OK, I've searched this topic a lot and No one ever seems to answer the most important detail. They all just gloss over how to remove the bathtub drain lever. HOW??

The faceplate is off. There is the stuff attatched to the lever going down the pipe behind the tub to the drain. It isn't going to come out just by pulling it. I promise you that something else needs to be done to it to get it out. I can see 2 long flat metal pieces and then like a long threaded rod between them. They all go down toward the drain. I pull on them. I can hear the "clank" noise of whatever it's attatched to (plug?) down there with maybe a few 1/8ths of an inch of play. I have a hard time believing anyone would have made this thing so that I would have to rip the wall out from behind and cut the pipe to get it out. There has to be a way to remove it and no one ever explains how. Please help a guy out.

I need to auger the drain because it drains slowly and I've tried both caustuic and enzymatic treatments. The only way to auger it is through where the level goes down, right?

Plumbing can frustrate a person for sure... ;) Let's see if we can help some...

What kind of trip lever do you have Chris?

There is the older model (see pic. On left) and the newer model (right pic.). Sometimes, the older model will require you to pull the stopper OUT from the drain assembly before you can pull the trip lever mechanism out. The newer type simply pulls out... period! Sometimes the newer kind get stuck and need to be wiggled strategically to align the plunger for removal.

Sometimes, when you pull the mechanism itself you will find the problem is gunk hung up on the coil or plunger. I don't mean to joke, but it is really all about jiggling the mechanism until it lines up just right and then you pull it. You want to try this with the trip lever in the UP position and in the DOWN position (actually screw faceplate back to overflow and trip the lever each time... then pull out and try to align the plunger again)... that make sense?

You are correct that snaking from this area will be only choice.

Let me know...

MARK

You have the correct method, It should come out easy. I didn't know about the first type in mp's post.

But, then there are times it doesn't. I once had to open up the bottom and literally bang it up carefully. Then I had to use a flex shaft sander to smooth out the pipe and re-install. Part was from Lowe's and only a few years old.

The hard part is finding the "sweet spot" so the drain works correctly.

Mark is on the right track follow his instructions, be very relaxed needs wiggling, attach is another picture for info, Thanks.

John