PVC to cast iron waste line - odd size
Hello all. I recently stumbled onto this site and have found it very helpful in answering most of my plumbing questions. My current home fix-it project has hit a speed bump and I could use a little help/advice.
I was replacing the worn (40+ yr old) faucet in my bathroom sink when I found that the drain pipe, the portion above the trap that goes into the wall had been sawn off flush with the wall. No kidding. One of the previous owners had done that, then pressed a segment of copper pipe (1 1/2 diameter) into the drain line, and applied some black (now old and hard) goop around to seal it. I found this out when I was trying to loosen the nut on downstream side of the trap - the nut didn't move, but the upper polished metal piece stuffed over the copper pipe wiggled off.
I now, wanting to do the right thing, plan on replacing the drain. I have access to the pipe from the basement below (the bathroom is on the first floor). The original drain line appears to be galvanized steel, 1 1/2 inches in diameter. It joins to a cast iron waste line with a lead and oakum hub and socket joint.
My first thought was to remove the steel pipe down to and including the lead and oakum. I saw on another thread on this forum of how to do that [drilling around the socket pipe, into the lead, then using a screwdriver to lever the lead out of the joint]. I don't have the tools or skill to pour a new L&O joint... so I mentally moved onto another solution - a hubless joint.
For the hubless joint (the heavy rubber sleeve with band clamps at each end) I knew I could find one to fit a new 1 1/2 inch PVC pipe. I've used a cast iron pipe splitter before, so that I'm not concerned with... but in measuring the cast iron pipe, using a string wrapped around it, then measuring the marked length and calculating the diameter - I get a cast iron pipe diameter of 2 3/8". My dilemma is that I don't know if the 2" hubless rubber sleeve with stretch enough to slip over the cast iron. I don't want to cut the cast iron pipe yet until I'm certain that this is the right way to go.
I really look forward to your suggestions.
Thanks in advance,
Elia Gianopulos,
Rose Valley, PA