Loosen clogged Delta shower handle set screw?

[Dhoerl]

I inherited a shower stall with a Delta shower temperature control handle installed up-side-down. That is, when the control is set for normal temperature, the set screw hole is facing up instead of down (a condition I unfortunately see in many places). Over time, soap and water has dried in the hole, and even with serious torque the set screw will not budge.

Is there some magic solvent I can pour into the hole that will allow me to unscrew it? If not, should I get a reverse long drill bit to drill it out (1/8" I believe)?

Any tips or tricks very much appreciated!

 

[hj]

heat the handle. The handle does NOT have to be put on upside down REGARDLESS of how the body is installed.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Dhoerl]

heat the handle. The handle does NOT have to be put on upside down REGARDLESS of how the body is installed.

Thanks for the advise - I never thought of that. But shouldn't the handle be installed so the screw hole is on the bottom when water is flowing? Otherwise the hole is going to get clogged over time...

 

[hj]

If it is on the bottom, stuff will fall out of it.

 

[Dhoerl]

heat the handle. The handle does NOT have to be put on upside down REGARDLESS of how the body is installed.

[My comments delayed since faucet is in Seattle, I'm in NJ, and I only get to work on it when visiting...]

I was very hopeful for heating the handle. I took a soldering torch and heated the handle until steam came out the back, then for another 30 seconds. It was really hot, and I used gloves with the 1/8" Allen wrench. I put as much pressure on the wrench as I could, and finally it slipped.

Now I'm really wondering what the original installer did - use Locktite Red?????

I bought a new exact duplicate handle so could study it (cost was $13 or so). It occurred to me that I can use a long drill bit with a stop on it, so the bit doesn't plow through the valve stem.

Again - thanks for the suggestion to heat. Would never have thought of that!

 

[Dhoerl]

heat the handle. The handle does NOT have to be put on upside down REGARDLESS of how the body is installed.

So I was out in Seattle again, this time I really really heated the handle (I burned myself too). Anyway, it appeared the handle got looser - a little. The hex wrench also came out with some soap on it.

What I finally did to remove it was to drill it out using hex type drill bits in an extension, starting small and increasing the size until I had drilled the set screw out. I used wire nuts as stops to avoid drilling the interior post. I used 3 drill sizes as I recall. Finally, the handle came off.

FYI: the set screw is 1/4" and 32 tpi

One lesson - I **believe** that if I had just tightened the set screw when the handle was red hot, that might have worked to just secure it (but forever!). Also, if I had been able to tighten it, I could have used a thread chaser to get rid of most of the gunk in the slot threads, and then MAYBE I could have backed the set screw out while hot.

Items I would have liked to use but could never find:
- hex-headed left handed metal drill bits (and boy did I search for these!)
- screw extractor with hex head, so I could use it on an extension. Found many with shallow tip but they wouldn't have gotten deep enough in the slot to help

I'm posting a photo of the new and old handle. The old one has a full-depth threaded slot, and the new one has an air gap and small threaded slot. When I installed the new one, I smeared silicone grease into the slot and worked it into the threads, ditto on the set screw, and after installing the handle, I plugged the hole with a screw cover or something I got at the local hardware store.

Also, the post has an indention on one side to accept the set screw head, so I had no way to install this handle in a flipped rotation (putting the screw hole down, not up). Perhaps the cartridge can be flipped, but I couldn't find a water shutoff for the shower so didn't even try.

 

[Scubadoo]

I inherited a shower stall with a Delta shower temperature control handle installed up-side-down. That is, when the control is set for normal temperature, the set screw hole is facing up instead of down (a condition I unfortunately see in many places). Over time, soap and water has dried in the hole, and even with serious torque the set screw will not budge.

Is there some magic solvent I can pour into the hole that will allow me to unscrew it? If not, should I get a reverse long drill bit to drill it out (1/8" I believe)?

Any tips or tricks very much appreciated!

Use a 3/8" left-hand drill bit. The drill bit is long enough to clear the handle and has a small enough OD that it won't damage the threads in the setscrew hole. With the drill set to reverse (the cutting direction for LH drill bits), use short bursts, slow speed and check regularly to see if the setscrew has come loose. Be careful not to drill through the brass cartridge stem. Worked for me and the setscrew and handle were reusable.