Knob won't shut off gas

[nickcrowhurst]

You're very welcome. What a great resource this forum is!
Nick

[sequoiacoast]

I had a heck of a time finding the grease. But the appliance store where I bought my home appliances is going to give me some.

One other question: When I reassemble the valve and intend to screw it back onto the "L" shaped pipe, is there anything I should use to help keep that seal, well sealed? It seems like a vulnerable area for leaks because the valve needs to stop to the position of the handle, not necessarily because it gets so tight it stops.

[nickcrowhurst]

The general rule for gas, IIRC, is that standard parallel sided pipe threads use the special PTFE tape for gas use (mine is on a green reel, rather than the common blue or white for water) , whereas compression fittings and tapers are assembled dry. That's on the supply side of the valve. After the jet, on the delivery side, the tubes usually lay loosely in position, at least in the stoves I have overhauled.
Nick

[sequoiacoast]

Well I have cleaned and re-greased the valves and... they still leaked. So I took them apart again and put more grease on. Still leaked. Then I thought maybe the springs weren't springy enough, so I tried to find replacements... none matched the diameter, so I pulled them a little to make them push harder... still leaks.

When I use the knobs that don't leak at the start of my test, they begin to leak after turning on and off.

It seems the valves are leaking because the cylinders are being forced (by pressure of the gas) loose inside the valve, sending gas out the burner and the knob.

Any suggestions?

[nickcrowhurst]

I would try 2 approaches:
1. Dismantle the valve, and clean the grease off the parts. Get some valve grinding paste from an auto parts store. I usually buy a pot with coarse paste at one end and fine at the other. Smear a little of the fine paste onto the cone, insert it into the valve, and rotate back and forth perhaps 90 degrees of wrist rotation with moderate hand pressure. After about a dozen twists, lift the cone turn through 90 degrees, and repeat. Lift out the cone and see if there is an evenly lapped surface. Continue until there is such a surface. If the process is too slow, use the coarse paste until an even surface is obtained, then repeat with the smooth paste until you have an even smooth finish over the mating surfaces. You do not want to spin the cone round and round, as this can cause grooves. Be very careful to wash off all the paste with a solvent like acetone or mineral spirits, before regreasing and reassembling.
2. Also see if it is possible to pack out the ends of the old springs with washers. This may not be possible with the construction of your valves. Good luck.
Nick.

[ticki2]

I think you are the right track with the spring . I have a 100 year old gas Glenwood stove in my kitchen that is used every day ,with original valves. The valves are not identical to yours but the principle is the same . They have a taper with an external spring that is adjustable.
Try putting a clean valve back together dry . then try pulling up or pushing down to see if it stops the leak . If it does the problem is probably the spring tension.
You may be able to scrounge springs from a junk range or an appliance repair shop . The grease is a good idea , but as Nick said , use sparingly , it tends to collect dirt making the valves harder to operate. Good luck

[sequoiacoast]

Hey, I have a question:

I stopped the leaks on the valves, the interior oven still had a leak (probably the pilot...) anyway, I moved on to other projects and ended up just buying a new oven. We bought a new fridge, water heater, and furnace... so we just decided to do it all.

But now I have a mostly restored 68' magic chef, with a shiny new stainless panel... looks great, probably needs more tweaking, and now I need to unload it.

Here's the question: Should I list it here, ebay, or craigslist (no shipping to deal with) and how much should I ask? Any opinions would be appreciated! Thanks!