I'm trying to remove the control panel on my parents' KCD-21a to clean it. I've removed the screws but can't remove the panel because the knob is holding the panel on. I don't want to force it. Does anyone know how to remove the knob properly?
Thanks!
Jake
Post# 789818 , Reply# 1   10/20/2014 at 16:14 (3,475 days old) by stevet(West Melbourne, FL)  
Seriously, corrosion is what is holding that pot-metal knob to the timer dial shaft. It is not easy to get any penetrating oil into that space but you can try if you have the red straw that sometimes comes with it.
But try this..
Take 2 flat blade screw drivers and two pices of cardboard or wood shims to protect the control panel and put the two screw drivers under the knob so they are opposite each other and gently pry up on the knob and see if it start to come off. You may have to try this a few times going around the circumference of the knob to get it to come off.Needless to say, some anti-seize compound should be put on the timer shaft to prevent this from happening again.
If you can't pry it off, try rotating the screwdrivers so the flat part will raise up against the knob as you try to gently pry it up.That may work just as well if not better since there is no place to fulcrum the screwdrivers against.
I don't have any of the older machines any more otherwise I would post a quick video of it for you. But I have used the 2 driver trick before and it does work. Go slow and gently and you should be okay.
Thank you so, so much for taking the time to respond. I suspected it was something like that, but didn't want to force it just in case it wasn't. Many thanks, Jake