Need Help with Kohler Faucet

[Handy Mom]

I need to replace the washers in my bathroom faucet. It is an old Kohler, probably from the early 80's. Plain style, 4" center. I took out the H & C plugs, unscrewed the screws to pull off the faucet handles and they won't budge! I tried to gently pry with a screwdriver and they won't move. There is no room under them to get a wrench to try to loosen the whole valve stem. Am I missing something? I don't see a set screw anywhere. Any ideas??? I'm already an hour behind schedule trying to get these things off!!!

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

With it being a Kohler, expect probably a few more hours until you get it back together; it's the nature of their product and trying to find parts for them.


The best advice to give is to go to Kohler's website, look up your exact faucet and match it so you can get a parts explosion PDF so you know how it comes apart.

Then, once you know how to remove it, you'll have to order OEM parts for that faucet, only Kohler because Danco products will have you fixing it twice. A local supply house who deals with repair parts with Kohler (reluctantly) or straight from Kohler will be your best bet.

Make sure you use plumber's grease on those splines where the handles go on when you get this task done; it will allow easy removal next time.

 

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[Handy Mom]

I tried Kohler's website first and could find nothing on how to fix anything. I still can't get the darn handles off!! I have squirted WD40 down inside the holes where the screws were and have tapped the handles lightly with a rubber hammer to try to loosen corrosion, which I'm sure there is a lot of. Is there a trick to Kohler faucets? I've done this many times and usually they pop off after a tug or two.

 

[Handy Mom]

Well, I finally got one off after pounding on it for 1/2 hour. Needless to say, it is beyond corroded so I'm going to install whole new faucet. This one is just not worth the trouble... Thanks for the info!

 

[Dunbar Plumbing]

I tried Kohler's website first and could find nothing on how to fix anything.

That's actually intentional on their part as well. That's why they push all the new ones out there for you to see so you'll just buy another one.


A set of handle pullers would probably be the best bet. Not knowing your specific model would lead me to believe that they just pull up, not the same if it was a moen monticello though.