Hi all I am looking for the reverse-thread set screw that goes into the bottom of the handle of these 1954 GE fridges. I didn't know it was reverse thread and ruined the one in there.
My handle broke and this is a replacement handle from another fridge and it is being held in place with a post and some tape on the bottom.
I know it is a long shot but if there is a rusty one in the back yard or some in the stash of stuff I would love to hear from you. Thanks, Northwesty.
wanted to post an update in case anyone in the future has a similar problem.
After almost 70 years of use one of the problems with these old refrigerators is not the mechanical but the hinges and latches simply wear out. My 1927 fridge's hindges became paper thin and I was afraid the door would simply fall off.
Likewise the latch on the door of my 54 fridge simply wore out and broke. It has a spring on a pin and the hole in the handle wore to a bigger and bigger hose till the handle broke.
Fortunately I had a replacement handle from a lower end GE fridge that nonetheless was same that I could put in there.
The set screw on this is also a pin that holds the handle in place. Mine was ruined so I ended up buying a 3/8th inch by 2" set screw with an allen wrench socket.
I put the 2 inch set screw in a drill press and ground it down to the approximate diameter of the original set screw. Only a small part of the end actually has threads. I used a metal file after that and then took it out of the drill press and used a belt sander to smooth out the shaft.
I had to use a tap and die set to re-do the hole in the bottom of the handle part that was still on the door. This handle unit seems not to be able to be removed from the door so this procedure had to take place with it installed. Two screws can be loosened and it can be somewhat moved away from the door, maybe 1/8th of an inch, to be able to get a drill under it at the right angle.
This procedure proved to be a success but again the main problem is getting donor parts from other machines that are in useful shape and having a lot of patience and courage in proceeding with a potential fix. If this had not worked the whole appliance would have been toast. Brian
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