GE Spectra JBP78BBBB range - Door can barely open (broken hinge?)

5 years ago

I've got a GE Spectra JBP78BBBB(*) electric range with a door that opens a tiny bit, at that point showing heavy resistance when I tug on it, just shy of its normal "partially-open" state that's used when broiling. It's admittedly been showing some trouble signs for a couple months now. We could tell the open/close pivoting (specifically on the right side) was not smooth and it would often make an audible metallic "snapping" noise around this point when opening/closing it, but up until recently it DID always open/close regardless. At one point shortly after it first exhibited the "snapping" symptoms, I followed some videos online that showed how to take the door of its hinges so I could inspect it for signs of wear or malfunction, but I couldn't find anything noticeably wrong with the hinges or the door. However it would seem that it's failed completely at this point and now I'm not sure if anything can be done about it.

I've made a brief video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8eVZSHz5C4 that shows what it's like when I try to open it. You can hear the audible creaking in the video if I try to tug with any significant force. I have every reason to assume that replacing the hinges would probably be the correct repair at this point, but every resource I find online about hinge maintenance understandably starts with "take the door off", and the first step in that process is "open the door all the way", which I simply can't do! I can't see any other obvious places to disassemble the attaching of the door to get at the hinges. When I've got it open as far as I can, I can see and almost poke at the hinge with the tip of a long screwdriver, but not enough to get any real leverage. Even if I could successfully poke at it I'm not sure if I could actually detach it from the hinge when it's still closed this much.

This range is over 20 years old and probably is ready to die, but I'd sure like it if I could keep it alive long enough for us to shop for a replacement. At this point part of me is tempted to just pull on it as hard as I can, fully expecting it's going to break the hinge and/or where the hinge attaches to the door, perhaps breaking it beyond repair. But other than that, I'm pretty short of ideas. Since that might very well be the point where I break it for good, I figured I'd pause and ask first. Could anyone suggest other possible courses of action?

Thanks!

Phil

(*) - Actually, I'm not sure that's the precise model number, but looks close enough based on what I've found on the GE website.

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Comments (5)

BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
5 years ago
Get a coutertop oven, like a Breville or Wolf, and use that while you shop for a new oven ... you can probably continue to use the stovetop, since the issue is mechanical and not electrical.
Phil Rzewski thanked BlueberryBundtcake - 6a/5b MA
dadoes
5 years ago
The model number should be on a tag on the appliance ... sometimes tricky to find but it's there somewhere ... behind a lower pull-out drawer, on edge of the oven cavity when the door is open, on back of the console. I find JBP78BB1BB, JBP78BB2BB, and JBP78BB4BB on a parts search. All three variations take the same hinges.

The hinges incorporate a spring mechanism to counterbalance the door weight, could be one is broken. P/N WB10T10007. The trick is disassembly to get at them when the door isn't fully opening. A parts source I often use lists the hinge at $47.19. There are many online sources for parts.
Phil Rzewski thanked dadoes
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wdccruise
5 years ago
At shown at 1:12 in this video, can you remove the door without fully opening it?
Phil Rzewski thanked wdccruise
blubird
5 years ago
Given that it's a GE, chances are the door is supposed to be removed when

the door is in the broil position. have you tried tugging on the door to remove when in that position?
Phil Rzewski thanked blubird
Phil Rzewski
Original Author
5 years ago
Thanks for the responses, everyone! At this point it's seeming likely I just need to go ahead and get a new oven. But I appreciate having the second opinions before I do that.

In response to the inquiries from @wdccruise and @blubird, I've tried tugging on the door when it's as open as I can get it, but that's still short of even the broil position. Suffice to say, if I try pulling upward in that barely-open position, it still won't budge. As I show in the linked YouTube video in my post, I get heavy resistance (particularly on the right side) whenever I try to pull it open, and the harder I pull, the louder the creaking, which is why I suspect that if I just pull as hard as I can it'll just bend/break a hinge or the part of the door where it attaches. Maybe I'll break it before I throw the thing away just so I'll be able to say I saw the root cause. :)