Late 60s-early70s GE 40" range - $50.00 - Altamont, NY
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danemodsandy
Well-known member
Looks Like Harvest!
You probably have the correct time frame for this range; this was the period that GE was transitioning from pushbuttons to rotary controls. Sadly, GE's catalogs of the period do not show the 40-inchers available, so an exact date would depend on knowing a serial number.
The photo isn't the greatest, making it a little hard to tell if it's shaded Harvest or unshaded Harvest. The unshaded version would put it later in the decade.
You probably have the correct time frame for this range; this was the period that GE was transitioning from pushbuttons to rotary controls. Sadly, GE's catalogs of the period do not show the 40-inchers available, so an exact date would depend on knowing a serial number.
The photo isn't the greatest, making it a little hard to tell if it's shaded Harvest or unshaded Harvest. The unshaded version would put it later in the decade.
hippiedoll
Well-known member
oh i like this G.E. stove....
it has the knobs for the burners, instead of the push buttons. this is BEAUTIFUL and i do like that color, i think it would match my maytag pretty good. but new york is so far away!!!
too bad this wasn't in tucson or even phoenix
(
oh well....
/
thanks for sharing this post. i did enjoy seeing the picture of it. i wonder if it's the "self-cleaning" oven. we have a coppertone double oven that is a G.E. "self-cleaning" oven. but i can't get the levers to latch over so that i can "self-clean" them. i'm guessing cuz they are so old??? but they do work!! ;o)
it has the knobs for the burners, instead of the push buttons. this is BEAUTIFUL and i do like that color, i think it would match my maytag pretty good. but new york is so far away!!!
too bad this wasn't in tucson or even phoenix
(oh well....
/thanks for sharing this post. i did enjoy seeing the picture of it. i wonder if it's the "self-cleaning" oven. we have a coppertone double oven that is a G.E. "self-cleaning" oven. but i can't get the levers to latch over so that i can "self-clean" them. i'm guessing cuz they are so old??? but they do work!! ;o)
As Sandy says,
The consumer catalogs did not list the 40" models this late; however, I remember the local GE dealer having a 3-ring binder that had the catalog spec sheets for every GE product made. It was pretty thick.
The consumer catalogs did not list the 40" models this late; however, I remember the local GE dealer having a 3-ring binder that had the catalog spec sheets for every GE product made. It was pretty thick.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Christina:
If you will look carefully at the chrome handle for the big oven, you will see that there is a knob sticking out of the front of the range just above it.
That knob is the knob of the latch lever that locks the oven door during P*7 self-cleaning. That means this range has the self-cleaning feature, though finding whether it still works or not would take an in-person inspection.
You're beginning to find out about one of the frustrations of this hobby - very often, the very appliance you dream of owning is too far away. Certain appliances really require that in-person inspection I just mentioned, and shipping costs a fortune.
You just have to keep looking in your area, and you have to accept that there will be some frustration for a while. Trust me, someone out there has found out that their dream appliance is in Tucson - and they're too far away to afford the shipping. It's just the way it is.
If you will look carefully at the chrome handle for the big oven, you will see that there is a knob sticking out of the front of the range just above it.
That knob is the knob of the latch lever that locks the oven door during P*7 self-cleaning. That means this range has the self-cleaning feature, though finding whether it still works or not would take an in-person inspection.
You're beginning to find out about one of the frustrations of this hobby - very often, the very appliance you dream of owning is too far away. Certain appliances really require that in-person inspection I just mentioned, and shipping costs a fortune.
You just have to keep looking in your area, and you have to accept that there will be some frustration for a while. Trust me, someone out there has found out that their dream appliance is in Tucson - and they're too far away to afford the shipping. It's just the way it is.
Christina, Are you pushing the latch release button in as you try to move the lever?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Also, Christina:
If you're having trouble moving your latch levers, I wonder -
Does your oven have windows in the doors?
If it does, you may have the window shields found on most earlier GE ovens with P*7 self-cleaning. The window shields are metal grates inside the oven door that slide up and down to protect the outer window from getting too hot during cleaning. Since your oven is Coppertone, it is almost certainly old enough to have this feature.
If you will open your oven door, look at the inside of the door, just outside the woven Fiberglas gasket that seals the door during self-cleaning. You may see two silvery metal tabs - one on the left side of the window opening, one on the right. If you do, grasp them both at the same time and slide them UPWARD (toward you, when the oven door is open); you will see the window shield move into place between the inner and outer panes of the window. Slide it upward until it completely covers the window.
