Shower drain still won't budge

[tmaki1]

Well, having that nice little removable panel
below the bath door is handy and almost makes
removing the shower drain a snap. Almost.

I got the P-trap separated from the drain pipe to
the tank (they were not cemented together), but
the one eye I can use to see what's up won't
focus upside down at the 3 inch distance
required to see how the drain itself is attached.
My parts manual shows several pieces involved
in this, but I can't get anything to come apart. I'm
not a plumber and I don't play one on TV, so
how does the shower drain come apart? There
is no clearance to swing a wrench under there,
and trying to turn the drain from the top has
pretty much ruined the thing, so I have no choice
but to replace it (with a better part).

At this point, I don't care about the fittings. If I
have to destroy them, I will. But is there a more
civilized way?

Thanks for any help (or point me to a written
reference).

Toby Maki
73 Glacier 230

 

[tmaki1]

I've pretty well got myself convinced that it's going to have to be
strong-armed out of there, hopefully without causing any more
damage.

I tried the channel lock thing last night. Twisted the $#!+ out of the
little cross pieces in the drain. Anymore and I'll be hacksawing it
out. So I bought the tool today, and will try it tonight. At this point all I
care about is preserving the fiberglass surface. Apparently, the
fittings are relatively standard -- I was taking a bit more caution than
I think necessary fearing that I might ruin something that would be
somewhere between hard and impossible to find. Doesn't seem to
be the case.

Thanks for the mirror tip (although I prefer petite : { ) ). I keep
threatening to buy a mechanic's mirror every time I go to the parts
store. I'm making a note in my day planner right now to stop at Pep
Boys on the way home and get one. There . . . got it! Only other
thing I have to get is a wall spreader so I can actually have enough
room between the closet and bath to move. Maybe that's the root
problem . . . it's not that I can't see what to do, I can't move enough
to do it (!)

Thanks again. I'm gonna whup it tonight.

Toby Maki
73 Glacier 230



>

>
> in this, but I can't get anything to come apart. I'm
> not a plumber and I don't play one on TV, so
> how does the shower drain come apart? >>
>
> Grip the bottom "nut" with a pipe wrench or with locking vise-grips. Turn
> the top drain counter clockwise. To hold the top there is a special tool or,
> what I have done is to drop in the two handles of a pair of channel lock
> pliers into the drain and then turn that with a screwdriver placed between
> the handles. You might want to spray the below floor components with some
> penetrating oil or product designed to free up rusty parts and let it soak
> for a day with several sprayings before you attempt to take it apart.
>
> As to seeing what is in there, I carry a small woman's compact mirror in my
> tool box to allow me to see in such situations.
>
> Emery Stora
> 77 Kingsley
> Santa Fe, NM
>

 

[john dolan]

Scott said...
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have been where you are at numerous times with bathtub drains( similar).
Once you have ruined the 4 braces inside the drain--it sucks! Ridgid tools
has a tool that works on this problem after you have broken the
ces.(
ouch, price) Maybe you can rent one? Hacksawing is another alternative but
you have to be very careful not to ruin the female threads of the shoe.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

I have one of those drains too (don't you hate it). I was just about to ask if anyone knew what the name of the tool was, so I could ask around about it. Then you came up with the manufacturer of the tool. (great list, you don't have to ask, just watch) Toby said he bought it, maybe he might want to get some of his money back by renting it to me and any others

I've heard it described kind of like ] ^ [_____
\ ^______

Sort of a stubby version of that thing that Doctors tell us we need after 50.

Regards... John 74 Glacier (now Custom) near Washington, DC