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westbar3 · Aug 23, 2010, 03:02 PM

I am replacing a radiator valve and the male fitting is stuck. I tried removing the fitting with a spud wrench but the spud is twisting. Any suggestions?

massplumber2008 · Aug 23, 2010, 03:43 PM

Hi Westbar...

If this is a hot water radiator you should just need to cut the spud (male radiator fitting) nut off leaving as much of the spud as you can (see image). Then you grab a wrench and remove the spud like any other fitting.

If this is a steam radiator you will still cut the spud nut off like above but then you will get a torch and heat the spud threads until they get almost cherry red. Once you see the red glow carefully take a wrench and try to remove the spud... works most of the time.

If that fails to work then pop back and I can describe how to cut the spud away from the radiator WITHOUT damaging the radiator... :)

Mark

klary · Jan 18, 2016, 12:52 PM

Just make sure you are only cutting the spud, not the fitting on the radiator the spud screws into. On the radiators in my house there's no exposed spud to cut through, if I cut according to your diagram I'd be cutting through the fitting the spud screws into - which is would be another part to take off and replace.

ma0641 · Jan 18, 2016, 02:07 PM

Originally Posted by klary

Just make sure you are only cutting the spud, not the fitting on the radiator the spud screws into. On the radiators in my house there's no exposed spud to cut through, if I cut according to your diagram I'd be cutting through the fitting the spud screws into - which is would be another part to take off and replace.

Thanks for your input. Please note that the original question was asked 6 years ago. Look at the date of the posting.

Mike45plus · Jan 24, 2016, 05:51 AM

[QUOTE=klary;3760453valve make sure you are only cutting the spud, not the fitting on the radiator the spud screws into. On the radiators in my house there's no exposed spud to cut through, if I cut according to your diagram I'd be cutting through the fitting the spud screws into - which is would be another part to take off and replace.[/QUOTE]

I like to take this male tail piece removal several steps further - I prefer to carefully cut the companion nut only. With the nut removed I hammer a snugly fit wooden dowel ( easy to whittle from a piece of pine ) into the male adapter, this helps prevent the relatively soft brass / bronze alloy fitting from being crushed by the jaws of the pipe wrench when pressure is applied; I've used this method successfully on scores of radiators...