After a busy couple of weeks, got some time to get the range installed. After contacting several parts houses and finding the valves for this model NLA, I decided to look at fixing the valve. Upon inspection, the part that was broken was not involved in the actual gas control at all, it was only the safety lock mechanism that requires the valve to be be pushed in to turn it out of the "Off" position, and also provides detents at the "ignite" and "medium" settings.
I fixed the problem by brazing the loose collar back in place. Note to self, next time brazing small parts get a small torch and thin brazing rods. Nearly melted the collar trying to get the rod to melt. Luckily it's still serviceable. Probably should have gone for the JB Weld in retrospect. But, the control now working properly and the stem no longer wobbles. To install the range, I had to do was remove a 18" cabinet next to where the old range had been, and it slid in. Still need to cut down the countertop that was over that cabinet. I also want to find a piece of stainless steel for a backsplash. Needs to be 48" x 24" roughly. I inquired at the local sheet-metal shop and they would want over $100 for 16ga, grade "B" finish. Need to get creative here. With a $5 flare fitting adapter from the local hardware store, the gas line was connected. All the burners, ovens, and broiler work. The ignitor switches for the burners seem a bit wonky: requires a bit of fine-tuning the knob position to get the ignitors to spark, by which time enough gas has been released to make the burner ignite with a "whump." Thinking of adding a separate ignitor activation button, or just manually lighting using a long-nose lighter. The oven ignitors are the glow/resistance style, not spark, and they work fine. I have not yet installed the vent hood, and it seems that it might be necessary. The oven burners burn a bit unevenly, but when I open the oven doors they settle down. I'm thinking they might need a slight draft which would normally be provided by the vent hood. All in all I'm pretty pleased. Cooking is wonderful, I love the very even heat and fine degree of heat control on the rangetop burners. The valves adjust though nearly 270 degrees of rotation, compared to the roughly 90 degrees on the old range. This morning I made perfect over-easy eggs which was always tricky on the old range, seemed either too hot or not hot enough. Allan Allan Streib <str...@cs.indiana.edu> writes: > Well I ended up winning the auction for the surplus Viking range the > university was selling. > > Got it home today. It's HEAVY! Only problem I can spot with it so far > is one of the burner valves has a wobbly stem. There's a brass collar > that centers the stem in the valve body, looks like it was swaged in and > the knob was probably bumped hard at some point and the collar pulled > loose. I can fit it back in place but it pops right out again. I'll > try cleaning it up and JB-Welding it in place. Or, it looks like the > front plate of the valve is attached with screws, I might be able to > remove it and then braze the collar on. Worst case a new valve looks > like it will run about $30. > > Allan -- 1983 300D 1979 300SD _______________________________________ http://www.okiebenz.com For new and used parts go to www.okiebenz.com To search list archives http://www.okiebenz.com/archive/ To Unsubscribe or change delivery options go to: http://mail.okiebenz.com/mailman/listinfo/mercedes_okiebenz.com
