ATWOOD OVEN TROUBLESHOOTING ?

Old school trick: follow the Thermocouple to the gas valve. Give that nut about 1/8 of a turn. Many times that will fix the problem.

When the mercury oven control system on our Atwwod/Wedgewood oven was failing and parts were no longer available, I found a complete control manifold and oven burner set on eBay from a newer non-mercury model for about $40. The unused unit had been removed from a new shipping damaged stove and bolted right into our stove with just a couple of minor modifications. I had to add a small notch to the hole for the oven control shaft and drill a small hole for a sheet metal screw for a new support for the manifold. I did need to buy a replacement oven control knob with the right temperature markings. The original top burner knobs all fit ok. The new setup works much better than the old one, keeping the oven temps much more stable. A little bit of work, but much cheaper than replacing the whole stove.

In this case,it could be either one, but I would tend to first suspect the safety valve or its sensor bulb adjustment or the pilot burner since the oven works the first time around. The thermostatic valve is giving all the signs of operating correctly. One reasonable test might be to heat up the safety valve bulb a little more with an external heat source when the oven is calling for heat but not relighting to see if that makes it work. Depending on access, it might be practical to do this with e.g. a little propane torch. If it works then, it would seem that the pilot just isn't heating the safety valve bulb sufficiently or the safety switch is insufficiently sensitive or something like that.

DrewE wrote:
The main thermostatic valve controls not only the pilot flame size but also gas going to the safety valve (and from there to the main burner). When the set temperature is reached, the thermostatic valve turns off the gas to the main burner as well as the enlarged pilot flame, and once the main burner goes out the safety valve cools down and shuts off.

Which means... Either Valve (Oven Temp --OR-- Safety) could be bad. You're good at this stuff, Drew - How do we determine which is the bad one? I know that for one we had, Oven doesn't work? Replace that thing with the knob on it and the sensor going down into the oven! In my case, either BOTH were actually bad, or my guess was wrong. I don't believe in multiple failures like that. So I think my oversimplified guess was wrong. Replaced Safety Valve as well, and the thing worked. The valves, 12 years ago, were a little over $100 each. But! We really liked the Magic Chef 4-burner with individual cast grates, stainless top, front, and top cover. It wasn't piezo ignition, had a stovetop pilot that you could use or turn off at a little valve under the top.

Look at RePco before you jump too far or dive too deep. This is the source Chris Bryant suggested to another OP.

J-d is basically correct for this sort of oven (which was a common system, both in households and RVs), with one exception. The main thermostatic valve controls not only the pilot flame size but also gas going to the safety valve (and from there to the main burner). When the set temperature is reached, the thermostatic valve turns off the gas to the main burner as well as the enlarged pilot flame, and once the main burner goes out the safety valve cools down and shuts off.

The reason for this, as opposed to just using the safety valve, is rather obvious after a little thought. The heat from the main burner would be sufficient to keep the safety valve open indefinitely even if the pilot were not operating. It's not very practical to have the pilot (and sensor bulb) far enough removed from the burner to avoid this since the pilot needs to light the main burner.

J-d I think you nailed it. Maybe I am better off to find a used stove/oven that will fit. You are right about parts not being available. Did'nt think it was that old. But she is. Many thanks to you and Don & Boon and anyone else I forgot.

There are Atwood Service Manuals on Chris Bryant's website. Perhaps some troubleshooting.
My understanding is that this is the theory of operation, at last for the Atwood we have, from the early 2000's:

No Thermocouple for Pilot Light. Turning the Oven Temp Knob to "Pilot" opens a tiny orifice and allows the Pilot to be lit and it's a small flame. If that flame blows out, the little bit of LPG still flows. This Oven Control is one of two "valves" in the Oven.

When you order up a Baking Temperature, the Sensor Bulb (not a thermcouple but pretty much a thermometer) causes the Pilot Flame to "Flare" to a much larger pilot flame.

This Flared-Up flame heats the Sensor Bulb on the second valve. When it senses that heat, it opens, and that's the gas that feeds the oven burner.

When the ordered-up baking temperature is reached, the Oven Temp Valve's Bulb senses that and dials the pilot flame back from flared-up to pilot. That isn't hot enough to keep the second valve (Oven Valve, Safety Valve, Gas Valve, various names) open and the valve closes, putting the oven main burner out...

...until the oven cools enough for the Oven Temp Valve to notice that and flare the pilot flame back up to get gas flowing to the main burner again.

I don't want to spend your money, but my guess from you saying the pilot flame WILL flare but the burner doesn't light, is that the problem is in the Gas Valve/Safety Valve/Oven Valve. Not the Temp Control with the knob on it.

OEM parts may no longer be available for an oven that old. They contain mercury and the nanny agencies think mercury is OK for lighting but not for ovens so there are new designs. There IS a company that rebuilds mercury-charged oven controls.

try scrubbing it with a brass brush to clean the TC. I used to have to do that to my moms gas fireplace logset every couple of years.

Boon Docker wrote:
I tried giving you some advice, but you didn't seem interested. There is a third possibility, perhaps Don can advise you.

What, you mean the one you deleted?