What to do when tools just won't fit?

[Cephus]

I've got a small sink in our laundry room, it's in a tiny enclosure only big enough for the sink top. Today, I realized that the old pipes had corroded and sprung a leak. I need to replace all of the piping, it's all bad, but when I went in to loosen the drain, I realized that no pipe wrench will actually fit in the space. My 10-inch will fit, but only has a max opening of 1.5 inches and I need 2. My 14-inch has the right size opening, it just won't fit so that I can turn it, the only places it fits, the end is in a corner and won't move. I thought of taking the sink top off and attacking it from above, but the water shut-offs are in the way. The pipes are badly corroded and will need some serious encouragement. Yes, I could probably go in with a reciprocating saw, I'm just afraid I'll harm the threads coming out of the wall.

Ideas what I can use?

 

[JMac]

A strap wrench maybe?

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Smooky]

Have you tried channel locks yet? I like the type that have rounded jaws. Grips pipes better.
http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1291872

 

[Cephus]

A strap wrench maybe?

Great idea, one I hadn't considered. Just grabbed the biggest strap wrench I had but while I can turn it, it won't grip the metal, it just slides.

 

[Bluebinky]

Channel locks.
Internal pipe wrench.
Drill a hole through the pipe and use a rod/bar (and maybe a hammer)...

 

[Cephus]

Have you tried channel locks yet? I like the type that have rounded jaws. Grips pipes better.

https://wetheadpumprepair.com/nurse-hope-with-channel-locks/

Channel locks fit, can't get the nut to turn. Re-soaked it in Liquid Wrench and will try again later.

 

[Reach4]

How about a 10 inch curved jaw Vicegrip?

 

[Cephus]

How about a 10 inch curved jaw Vicegrip?

Tried it, my largest sets, which are 10 inch, aren't big enough to fit the nut. I even went looking to see if other 10 inch versions had more capacity and at both Home Depot and Lowes, they both have less than a 1.5" capacity.

 

[Reach4]

I wonder if IRWIN VISE-GRIP 12LC would do it. If you are trying to undo a nut, consider an open end wrench or a crowfoot wrench. You would want to measure carefully before ordering such a wrench.

 

[Cephus]

Channel locks.
Internal pipe wrench.
Drill a hole through the pipe and use a rod/bar (and maybe a hammer)...

Tried channel locks, they aren't large enough. It's a nut, not a pipe, the pipe is the iron drain coming out of the wall, and thus, the third suggestion isn't going to work either. Probably should have taken a picture. Thanks for the suggestions anyhow.

 

[Cephus]

I wonder if IRWIN VISE-GRIP 12LC would do it. If you are trying to undo a nut, consider an open end wrench or a crowfoot wrench. You would want to measure carefully before ordering such a wrench.

I really don't have time to be ordering anything, it's something I have to get fixed because the washing machine is on the same line and doing a load of wash is going to result in all of the water spraying all over the floor. I'll see if the Liquid Wrench worked, if not I'm going to have to just get out the reciprocating saw and carefully cut the nut off. Thanks for the help though.

 

[Terry]

Most of the time, it's pliers.
I have pipe wrenches in the vans, but rarely use them. I can do most anything with pliers.

 

[JMac]

Do they make nutbusters that big?
Instead of the recip, what about a dremel or something similar with a cutoff wheel?

 

[Craigpump]

warm the nut up with a little heat from a propane torch then use the correct size channel locks.

 

[Cephus]

Do they make nutbusters that big?
Instead of the recip, what about a dremel or something similar with a cutoff wheel?

I can't get in there with a recip anyhow, I tried, the stroke is just too big and it hits the wall. I might have to try with a Dremel. I did use the recip to cut out all of the other pipes, here's what's left:

 

[Reach4]

I can't get in there with a recip anyhow, I tried, the stroke is just too big and it hits the wall. I might have to try with a Dremel. I did use the recip to cut out all of the other pipes, here's what's left:

That looks like an escutcheon rather than a nut at the wall. It looks like it has been partially painted to match the wall. If you can cut around the escutcheon you may be able to pull that away and see a nut. Not sure.

 

[Cephus]

That looks like an escutcheon rather than a nut at the wall. It looks like it has been partially painted to match the wall. If you can cut around the escutcheon you may be able to pull that away and see a nut. Not sure.

That silver bit in the back is a coupling nut screwed on to the drain stub coming out of the wall. I'm sure these pipes were put in sometime in the 60s, although the house dates back to the mid-20s. I haven't got a clue how this thing lasted as long as it has, I was pulling the fixture arm out, it rotates freely anyhow, and the metal is incredibly thin. There's more rust than metal left, it was a big disaster waiting to happen, I feel lucky I caught it when it was a small problem before the whole thing exploded.

So far, tried heating it up with a heat gun (afraid to go propane, it's too close to the wall and might catch things on fire) and it didn't help. The nut looks mostly rounded off, there are a couple of good sides to get a grip on but otherwise, there isn't much to go after, assuming I can get anything to grip at all. My next shot is the Dremel.

 

[Reach4]

That silver bit in the back is a coupling nut screwed on to the drain stub coming out of the wall.

Can you remove the painted-over ring? That should improve access.

 

[FullySprinklered]

Get a brand new 3/4 inch wood chisel and a hammer and go to work on it. Tap it in the ccw direction any way you can until it either turns or splits. Avoid the iron pipe threads. At some point the nut will break, crack, or otherwise give you an opening to peel the sucker off the iron pipe. Remember it's a sacrificial chisel, and if you ruin it , it's cheaper than me driving over there from Atlanta to do it for you. Way cheaper.

 

[Cephus]

The Dremel worked, I just cut a slot through the nut and used a hammer and screwdriver to pound it around and unscrew it. The remainder of the pipe had to be "convinced" to come out but eventually it did. So thank you so much for all of your help, I never would have thought to try some of the things that were suggested!