked?
Probe the thickest part, away from the bone, and use a time-and-temperature combination from the Food Standards Agency page for England, Northern Ireland and Wales. Without a probe, look for clear juices, no pink meat, and food that is steaming hot. Browning on the skin is not a substitute, and oven minutes-per-kilogram are not spit times.
When do I stop and call an electrician?
Stop if the plug or the socket is scorched, if the motor arrived with a non-UK plug, or if a new bracket would mean drilling near the hose. That second stop is for a gas-safe fitter. A stall under an unbalanced bird is a balance problem, not a wiring fault.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.
- GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- The Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, SI 2016/1101 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: garden safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- IET Wiring Matters: 30 mA RCD protection under BS 7671 regulation 411.3.3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Food Standards Agency: cooking your food (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Napoleon UK: how rotisserie cooking works (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- GOV.UK: accepting returns and giving refunds (retrieved 22 October 2026)