Lady needs advice on cutting ballcock stem

[madonetwo]

Hello, please excuse me when I use the wrong terminology. My husband and I are replacing the ballcock on an American Standard toilet. There is a plastic screw that tightens up from below the tank to the tank to hold it steady from underneath. We cannot get it off and have damaged the threads badly anyway. So we want to cut that stem that sticks out below the tank. We have a very tight space between side of toilet and wall. What might work for cutting this? I saw a mini hacksaw on Home Depot website and well as a "chain" type of saw that you would pull back and forth. Really need help on this as the "lady" doesn't like running downstairs to the bathroom.

 

[Terry]

The "supply line" will be attached to the shutoff with a nut and sleeve. You're removing that anyway and it will be tossed. You can bend it out of there after you have loosened it from the shutoff below. Pliers will remove the damaged nut to the ballcock. I new fill valve will have that part anyway. You will also need to pick up a new supply line.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[madonetwo]

The "supply line" will be attached to the shutoff with a nut and sleeve. You're removing that anyway and it will be tossed. You can bend it out of there after you have loosened it from the shutoff below. Pliers will remove the damaged nut to the ballcock. I new fill valve will have that part anyway. You will also need to pick up a new supply line.

Terry, thanks so much! we have damaged the threads so that the plastic nut to the ballcock will not move. It can't descend the threads. I think cutting the old "stem" that sticks out below the tank will be our only option. I'm trying to find something that will cut that plastic stem in a tight space. Thanks, madonetw

 

[Terry]

A hacksaw blade works for that.

 

[hj]

Heat a screwdriver blade red hot and shove it into the nut to melt it. Repeat as necessary until the nut is split in two.

 

[CountryBumkin]

Heat a screwdriver blade red hot and shove it into the nut to melt it. Repeat as necessary until the nut is split in two.

That would be way more fun than the hacksaw method.

 

[madonetwo]

You folks are great. Thanks!!! I'm heading upstairs with an old screwdriver and a lighter. (after I use the downstairs toilet )

 

[FullySprinklered]

My ballcock stem got trimmed back in 1986. We get along better now than we used to.

 

[Dj2]

If you burnt down the house, you know you got carried away.

 

[hj]

You heat the SCREWDRIVER blade, NOT anything on the house.

 

[madonetwo]

Update from Lady needs help: Well, a hacksaw will cut off the part of the "stem" of the ballcock that sticks out below the plastic nut-thing. However the nut still wouldn't budge. So, I cut into it with a Dremel cutting accessory and VOILA! it broke off thus releasing the ballcock. ( I couldn't get a screwdriver blade hot enough to burn into it). Now, we have a replacement supply line but I'm trying to figure out if we have to replace the compression valve or can just use the old one. Once we turn off the water at the main we may never have water again......New compression valve or just stick the supply line on the old one?

 

[CountryBumkin]

If you already have water shut off ... go with new valve.
The harder the job, the more sure you want to be about not needing to do it again.

 

[Reach4]

If you already have water shut off ... go with new valve.
The harder the job, the more sure you want to be about not needing to do it again.

Yes. Quarter turn ball valve.

Here are a couple threads that may help:

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....remove-old-ferrule-and-compression-nut.62278/

https://terrylove.com/forums/index....pulling-old-ferrule-will-sleeve-puller.10524/

 

[Terry]

Since you have been able to remove the fill valve, the water shutoff must be working.
You can thread on a new supply, and if it doesn't work, you can also replace the shutoff.
Most people don't replace the shutoff though.