I consider myself a very handy DIY but having trouble on my bathtub. Older 1960s American Standard three knob. The stem is 4 3/8" American Standard 50729-07. So i was having a bit of a drip if you didnt gorilla tighen the handles in the bathub. Had a washer kit filled with all sorts of sizes and sometime today so started with the cold water. Was able to get the stem unscrewed easy, see that the washer at the end has seen better days, matched to what i think is close enough (1/4 size 1) flat washer. I didnt change orings because i didnt have any or knew how... i quickly screwed the stem in and it all went smoothly. Onto the hot. handle removal was a pain due to calcification and i dont have a puller. Got it. But the stem aint budging. Sprayed as best as i could towards threads with wd40... let soak for a while. then some PB blaster. the stem has two flat faces that stick out the wall enough for channel locks, knipex, or adjustible wrench to grab onto...... its not one that has a nut on the stem and you have to use one of those hollow out tube sockets. i got a great grip on it, but it wont budge and not trying to break something in the wall. Any Suggestions?
So i buttoned it up and the drip is gone, cold closed much better now... but i still wanna go after the washer on the hot side. My other question is i didnt use any silicone grease...should i have used some on the bigger washer/oring? should i have just replaced the entire stem instead of just the tiny washer at the end? I didnt use any pipe dope or tape around the threads when installing the stem back in... am i wrong thinking that it wasnt necessary at all, and the threads there dont actually provide the water tight seal, and its the larger black oring washer that actually does that ? i didnt see any type of thread compund or plumbers putty or anything on the threads when i removed. No leaks, but then again maybe it will in the wall? i have access panel, dont see nothing leaking. There was a little metal ring washer thing at the end of the steam near the washer i replaced. It was completelt flat, i reinstalled when i put the steam in, but when looking at the direct replacements stems it shows the metal ring washer to be wavy... whats the purpose of that? is the ring wavy at first but compresses flat when installed, acting like somesort of lock waasher... or does that have anything to do with the larger black oring washer? keeping it compressed? Seeing how easy it was to take the cold out im thinking i should just grab an entire replacement unit cuz its cheap but is the original american standard from 1960s more legit then the cheap everbuiltt home depot brand.... or if recommended pay more and order an american standard one if they still make it. or just call it a day since the drip stopped and it was the tiny washer, rest is fine and forget about it.
But back to the hot side.. how the heck should i break this loose. i tried hitting it with my wifes purse too, didnt budge.
So i buttoned it up and the drip is gone, cold closed much better now... but i still wanna go after the washer on the hot side. My other question is i didnt use any silicone grease...should i have used some on the bigger washer/oring? should i have just replaced the entire stem instead of just the tiny washer at the end? I didnt use any pipe dope or tape around the threads when installing the stem back in... am i wrong thinking that it wasnt necessary at all, and the threads there dont actually provide the water tight seal, and its the larger black oring washer that actually does that ? i didnt see any type of thread compund or plumbers putty or anything on the threads when i removed. No leaks, but then again maybe it will in the wall? i have access panel, dont see nothing leaking. There was a little metal ring washer thing at the end of the steam near the washer i replaced. It was completelt flat, i reinstalled when i put the steam in, but when looking at the direct replacements stems it shows the metal ring washer to be wavy... whats the purpose of that? is the ring wavy at first but compresses flat when installed, acting like somesort of lock waasher... or does that have anything to do with the larger black oring washer? keeping it compressed? Seeing how easy it was to take the cold out im thinking i should just grab an entire replacement unit cuz its cheap but is the original american standard from 1960s more legit then the cheap everbuiltt home depot brand.... or if recommended pay more and order an american standard one if they still make it. or just call it a day since the drip stopped and it was the tiny washer, rest is fine and forget about it.
But back to the hot side.. how the heck should i break this loose. i tried hitting it with my wifes purse too, didnt budge.
