I’ve scorched my fair share of trim and even a towel once—those torches are no joke. Can’t blame you for switching to the hair dryer method. I’ve only tried one of those “green” penetrating oils (some citrus-based thing), and honestly, it was fine for light jobs but didn’t cut it on anything really stubborn. The old stuff still seems to work better when things are truly seized up... but I’m open to being proven wrong. If you find one that actually works as well, let me know.
Title: How would I remove this stem to replace it?
Yeah, I hear you on the torches—seen more than a few scorched escutcheons and melted plastic bits over the years. Hair dryer’s not as satisfying but at least you don’t end up with crispy trim or a fire scare. As for those “green” oils, I’ve tried a couple too (one was orange-based, smelled like cleaning supplies). They’re fine if you’re just dealing with some light corrosion or gunk, but once you get into real mineral buildup or old brass that’s basically welded itself together, I haven’t found anything that beats the classic stuff. PB Blaster still seems to be king in my book, even if it stinks up the whole place.
Curious—when you’re dealing with a stuck stem, do you ever try tapping around it with a hammer before applying heat or oil? Sometimes a little vibration helps break things loose, especially if you’re worried about damaging the finish with too much heat. I’ve had mixed luck with that trick, but every now and then it surprises me.
Also, have you run into any stems lately that just refuse to budge no matter what? Last month I had one on an old Price Pfister tub valve that wouldn’t move for anything. Ended up having to pull the whole body and bench-vise it after soaking overnight. Not ideal, but sometimes there’s just no easy way.
Anyway, if anyone actually finds a “green” penetrant that works as well as the old stuff, I’d love to hear about it too... but until then, I’m sticking with what gets the job done—even if my hands smell like chemicals for days.
Tapping with a hammer’s saved my bacon more than once, honestly. Sometimes it’s just enough to break that crusty seal. But yeah, those old Price Pfister stems are the worst—had one snap off inside the valve last year. Ended up drilling it out and cursing the whole time. PB Blaster still wins for me, but my wife hates the smell... says it lingers for days. Never found a “green” penetrant that actually works on the tough stuff, either. If it ain’t broke, right?
PB Blaster still wins for me, but my wife hates the smell... says it lingers for days.
Man, I hear you on the PB Blaster. That stuff works, but it’s like the scent is embedded in your nose for a week. I tried one of those “eco-friendly” sprays once—think it was called something like Green Goblin or whatever—and honestly, it just made everything slippery and didn’t do much for the corrosion. Maybe I’m just impatient, but I always end up reaching for the old standbys.
Curious if you’ve ever tried heat? I’ve had some luck with a little torch action on stubborn stems, though I get nervous around plumbing (especially when there’s old solder nearby). Also, when you drilled out that broken stem, did you use an extractor or just brute force? I’ve snapped an extractor before and that was a whole new level of frustration.
Honestly, sometimes I wonder if these old fixtures are designed to make us question our life choices.
Heat can be a game changer, but I’m with you—open flames near old plumbing make me sweat a little. I’ve used a heat gun instead of a torch when I’m worried about solder or nearby plastic. Doesn’t get quite as hot, but sometimes it’s just enough to break things loose without risking a meltdown.
About extractors, I’ve definitely had my fair share of snapped ones too. There’s nothing like thinking you’re almost done, then suddenly realizing you’ve got a hardened steel bit stuck in there for good. These days, if the stem is really seized and the extractor feels like it’s flexing, I’ll stop before I get in too deep and try to drill out just enough to collapse the threads inward. Messy, but sometimes safer than wrestling with broken tools.
Honestly, I swear some of these fixtures were designed by people who never had to fix them. You spend an hour just staring at it, wondering who hurt the original installer…