Doing this also releases a lock on the door that prevents the levers from being moved until the shield is correctly in place. GE was very careful to make P*7 very safe to use; they put a lot of safety features into the design. This is a feature that keeps the outer glass from getting hot enough to burn someone. Most self-cleaning ovens will burn the bejabbers out of you if you brush up against the glass during self-cleaning. An early P*7 oven's door will be hot, but you won't end up in the E.R.
If your problem actually was the window shields not being raised, you should be able to move your oven door latches once they are raised. When you are through running a self-cleaning cycle, you move the tabs again, pushing them away from you, to lower the shields.
If you have never been able to use the P*7 feature on your oven, I highly recommend the 1966 GE Range Owner's Manual on Automatic Ephemera. It's an easy, inexpensive download, and it will give you complete instructions on how to use your self-cleaning feature.
If you're having trouble moving your latch levers, I wonder -
Does your oven have windows in the doors?
If it does, you may have the window shields found on most earlier GE ovens with P*7 self-cleaning. The window shields are metal grates inside the oven door that slide up and down to protect the outer window from getting too hot during cleaning. Since your oven is Coppertone, it is almost certainly old enough to have this feature.
If you will open your oven door, look at the inside of the door, just outside the woven Fiberglas gasket that seals the door during self-cleaning. You may see two silvery metal tabs - one on the left side of the window opening, one on the right. If you do, grasp them both at the same time and slide them UPWARD (toward you, when the oven door is open); you will see the window shield move into place between the inner and outer panes of the window. Slide it upward until it completely covers the window.
Doing this also releases a lock on the door that prevents the levers from being moved until the shield is correctly in place. GE was very careful to make P*7 very safe to use; they put a lot of safety features into the design. This is a feature that keeps the outer glass from getting hot enough to burn someone. Most self-cleaning ovens will burn the bejabbers out of you if you brush up against the glass during self-cleaning. An early P*7 oven's door will be hot, but you won't end up in the E.R.
If your problem actually was the window shields not being raised, you should be able to move your oven door latches once they are raised. When you are through running a self-cleaning cycle, you move the tabs again, pushing them away from you, to lower the shields.
If you have never been able to use the P*7 feature on your oven, I highly recommend the 1966 GE Range Owner's Manual on Automatic Ephemera. It's an easy, inexpensive download, and it will give you complete instructions on how to use your self-cleaning feature.
hippiedoll
Well-known member
danemodsandy....
thank you for the step by step instructions.
i actually did the steps you described, which i had done them before too, even pushing in the "latch release" button while i tried to slide the lever over to lock position. cuz there are some instructions on the inside of the oven door. but i'm thinking, i wonder if i did they "out of sequence" or something??? cuz i did the steps the way you explained them and guess what??!!??......
i did get the latch to lock on the top oven. but the bottom oven is one stubborn son of a gun!!! and the thing is that we use the bottom oven cuz it works better. the top oven works too but doesn't seem to reach the right temperature. so, we only use the bottom oven. and that's the one that i can't get the latch to lock on!! and i've pushed the "latch release" button and the oven makes a low "buzz" sound. but i did get the top oven's latch to slide over. i just can't get the bottom oven's latch to slide over. and when i try to slide the latch (with the oven door open) i do see 2 flat metal hooks come out of the slot above the oven. but i just can't get it to work on the bottom oven???
thank you so much. i think i even twisted my darned back trying to move the bottom oven's lever over (while pushing in the "latch release" button, up on the top oven). but i sure was surprised when i easily latched the top oven. i just can't understand why the bottom oven's latch won't work???
one thing i did find that i thought might effect it was that there are 2 screws on the inside of the oven door, up towards the top corners of the door. the ones on the bottom oven door; one needed tightening, and the other one was 1/2 way out). so i tightened both screws on the bottom oven door. and the top oven door's screws were already tight. i thought, maybe the loose screws weren't holding something in place, inside the oven door, for the hooks to latch onto. but even after i tightened the 2 screws on the bottom oven door, i still can't get the darned thing latched!!??!!??
