Defiant side door stuck

[HotLogs]

Can someone give me advice on how to get the side door to budge? See picture. Lived here for 3 years and never opened it. Always loaded from front. Also, I've removed one of the nuts in case you are wondering where it is. (broken image removed)

 

[DAKSY]

I'd spray the entire assembly, especially the threads with PBlaster. & let it soak in.
After a day I'd start rapping the end against the door with a brass hammer to try to shock it loose,

 

[HotLogs]

Thanks DAKSY. I will definitely try this in the near future. I'm actually putting this feat off right now. the walls are so close to the side door that I can't load it that anyways. I had the stove pulled out to put on a new thermostat and thought I would give it a shot at getting the side door open. I've already repalced the thermostat and put the stove back. I'm thinking about moving the stove out in the future so as to utilize the side loading door. Thanks again for your response.

Now to figure out the best place to buy a gasket kit for the defiant III...

 

[claydogg84]

First you have to figure out what is frozen. Is the handle shaft frozen in the door, or is the latch frozen on the inside panel? It's important to try to figure that out first as you're going to need to use heat to get that stuff to move.

 

[HotLogs]

hmmm...that sounds easier than done. It really doesn't budge even when trying to turn form the out side so I really thing it would be the first thing you suggested. The handle shaft is frozen in the door. Should I hit on that with a hammer while the stove is hot???

 

[claydogg84]

I'm not sure hitting anything with a hammer is going to accomplish anything good. You'll need to use either an oxygen/acetylene torch, or maybe you'll get by with a propane torch. Concentrate the heat on the area around where the shaft goes through the door. If you break the latch mechanism in the process of doing this, you'll end up with a stove door that you can't shut, so use caution.

 

[HotLogs]

like this?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_97778-13877...&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=propane+torch&facetInfo=

 

[claydogg84]

like this?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_97778-13877-TS3000KC_0__?productId=50126395&Ntt=propane torch&pl=1&currentURL=?Ntt=propane+torch&facetInfo=

That should be enough. When you try to move the handle, does it move it all? Can you look inside and see if the latch is trying to move?

 

[claydogg84]

Also, if you can back off the nut on the left, and then back off that stud slightly, you can eliminate that being the problem area.

 

[HotLogs]

The handle doesn't seem to move at all. I tried to move it with the little handle things you put in the levers on the stove and bent the little handle thing.

The nut on the left looked like it was hard to get to and I didn't even try. I will give that a shot.

 

[SXIPro]

I'd spray the entire assembly, especially the threads with PBlaster. & let it soak in.
After a day I'd start rapping the end against the door with a brass hammer to try to shock it loose,

PB Blaster is ok, but if you can get your hands on some Kroil, that's even better.

 

[HotLogs]

Looks like the internet is full of arguments about both stuff LOL. As a last resort i'll purchase some kroil. Either way it sounds like it needs to be soaked and set for a while...is that correct?

 

[claydogg84]

Looks like the internet is full of arguments about both stuff LOL. As a last resort i'll purchase some kroil. Either way it sounds like it needs to be soaked and set for a while...is that correct?

In my 12 years as an automotive/construction equipment mechanic, I've yet to have the soaking method actually accomplish much. Oil will help movement after it is broken loose, but will do little in the effect of actually breaking it loose by itself. Heat is the answer.

 

[fbelec]

wait til the heating season is over. take the door off soak each side with pb blast for a week each time you think of it hit it with the spray. lay the door flat so that the spray can work into the rust. after a week of spray heat it then hit it with a air hammer. the air hammer won't break it because of there is no weight hitting it but the vibration of a million hits in a minute will probably jar it loose. if you can get the chrome handle off use the hammer head attachment on the air hammer as you push the shaft from the outside of the door push towards the inside. oh ya it's going to be loud