Replacing water heater gas control valve
So I did it! And it turned out not to be the problem...

Things to note:


You may need a rubber mallet to remove the old gas control valve.


I had to bang on the T junction pipe to the left of the valve to get it unscrewed

Here is the joint compound that I used




I also used teflon tape.
Start by wrapping the teflon tape into the threads of the compression fittings 2 or three times
"Frost" the threads of the male ends of the fittings liberally; a little too much joint compund (pipe dope) won't hurt


Try not to get it inside the pipe however, so stay away from the very very end of the connector



And of course, be sure to turn off your gas when working with it, drain your water heater if it is an older style model (like mine) and be careful putting everything back together.

My problem: My problem ended up being the thermocouple. The replacement pilot light assembly I had installed just 8 weeks ago ended up having a faulty thermocouple. Obviously I should have taken more time to test the thermocouple rather than spending all the time and money on a new valve. Ah well! I'll be putting in a new anode shortly and hopefully I will get another 3-5 years out of this water heater. Enough time to take care of the freon line when the budget allows...

Also worth mentioning, I found an identical gas control valve from a vendor on Amazon. Ever since I got the new pilot light assembly in place it has been working just fine.