LOL....
thank you again for all the help danemodsandy. i really do appreciate you helping me with them great step by step instructions.
i do have a question for you now that i am thinking about it...
can you "self-clean" both the top & bottom ovens at the same time? or was that another safety feature GE added to their double-ovens, only one oven can be set on "self-cleaning" at a time??
let me go and give this bottom oven another try. i swear sometimes i get stubborn too!!!
LOL....
i'll let you know if i get it to latch or not.....
thank you for the step by step instructions.
i actually did the steps you described, which i had done them before too, even pushing in the "latch release" button while i tried to slide the lever over to lock position. cuz there are some instructions on the inside of the oven door. but i'm thinking, i wonder if i did they "out of sequence" or something??? cuz i did the steps the way you explained them and guess what??!!??......
i did get the latch to lock on the top oven. but the bottom oven is one stubborn son of a gun!!! and the thing is that we use the bottom oven cuz it works better. the top oven works too but doesn't seem to reach the right temperature. so, we only use the bottom oven. and that's the one that i can't get the latch to lock on!! and i've pushed the "latch release" button and the oven makes a low "buzz" sound. but i did get the top oven's latch to slide over. i just can't get the bottom oven's latch to slide over. and when i try to slide the latch (with the oven door open) i do see 2 flat metal hooks come out of the slot above the oven. but i just can't get it to work on the bottom oven???
thank you so much. i think i even twisted my darned back trying to move the bottom oven's lever over (while pushing in the "latch release" button, up on the top oven). but i sure was surprised when i easily latched the top oven. i just can't understand why the bottom oven's latch won't work???
one thing i did find that i thought might effect it was that there are 2 screws on the inside of the oven door, up towards the top corners of the door. the ones on the bottom oven door; one needed tightening, and the other one was 1/2 way out). so i tightened both screws on the bottom oven door. and the top oven door's screws were already tight. i thought, maybe the loose screws weren't holding something in place, inside the oven door, for the hooks to latch onto. but even after i tightened the 2 screws on the bottom oven door, i still can't get the darned thing latched!!??!!??
LOL....
thank you again for all the help danemodsandy. i really do appreciate you helping me with them great step by step instructions.
i do have a question for you now that i am thinking about it...
can you "self-clean" both the top & bottom ovens at the same time? or was that another safety feature GE added to their double-ovens, only one oven can be set on "self-cleaning" at a time??
let me go and give this bottom oven another try. i swear sometimes i get stubborn too!!!
LOL....
i'll let you know if i get it to latch or not.....
hippiedoll
Well-known member
and yes.....
the oven doors both have windows in them, and yes, they both have the metal tabs on each side of the window, that pull up to make a metal shield slide up, in between the oven glass windows. i even pulled up on the tabs to make sure that the metal shield was covering all the way to the top of the oven window. but i will give it another try & see if i can get that bottom oven to latch for "self-cleaning"!!
keep your fingers crossed for me......
;o)
the oven doors both have windows in them, and yes, they both have the metal tabs on each side of the window, that pull up to make a metal shield slide up, in between the oven glass windows. i even pulled up on the tabs to make sure that the metal shield was covering all the way to the top of the oven window. but i will give it another try & see if i can get that bottom oven to latch for "self-cleaning"!!
keep your fingers crossed for me......
;o)
hippiedoll
Well-known member
nope.....
i couldn't get the bottom oven's latch to move all the way over, to lock the oven door.
oh well. i guess you can't miss what you've never had (or used)?? i just thought it would be kinda neat to put the "self-cleaning" option to use & see how well the oven cleaned itself.
maybe on the next oven we get......
hm hm hm.....
i couldn't get the bottom oven's latch to move all the way over, to lock the oven door.
oh well. i guess you can't miss what you've never had (or used)?? i just thought it would be kinda neat to put the "self-cleaning" option to use & see how well the oven cleaned itself.
maybe on the next oven we get......
hm hm hm.....
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Christina:
It sounds like you also have a latch problem, which is definitely fixable, but I am not experienced enough to advise you. John (combo52) would be the person who could tell you more; he knows more about early GE P*7 ranges than GE does.
I know enough to tell you that your problem could either be the latch, or the window shield. When you raise the window shield, look at the top of the inside of the door (the part closest to you when the door is open). You will see a hole in the oven door at the top center; the hole has a silvery plate covering it from behind.
