More O'Keefe & Merritt Oven Pilot Light Help Needed

[davey7]

Thanks for the suggestion in a previous thread about using compressed air to clear gas lines, however, there seems to be another problem which I can't quite trace. So here's my situation. I took the pilot light assembly in my oven (an O'Keefe & Merritt early 60's model with broiler on one side and oven on the other) apart and cleaned it up. I cleaned out the pilot light, blew out the assembly via the connection for the pilot light. However there doesn't seem to be any gas flowing to the pilot (obviously the thermocouple is no use at this point since the pilot won't light, it won't get hot enough to allow gas to flow once it's reset).

So here's my question; is there another valve hidden somewhere that I don't know about or can't access without pulling the range out from the wall? It has automatic controls for the oven, i.e. on and off which are controlled from the back panel (see photo in link). I noticed that there seems to be an extra gas line for a pilot light, the mystery line is marked "A" in the picture. Line "B" in the picture is directly from the oven thermostat (a Robert Shaw), the broiler line branches from a common line to both it and "A" (and I know it works, as gas is flowing to the broiler pilot). I'll post a couple more photos of the internals of the oven after this one.

 

[davey7]

Here's the interior of the oven with the bottom and burner assembly removed. Note that there is only one line coming in for the pilot (the middle/medium sized line from the back, the little copper line and big gas line both go right back to the compartment with the thermocouples underneath the broiler compartment).

 

[davey7]

And here's, finally, the close up view of the pilot assembly.

Any suggestions? I'm jonesing for lasagna, roasts, cake, cookies and shrinky-dinks!

The range, btw, is fundamentally similar to this one for sale (photo set on Flickr).

for sale: antique gas stove

1950s O'Keefe & Merritt Gas Stove 4 Starjet burners, 1 has Thermatic Burner Control (Can be set from 150-400 degrees) Center griddle or 5th burner (chrome is pitted) Right side is oven and broiler Left side is mechanized broiler lift (Grillevator) and storage drawer Closeable glass...

www.flickr.com

 

[54monroe]

Pilot gas adjustment

Follow the 3/16" aluminum line to the pilot filter at the gas manifold pipe. There will be an adjustment screw for each of the pilots.

 

[davey7]

Would that, could that, be on the thermostat itself (Sorry, I don't have a good picture of it)? But that still wouldn't account for the second line dropping down into the innards of the range?

 

[redcarpetdrew]

A dumb question...

I see no mention of the pilot safety valve. Usually hidden in a side compartment or under the cooktop, it's a valve with a red button which the other end of the thermocouple is attached to. Hold the red button down and light the pilot. Once the pilot lights, hold the button in while the pilot warms up the thermocouple to hold the valve open and allow gas to the main burners. A very nice looking range. Many of the operational parts are shared with the commercial ranges still in service.

RCD

 

[davey7]

RCD,

Thanks, yes, it IS a cool range. Good question, there IS a safety, however it's just for the main gas lines, not for the pilots (there are safeties, safety valves, that is, for the oven and broiler gas lines, but none for the pilot lights).

I was going to get a shot of the thermostat to see if anyone could identify the screw for adjustment, but that still doesn't explain the extra gas line going down - I read something about modulating thermostats, which I believe this one is, have a standing pilot (beyond this regular one, though I have no idea where it would be). I'm still more than slightly mystified. It COULD have be shut off, since the previous owner of my apartment was a little old lady, but then, the broiler probably would have been shut off too....

 

[54monroe]

O'keefe & Merritts do not run the oven pilot gas thru a safety valve. Follow the small aluminum line to the source. There will be an adjustment screw.

 

[davey7]

Yes, I'm aware of that - BUT I don't want to screw around with the thermostat (and there isn't an obvious screw there from what I remember) if at all possible and what about the second pilot line - do they meet somewhere? I can't move the range out from the wall on my own, it's WAY too heavy for me (and I'm hardly a weakling if I do say so myself).

To refresh - in the first picture there is a yellowish line which supplies the pilot to the broiler, it has a tee (on the left of the photo, the actual line to the broiler isn't visible, that's the tee, the line which is visible on the right seems to go down to the oven) and then they drop down, one goes to the broiler pilot, but there other goes where (marked "A")? Then the line marked "B" comes directly from the thermostat and drops down (without removing them, I couldn't tell which one fed the oven pilot) next to "A".

I'll try and get a photo of the thermostat tonight.

 

[davey7]

Here are a couple more pictures - I can't see any adjustment screws on the thermostat, but my plan is to pull the range out and figure out where the two lines join up or are dead-ended in the back... Wish me luck (and any advice as to what I'll find back there?)!

 

[davey7]

O'Keefe & Merritt Automatic Oven Controls

So I've learned that the automatic oven controls may be causing and/or wreaking havoc with my range, but shouldn't with the pilot. I'll find out this weekend when I open up the back! Wish me luck....

 

[davey7]

So I got the back of my range opened up, it's in surprisingly good condition, barring dust. I figured out what the extra "pilot" line is for - part of the oven temperature control (middle round disc). The valve is for the oven timer when set on automatic. The oven pilot goes behind the main gas line. It's looking like my pilot assembly is faulty - no gas is getting through despite cleaning it out thoroughly. At least I think I'm almost to a fully functioning kitchen!