I am helping my parents remove an old bathroom faucet in their 1962 built home. Unfortunately, I am unable to remove a brass 1-1/2" female to 2" male NPT from the wall where the waste water exits the trap. I believe it ties into a cast iron "T" in the wall. The fit is tight in this small bathroom and I have tried using a pipe wrench, propane heat, tapping it with a hammer, and Kroil, without any success. My only other thought was to remove the vanity, the adjacent toilet tank, and try adding a pipe on the end of the wrench to gain leverage. I would be grateful for any suggestions or success stories. Thank you.
Removing stuck brass 1-1/2" female to 2" male
- Thread starter 8Wheels
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I would first try to make the tighter THEN loosen it . If that does not work I would use a sawzall and cut the pipe leaving 1" showing and then cut the piece carefully not to damage the female threads and cut it in 2 places and use a chisel to cave the threads in and remove it
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Thanks Sylvan. I've tried tightening it too, but it won't budge. So I understand, are you suggesting to cut right behind the protruding brass plug flush with the threads. This would leave 1/4"-1/2" of the threads remaining sticking out of the wall. Then I would take a dremel or similar tool and cut into the plug threads in two spots up to where the male threads go into the female cast iron pipe, correct.? The last step would be to chisel and lightly tap the threads at an angle until sections start to lift off the female threads.
Do I have the process correct?
Do I have the process correct?
John Gayewski
In the Trades
I think I would try screwing a plug into the bushing, this is to keep it from crushing. Then a bigger pipe wrench. I haven't met a piece of brass that can't be coaxed by a 24" pipe wrench. If you don't have the room and the vanity top won't come off easy then it'd start the cutting process.
Yes try to cut the bushing just enough to get close to the cast iron threads . Two cuts about 1" apart then use the chisel in the middle of the cuts.
The cast iron maybe brittle and placing to much pressure on removing the fitting with a wrench may crack the CI fitting
The cast iron maybe brittle and placing to much pressure on removing the fitting with a wrench may crack the CI fitting
Thank you all for your responses. Good news, I got the reducer brass plug removed using the cutting and chiseling method. No damage to the cast iron threads. I misspoke on the size on my initial post. I believe the ID of the female cast iron pipe it 1-1/2'' and the ID on the reduced side is 1-1/4."
My next question is should I purchase this reducer (see attached)? I can't seem to find any ABS or other plastic male to male type reducers with a lock-nut for the discharge pipe. Are there any other options?
My next question is should I purchase this reducer (see attached)? I can't seem to find any ABS or other plastic male to male type reducers with a lock-nut for the discharge pipe. Are there any other options?
That may do it. Might as well get the order going. 
If the cast threads are for 1.5" it should work.
If the cast threads are for 1.5" it should work.
I was inititially concerned that the printed word says "sweat", which means solder. Your photo shows threads. After some thought, I realize that descriptions mean that you could use the threads, or ignore the threads, and solder a copper pipe into the inside. So you are fine.
If you have a 1-1/2 inch female thread in the cast iron, the threads inside would be less than 1.9 inches ID and more than 1.75 inch ID.
If you apply a lot of torque, you can crack the cast iron. So use tape and dope ideally, and don't use a lot of force. I understand "a lot" is ambiguous.
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