1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Fitted this oven on Saturday, amongst a lot of grunting and swearing from me and Mrs, its mostly working but has a broken oven light switch, and the lower oven trips the breaker. I think its a faulty thermostat as it gets warm then 5 minutes later trips.

Looks lovely though and cooks everything fine in the main oven, and grill, however its not as fierce as the modern AEG oven we took out. Jacket potatoes took 1hr 15 at 200 degrees. Whereas the AEG did it in 50 at 200.

Can you get spares for this oven? Elements/thermostats/gaskets etc?

Cheers,

Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Handsome looking unit!
For what it's worth I've come across that same type of fault before & it turned out to be the element.
I usually go to this company for domestic parts when I need them:

https://www.espares.co.uk/search/ma1...tricity-bendix

Best of luck chap! :thumbsup:

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

I would agree with Beardyman it's almost certainly the element leaking to earth , it's a long time since I serviced these so cannot remember exactly how the bottom oven element was fitted, it may be there's one at the top and another hidden under the bottom, try running the bottom oven with each element disconnected in turn ( disconnect live and neutral )

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Very handsome unit and probably very much better built than many modern ones. If the oven has not been used for a while the problem may be caused by dampness in the element insulation. This happens with new elements which have been stored in ordinary room conditions, not necessarily damp ones.

My Creda Cavalier has two oven elements and I usually fit the new one but leave it disconnected. I then get the oven hot using the remaining element. The new one can then be connected and works.

If yours stays on for a while before tripping the RCD it might be worth trying it several times to get it hot to drive out any moisture from the element. Failing that could you heat the element using a hair drier or hot air paint stripper?

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Thank you all, I will try the trick with the hot air gun on the elements and let you all know.

Cheers!

Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

If you have got a 30V power supply connect it to the element and let it run for an hour or so. It will take a little under an amp.

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Yes, heating these mineral-insulated elements is the way to drive-out the moisture that they absorb during storage.

A while back I gave my old cooker to a friend who wanted it in her shed so she could boil-up mash for her hens; she didn't use it for a few months then when she tried to use it, breaker-tripping happened. I hooked it up to a 24-volt tractor battery and left it with all rings turned-on overnight. Problem solved!

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Thanks Will try all the above tomorrow. On another note, the clock has been progressively getting louder and making grinding sounds. This morning it was so loud I turned off the oven. I will take a look inside but I think it just might need oiling/grease. Or should I just use some IPA (not ale) to de gunk it?

Cheers,

Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

The best way to clean a clock is to dismantle it completely and clean out each pivot hole with something like a cocktail stick. In the case of our Creda the clock was not designed to be dismantled. The motor was a small sealed unit with just a drive cog sticking out of it. I managed to get the clock apart but not the motor and it never worked reliably until a kind forum member sent me a replacement unit. This has run silently for years now.

If yours is gunked up and cannot be dismantled all you can really do is to soak it in IPA if you can get the hands and dial off it. There is special oil for lubricating clocks but in this case ordinary sewing machine oil might get into the pivot holes better. Others might disagree and say you should use proper clock oil. Whatever you use you only need the tiniest drop on the point of a very small screwdriver or cocktail stick. You could also put some thicker oil on the drive from the motor.

Good luck with it, it certainly looks to be worth the effort.

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Hi All,

Took off the little electric motor from the back of the clock.

There is a little gear on it, nearly seized, so I dripped in some isopropyl alcohol and left it for ten minutes, then the gear moved more freely and quietly. Let it drain any crud out and then put in two drops machine oil. Then moved the gear again, much better now.

Refitted the motor and clock and now not a peep out of the clock and all working! Huzzah!

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Excellent! Mine had one of those little motors but I could not free it off. The rest of the clock was very worn as well.

Just the oven element to get sorted now!

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Looks like a Warren Motor: https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...d.php?t=107051)

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Hi has anyone got one of these warren motors in their spares they would be willing to part with? This one is squealing again and I don't think It can be fixed. I will post some pictures of it removed for the volts etc and rpm details on it. I think its 3.5rpm.

Thank you very much,

Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

I have one marked 3.6 rpm. I am not sure how noisy it if but if it is the right speed I can leave it on test.

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Hi yes that's the right speed. I have just spent an hour fiddling with it and I drilled a hole in the side of the case, looking at the gear side, about 2 o'clock. Just enough to dribble in some solvent, then gave it a good shake. Then drained it out. All kinds of tiny shards of metal or swarf came out with the black solvent.
About 5ml of clock oil dribbled in the hole, then sealed it up with some steel putty. It's quiet as anything now and I can barely hear it. I will leave it running now to see how it goes but Paul, yes please if you have one that isn't noisy! Just let me know what you want for it. Many thanks. Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Sounds like you might have sorted it, Nick. I will set mine running and see whether it is noisy. I certainly don't want anything for it.

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Hi two weeks later and the clock is still running silently, looks like a good fix!

Thanks all!

Nick

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Excellent! I will remember that fix! I never got round to running my spare one as the work bench has been taken up by an early 50's Kenwood Chef but I will keep it just in case.

How did you solve the RCD problem in the end?

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

Hi Paul I haven't sorted it yet, its on my ever growing to do list!

I also have a Kenwood Chef that I have been asked to fix, its a late 60's one.

Re: 1976 Tricity Bendix Double oven
 

There is good support for the Kenwood Chefs. The design and build quality of the one I did was almost Victorian. Someone described the speed control as "simple but barbaric" which is very apt!