That plate is supposed to move out of the way when you raise the window shields, leaving an open hole. That hole is where the latch goes when you flip the latch closed. The reason the plate is in the way with the shield lowered is so that you cannot flip the latch closed if the shield is not properly raised. Shield up, hole open - latch can be flipped. Shield down, hole closed, latch cannot be flipped. This is called an interlock.
If this plate is not moving out of the way properly, then your problem is with the shield, inside the oven door, and it's complicated to describe what to do. This is why asking combo52 might be a good idea. But you can test the interlock and see what's going on by yourself.
DO. NOT. disassemble the door until you understand what you are doing. It is complicated in there, there are a bunch of little weird parts, and every single blessed one of them has to be in exactly the right place to make the door work right. Taking stuff apart in hopes you'll stumble on the problem will do more harm than good, trust me. I had to go into my oven door when I was restoring my J 370, and I thought I would NEVER get the thing back together right. I mean I was sweating and cursing.
Spare yourself that, okay?
It sounds like you also have a latch problem, which is definitely fixable, but I am not experienced enough to advise you. John (combo52) would be the person who could tell you more; he knows more about early GE P*7 ranges than GE does.
I know enough to tell you that your problem could either be the latch, or the window shield. When you raise the window shield, look at the top of the inside of the door (the part closest to you when the door is open). You will see a hole in the oven door at the top center; the hole has a silvery plate covering it from behind.
That plate is supposed to move out of the way when you raise the window shields, leaving an open hole. That hole is where the latch goes when you flip the latch closed. The reason the plate is in the way with the shield lowered is so that you cannot flip the latch closed if the shield is not properly raised. Shield up, hole open - latch can be flipped. Shield down, hole closed, latch cannot be flipped. This is called an interlock.
If this plate is not moving out of the way properly, then your problem is with the shield, inside the oven door, and it's complicated to describe what to do. This is why asking combo52 might be a good idea. But you can test the interlock and see what's going on by yourself.
DO. NOT. disassemble the door until you understand what you are doing. It is complicated in there, there are a bunch of little weird parts, and every single blessed one of them has to be in exactly the right place to make the door work right. Taking stuff apart in hopes you'll stumble on the problem will do more harm than good, trust me. I had to go into my oven door when I was restoring my J 370, and I thought I would NEVER get the thing back together right. I mean I was sweating and cursing.
Spare yourself that, okay?
danemodsandy
Well-known member
P.S.:
Christina:
I do not know the answer to your question about cleaning both ovens at the same time. I've never done it or tried to.
Hopefully someone else will know the answer.
Christina:
I do not know the answer to your question about cleaning both ovens at the same time. I've never done it or tried to.
Hopefully someone else will know the answer.
danemodsandy
Well-known member
Oh, And Christina:
Just curious -
Is your GE double wall oven like the one in the photo below, just Coppertone instead of White?
If it is, that is a VERY nice unit, well worth fixing. It's a JK 29 double P*7 wall oven, top of the wall oven line. It was very, very expensive new.
Just curious -
Is your GE double wall oven like the one in the photo below, just Coppertone instead of White?
If it is, that is a VERY nice unit, well worth fixing. It's a JK 29 double P*7 wall oven, top of the wall oven line. It was very, very expensive new.
top oven reaching right temperature
Christina, are you saying that when you set the temperature knob on the oven (as an example 350 degrees) it is either not quite 350 or it's steady at over 350 degrees? My house was built in July 1984 and I bou8ght it January 1986--2nd owner. I have a 1984 slide-in Hotpoint range. From day one I noticed it was a little on the hot side. Very quickly I learned to lower the temperature knob about 12 degrees and everything is always perfect. (Yes I could do the adjustment on the temperature knob (under the knob are some screws), but that's too much trouble. I just lower the temperature. If it's just a small reduction or addition to the temperature knob, then the oven is more than usable. But if it does 100 to 125 degree temperature swings and is inconsistent in maintaining any type of temperature, then it might be the thermostat. Electric ovens when cycling the coils on & off during baking, may have as much as 10 to 15 degrees drop before the coil is energized to bring the heat back up to set temperature.
