I have a trip lever/plunger type bath tub drain. I decided to try replacing it/adjusting it because it had a leak. I would take a bath, and the water would drain out in 1/2 hour. No soaking in this tub.
The house is 1922, the tub is pretty old as well. The plunger and linkage apparatus was really old and corroded, so I decided to replace. Bought an identical (but brass, instead of plastic) part at the store, and put it in. It will not work, water drains whether it is ingaged or not. Also, I cannot make the old one work either. How do I tell where the overflow drain and drain opening pipe meet, so I do not adjust it too high or low? Thanks, this is all a learning experience for me!

Since you mentioned plunger I'm going to assume that you have the type of tub waste and overflow that has a brass plug and not a spring.
The threads on the top wire is the adjuster. It sounds like you have the brass plug adjusted too high. Loosen up the retaining nut and turn the threads to lengthen the linkage until the plug seats. If the plug seats but the lever won't go up all the way then you have lengthened it too much and back it off until the lever is in the up position and the plug's still seated. Good luck, Tom

Thanks... I figured the plunger was "set" too high if it was still draining, but I could not figure out why sometimes the trip lever would not move. It must be very touchy and has to be set just so, because I am having a hard time finding the between!
Thanks again!