Also consider chemical warfare. Use chemicals for what they are intended for. In your case, PB Blaster (see below) to help break the corrosion welding of the fasteners, then clean with either something like acetone or soap/water/toothbrush. In the latter case use WD-40 to get all the water out. Then use anti-seize on the new machine screws to keep them from corroding in place again.
Interestingly, Popular Mechanics magazine did a comparison of corrosion breakers twenty-five or thirty years ago. The did side-by-side comparisons of the then available commercial products and of one shade-tree expedient. PB Blaster was the best of the commercial products. The expedient (50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid), to everyone’s surprise, was even better. Acetone and ATF is really not good for you so wear gloves, respirator, and glasses but when necessary it’s nice to know there is an option. Note that acetone is very flammable so don’t go testing things until it has evaporated.
Dragging up an oldie. Extended warranty service guy was here today to install a new control panel. I asked his opinion on the self cleaning cycle since I’d heard mixed reviews. He said it’s hit or miss. 850* is high temp and some blow the main stove circuit and it’s a goner. He advised empty oven at 550* for 45 minutes. Let cool off. Most of the bottom shelf should wipe clean. Our oven is not that dirty at this point but I’ll try this method in the Fall when it cools off. Just throwing this out there in case anyone else is as timid as I am with the self cleaning cycle.
I’m a fellow member of self-clean cycle avoidance club.
Every appliance repair person who comes to the house advises me to skip the self-clean. The cautionary tale I most often hear is about an increase in service calls just before Thanksgiving, when people try to clean the oven because their mother in law will be coming to dinner. Darn good story, anyway.
If you rather not do that, put a pot of hot water in there and just hit 450 for an hour or so and the steam will do the trick. Mine has self cleaning, and we’ve used it to no negatives. Honestly, though, I think the steam does a better job, with greater peace of mind. Steam is magic for cleaning, as Just Charlie likes to point out. If you use SC feature, I heavily hope the oven was properly installed, or you could lose your home.
I am now completely embarrassed and scared about this information. I have a self cleaning oven, but lately I looked at the oven floor and got truly embarrassed at the amount of stuff on the bottom- it’s pathologically crusted and we had no idea anything even leaked down there because we put pans or aluminum under everything we baked , OR SO I THOUGHT. Good grief.
Extended warranty service guy was here today to install a new control panel. I asked his opinion on the self cleaning cycle since I’d heard mixed reviews. He said it’s hit or miss. 850* is high temp and some blow the main stove circuit and it’s a goner. He advised empty oven at 550* for 45 minutes. Let cool off. Most of the bottom shelf should wipe clean. Our oven is not that dirty at this point but I’ll try this method in the Fall when it cools off. Just throwing this out there in case anyone else is as timid as I am with the self cleaning cycle.