The slide-in top has a ledge on either side designed to rest atop the surface of the counter. The back and both sides of slide-in ranges are normally unfinished and meant to be concealed by cabinetry. When the range is slid into place, the ledge covers the "crack" between the counter on either side of the range and the range itself. It prevents spills from falling down between the range and the cabinet.

The question of whether you can replace with freestanding is entirely a matter of clearances. You may have to cut countertop, cabinet faces, or both, to fit a freestanding range in. Also, sometimes slide-in ranges are hard-wired to electrical service, or so I hear, so you might have to pull that out and install an outlet for plugging in the new range.

Basically, I would say to take nothing for granted. Measure the cutout for your current range, taking note of the locations for all gas fittings and the electrical service connection and plan your cuts and mods to the space depending upon the replacement model you select. Be aware that you might have to move gas or electrical. But it is definitely doable.

I ran into a similar situation when my old drop-in range died many years back. I had to cut out cabinetry to fit a slide-in in to the old setup. Just remember to measure twice and cut once! Good luck.

Thanks for the info - looking closer at the set-up, I understand the "whys" a lot more. I've found out that it will cost me over $500 to fix it and at least $1200 to replace it. Neither are really options for me right now. However, I had a very nice repair man on the phone who suggested I go turn the breaker off and back on again. Worked like a charm - for now at least...

thanks again for the info - at least I'll know what I'm in for if I decide to go with the stand alone model!