Hope this helps, Bob
Christina, are you saying that when you set the temperature knob on the oven (as an example 350 degrees) it is either not quite 350 or it's steady at over 350 degrees? My house was built in July 1984 and I bou8ght it January 1986--2nd owner. I have a 1984 slide-in Hotpoint range. From day one I noticed it was a little on the hot side. Very quickly I learned to lower the temperature knob about 12 degrees and everything is always perfect. (Yes I could do the adjustment on the temperature knob (under the knob are some screws), but that's too much trouble. I just lower the temperature. If it's just a small reduction or addition to the temperature knob, then the oven is more than usable. But if it does 100 to 125 degree temperature swings and is inconsistent in maintaining any type of temperature, then it might be the thermostat. Electric ovens when cycling the coils on & off during baking, may have as much as 10 to 15 degrees drop before the coil is energized to bring the heat back up to set temperature.
Hope this helps, Bob
The Range in the Photo/Ad
This range is a Model JCP68W in Harvest, and appears in my 1978-1983 GE catalogs. A description of the range's features:
"Deluxe, double-oven model with P-7 self-cleaning master oven that also cleans companion oven's removable panels; solid-state meat thermometer in master oven; Sensi-Temp surface heating unit with non-stick griddle; fluorescent cooktop light; digital clock, automatic oven timer and reminder timer; plug-in Calrod surface heating units."
lawrence
This range is a Model JCP68W in Harvest, and appears in my 1978-1983 GE catalogs. A description of the range's features:
"Deluxe, double-oven model with P-7 self-cleaning master oven that also cleans companion oven's removable panels; solid-state meat thermometer in master oven; Sensi-Temp surface heating unit with non-stick griddle; fluorescent cooktop light; digital clock, automatic oven timer and reminder timer; plug-in Calrod surface heating units."
lawrence
ovrphil
Well-known member
Play it Again GE
Not that it's needed - but here's an expanded view...and nice, nice stove.
Not that it's needed - but here's an expanded view...and nice, nice stove.
hippiedoll
Well-known member
danemodsandy...
danemodsandy:
yes, our oven is the same as the white one you have pictured, but ours is in "coppertone". here is a picture of ours...
as for the bottom oven door, when i slide the side tabs up (to reveal the window shield), that slot at the top of the oven door (on the inside), it does open when the window shield is fully up. so the problem can't be in the door, i don't think? i think it is more in the latch/hooks part??
danemodsandy:
yes, our oven is the same as the white one you have pictured, but ours is in "coppertone". here is a picture of ours...
as for the bottom oven door, when i slide the side tabs up (to reveal the window shield), that slot at the top of the oven door (on the inside), it does open when the window shield is fully up. so the problem can't be in the door, i don't think? i think it is more in the latch/hooks part??
hippiedoll
Well-known member
appnut...
bob:
the way the top oven heats up, from what my mom says, it doesn't reach the actual temperature (i'm guessing?). cuz she said that when they tried to cook in it, it wouldn't cook the food enough. like it didn't get hot enough. that is the way she described it to me.
me personally, because i was told that it didn't work right, i've never tried to use the top oven. and especially now since it's just me & my mom here, i only use the bottom oven when i need to bake. so i wouldn't be able to tell you if it is off by just a few degrees. what would be a good "test" bake to try?? do you have any suggestions?? i am thinking maybe try making a cake at turning up the heat by 25 degrees & see if it works better by setting the temperature 25 degrees higher?? what do you think? or maybe try some cookies at 25 degrees higher. that way, if they don't cook all the way, we will end up with "chewy center" cookies and they will still be "eatable"!?!? LOL.....
bob:
the way the top oven heats up, from what my mom says, it doesn't reach the actual temperature (i'm guessing?). cuz she said that when they tried to cook in it, it wouldn't cook the food enough. like it didn't get hot enough. that is the way she described it to me.
me personally, because i was told that it didn't work right, i've never tried to use the top oven. and especially now since it's just me & my mom here, i only use the bottom oven when i need to bake. so i wouldn't be able to tell you if it is off by just a few degrees. what would be a good "test" bake to try?? do you have any suggestions?? i am thinking maybe try making a cake at turning up the heat by 25 degrees & see if it works better by setting the temperature 25 degrees higher?? what do you think? or maybe try some cookies at 25 degrees higher. that way, if they don't cook all the way, we will end up with "chewy center" cookies and they will still be "eatable"!?!? LOL.....
hippiedoll
Well-known member
pulltostart...
lawrence:
thank you for posting the information about this stove; the years of production & the features this oven has. that was very interesting & informative. thank you...
lawrence:
thank you for posting the information about this stove; the years of production & the features this oven has. that was very interesting & informative. thank you...
