[ran_dyron]

I have been reading the posts about removing the different types of spouts. Mine is a 1/2 inch copper tube out of the wall. I can't get to the set screw. The spout will turn and with pressure come about 3/4" off the wall. I don't want to pull any harder and twist because I think I may damage something. I believe the spout has been turned on the plastic inside piece so that the set screw is about 90 degrees away from the slot. All efforts to try to line the set screw up with the slot fail. I can just barely get a finger tip in from the back of the spout and feel what I think may be the set screw. Any suggestions?

[massplumber2008]

Hi Ran:

First, no more PULLING! Twisting OK.. but no pulling here!

I have run into this a couple times. And only thing I could do is TWIST this until I got the slot to line up with the screw.

It was not easy, but it got misaligned at one point so should be able to realign without too much trouble.

I don't blame you for being extra cautious here! But I don't think you will hurt anything by TWISTING to align things. THEN can use an allen wrench and loosen the allen screw and finally PULL this off!

Don't be afraid to be a little extra aggressive here... unlikely you will twist the copper pipe before you realign the slot to the screw... I would pull a little while trying to realign just to sure pipe doesn't twist!

If necessary try a small wrench and see if that helps to realign.

I know... EASY FOR ME TO SAY ALL THIS... right?

Let us know what you think... MARK

.

[speedball1]

Listen to Mark,
Slip on spouts ,(see image) can be twisted so the Allen Set Screw is easier to get at without disturbing the "O" ring but they can't be pulled. Good luck, Tom

[ballengerb1]

Get a flashlight and lay on your back with your head on the drain. Do you see the set screw a little better now? It is not necessary to rotate the spout if you can do this step.

[massplumber2008]

Bob, Ran Dyron said... "I believe the spout has been turned on the plastic inside piece so that the set screw is about 90 degrees away from the slot"... so he will need to rotate somehow to get to it! Still can't hurt for him to try your suggestion though!

Let's hope he pops back to find out it really shouldn't be too bad... WE HOPE... ;)

Good day!

[ran_dyron]

Bob, Ran Dyron said..."I believe the spout has been turned on the plastic inside piece so that the set screw is about 90 degrees away from the slot"...so he will need to rotate somehow to get to it!! Still can't hurt for him to try your suggestion though!!

Let's hope he pops back to find out it really shouldn't be too bad...WE HOPE...;)

Good day!

Wow! Thanks for all of the responses. The problem is... the inside plastic piece turns with the spout. I haven't figured out yet how to keep it stationary while the spout turns. I don't believe the set screw was lined up with the slot to start with. It turns pretty easy without twisting the copper, but I reach that point (3/4" away from wall) and it won't come away any further. Should I pull and twist a little harder, or should I cut away some of the outer part of the spout to access the set screw? I'm a little worried that I may gouge the copper pipe with the set screw.

[speedball1]

r should I cut away some of the outer part of the spout to access the set screw? I'm a little worried that I may gouge the copper pipe with the set screw.

Get to the set screw, loosen it and pull that sucker off.
Good luck, Tom

[ballengerb1]

No more pulling. The set screw should line up when the small hole points straight down, lay on your back with that flashlight and slowly rotate until it lines up.

[massplumber2008]

Hi Randy:

I know you must be frustrated and I know these answers are not what you want to hear... but this is usually pretty easy. However, somethings up..so let's see what we can do.

1st, try to hold the inner plastic piece with a screwdriver while you rotate the tub spout. If can hold plastic in place and rotate should be able to hold/rotate a few times to align allen screw to hole in tub spout.

If absolutely nothing else works then I say you just have to go for this and turn the tub spout so you can finally see the bottom of the spout.. so it is on top.

Once hole in bottom of spout on top, again, try the screwdriver and see if can hold plastic down while you turn the spout.

If all else fails you can try to cut the metal back away from the tub spout with a pair of avaiation tin snips... but I don't think that will work all too well as tub spouts are pretty thick.

Anyway, see what you can do last time here... get back to us again and we will see if we can think of anything else.

Good luck... Mark

[hkstroud]

At point I think I would probably say a few bad things, get my torch, pull the spout away from the wall as far as I could and melt the nylon.

[stproffitt]

I came very close to hkstroud's solution. This same thing happened to me and I spent hours trying to turn the chrome outside while holding the inside still. Nothing would work. So first, I swore a lot. Then I got out my tin snips and started cutting to the side. Because of the angle, though, I had to keep cutting toward the wall and didn't get very far. So I swore some more, and tried to get something under there to hold it still while I turned the chrome. Still no dice.

After swearing into my beer a bit, inspiration hit. I got out my drill.. . Drilled holes around every 1/4" or so 'til I fond the stupid screw, then drilled a few more close together and used the snips to open her up. Even after I got the stupid thing off, there was no way to move the inner core without moving the chrome--stuck like glue.

It was a Delta faucet BTW, if you're curious.

[speedball1]

Are we talking about this spout?

[stproffitt]

That looks exactly like the one that was giving me an ulcer, yes. Even by gripping those plastic wings, I could NOT get the core to hold still as I turned the chrome. It looks like this now:

[summerproblems]

I'm having the same problem. If nothing is working then I have to drill holes on the faucet? I've never used a drill.

[massplumber2008]

Hi Summer... no need to use a drill in most cases.

Read the post I have above this one (post #10) and see if anything helps there. If all that fails then you may simply be better off getting a hacksaw and cutting the old spout off about 2" from the end of the spout (should be easier than drilling... especially if you haven't used a drill)!

Mark

[summerproblems]

Thanks Mark,
I bought some bent nose pliers to reach and hold the plastic piece in place. No success. The thing won't stay in place, just twists along with the outside, or nothing moves at all. I might try the tin snips that you mentioned in #10, but I'll wait for the weekend when I have more time, in case something goes wrong (which most likely will). I don't want to ruin anything, I rent the place.

[stproffitt]

Mark's ideas are good--he's the one that gave me the idea for the tin snips. They actually do work okay on this spout, the trick is getting the right angle. I actually started with the hacksaw, too, before trying the drill, but the sawing was extremely slow going on the chrome (maybe I have a bad saw) and the power drill was much quicker. It also gave me a spot to get the tin snips in. If yours is the spout Speedball posted, though, you'll probably not be able to turn it even after sawing it. The main reason I was sawing was to get a spot to use the tin snips to cut the darn thing off.

Since I couldn't link to FB, I'll try to post the image another way:

[karroyo]

I had same problem with Moen diverter tub spout. Set screw not at bottom access. Luckily I was able to see the set screw with mirror and it was at about 90 degrees from the hole. So I made a drill hole guessing about where it was. Then I looked inside the hole and saw screw and made made a more accurate drill hole . I was then able to get access to set screw with allen wrench.

[afaroo]

Hello Karroyo,

Welcome to this website, thanks for sharing you experience with us, by the way You Responded to 2008/2013 years it is long gone in future please look at the top right corner for the date, Thanks.

John

[Stratmando]

Although an old post, Problem may reoccur, If a Plastic spout, maybe take a hacksaw or multi tool and remove about 2 " back on spout to expose the screw? You lose a spout, but save your copper? Leak?