Faucet hole too close to undermount sink flange

[j kingman]

gentlemen I have an undermount sink and granite top and the hole for the faucet is such that, when you put the nut on the faucet stem from below half the nut is on the undermount sink flange. Ideas on how to "shim" the other side of the nut so that the nut is level? half the nut is on the sink flange, half off. any product out there for this? thank you for ideas. the situaiton makes it hard to get nut tight enough IE after several weeks, the faucet becomes wobbly due to the nut not seating flat.

 

[Reach4]

Can you get a short piece of metal tubing/pipe to go over the thread where a washer would go? The nut would push against that and that would push against the sink.

I understand that there could be reasons that would not work.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Dj2]

Holes in granite tops are drilled at pretty standard size, but it sounds like the hole in your counter top may be too large. What Reach4 will work and here is another idea: a large meta (rust proof) washer with the inside hole large enough for the stem thread to go by. Some faucet makers supply such washer with their installation kit.

 

[j kingman]

thank you both for the ideas Reach4 and Dj2

 

[Jadnashua]

If you could find a washer the right thickness, you could cut a chord off of the side so that it just butted up against the sink, then things would be flat to then tighten down the nut. You might even be able to cut one out of say some neoprene rubber, which would compress, (with a washer over it), and maybe give a bit more grip. If the hole is that close to the sink...hopefully, the granite is strong enough and things don't crack as that could be a narrow section. Some granites have lots of internal 'fault' lines.

 

[Terry]

To make a spacer, we cut ABS pipe with a wheel cutter for a square cut, and then we notch out what we need so that it fits against the sink.

 

[Sluggo]

I had exactly the same problem with my kitchen sink. I took a scrap of polypropylene and used my table saw to cut a block that would fit in the problem space and then cut it to the exact thickness I needed to make a fat shim. I put some construction adhesive on it, pressed it in place, and wedged it up there with a stick until the adhesive set up. Half an hour later I was ready to do a "normal" install. With the shim in place I had pretty much a 360 degree bearing surface. Polypropylene is different from a lot of other plastics in that it won't shatter and it's essentially non-compressible in this type of application. It's been 18 months and the faucet's still tight.