Repairing someone's older repair. Water closet connects by 3"pvc into 4" iron sewer pipe. While trying to put the oakum in place most tools pass through the oakum without tamping it into place.

Hi Masterofnone...

You need a long YARNING iron... see image. If you are planning on pouring lead you'll need other packing irons (see other image).

Otherwise, they make a great lead substitiute for this job (pack oakum first)... called soil seal. This stufff dries rock hard and is very reliable.

These are all sold at plumbing supply stores... ;)

Mark

Its called an oakum tamping iron but why not just use caulk? Unless you also plan to melt lead the oakum by itself won't work.

Yes and it's called a "yearning iron" and you pack it in with a "packing iron". Are you planing on pouring and caulking a lead joint?
Good luck, Tom

Hope this is not your plan, molten lead and PVC do not like each other

Hi Bob,

Actually, if he uses a PVC MANHOFF fitting he could pour lead just fine to transition to PVC... see image. This fitting is the only way to transition to PVC as PVC pipe itself, as you pointed out, can melt through.

Masterofnone, this fitting will also stop the oakum from pushing through the cast iron bell.

However, I would use the manhoff fitting and then oakum and then the lead substitute if I was a homeowner... :)

Mark

I was just thinking that this is a DIYer and most likely does not have a lot of special tools or experience. If I had one connection I would not go out and buy lead, a packing iron and a manhoff

There's more then one way to transition cast iron to PVC.
If the cast iron has a hub you can use a rubber donut (see image) or a shielded metal coupling if the cast iron is hubless. I can even recall running a lead and oakum poured and caulked joint on a cast iron hub. (The secret is to have a pan of cold water to pour on the lead before it burns into the PVC) Just a few more options. Tom