Shower plumbing help anyone? Trying to change the diverter stem in an old shower.

The diverter in my shower must need replacing because hot water leaks from the tub faucet when the shower is on. So I go to replace it, but I can't access the nut!

All the videos online have you remove the escutcheon, but this one doesn't want to come off. I tried twisting it but it won't budge. It looks like it's mated to the wall somehow and I can see that it goes deeper than the tile when I look inside. 

I was able to get the first nut out with a long socket, but the second one is really deep and I don't have a socket that is long and narrow enough. I'm thinking trying to find a longer and narrower socket, but I don't even know the size.

Anything I am missing?

CyberEric said:

Anything I am missing?

 

A pic of your current setup.

Besides a mug shot of ReallifeEric, you can see the outline of the but I’m trying to get to back in there. This is after removing the first, slightly smaller nut.

To my knowledge,  cartridges aren't generally one piece with the chrome trim. It sucks noodles, but get that out of the way if you can, it will give you a better idea. Also, find a core puller. 

Take a utility knife and run around the outside to cut the caulk that's holding it to the tile.  Then try turning it counter clockwise.  

rustyvw said:

Take a utility knife and run around the outside to cut the caulk that's holding it to the tile.  Then try turning it counter clockwise.  

As someone who does this constantly, I agreed with rustyvw based on what i see in the pictures.  The chrome escutcheon will unscrew giving access to the nut holding the stem in.  Usually you can go to home derpot and get washers to repair yours versus buying new

In reply to CyberEric :

I’m no help, but I <3 your coral mid century tile!

Pete Gossett said:

In reply to CyberEric :

I’m no help, but I <3 your coral mid century tile!

Haha, thanks, I love it too! One of the reasons we bought the house.

In reply to Patrick :

So I am able to turn the ring around the escutcheon, it's a separate piece. But it just spins and spins around, it doesn't appear to be threaded and makes no impact on the escutcheon itself. Is that common, for the ring to be separate?

I have tried turning the escutcheon with some pliers, but it just started to mangle it and it won't budge. It's hard to tell from that second picture, but the threaded inside of the escutcheon goes deep, past the plane of the wall.

I'm assuming you'll need a tube socket to undo the spindle. But I do find it odd that the chrome trim doesn't screw off.

I agree, it's odd, I'll try again, but it doesn't want to budge. I am thinking a tube socket is the only way to access it. Will I need a core puller after that? 

What's also odd is that it looks like I'm eating a sweet potato in that picture!

Have you tried pulling the trim as you twist? (Bring on the inappropriate jokes!). It may actually be meant to slide off but could be that there's a bit of corrosion in-between the trim and the spindle meaning that it's not coming off easily. 

Odd? I​​​​ thought everyone ate sweet potato whilst plumbing?

Ha! Thanks for the laughs! It's good to keep a sense of humor when dealing with plumbing.

I'll try pulling the trim as I twist.

Depending on the diverter, you may or may not need a core puller. I see plenty of homeowners come into my store that clearly dont have one- but some (moen, you know better) make it virtually impossible without one. 

Patrick and rustyvw are correct.  Cut the caulk around the escutcheon.  Try twisting it off with your hand.  It should come off fairly easily.  If it doesn't, a little twist with a pipe wrench will get it off but will mess it up (this style is available but check your local hardware first).  There is a packing nut, which tightens the diverter packing and prevents leaks from coming out the stem.  What you're looking for is the hex-shaped body of the diverter itself. Put your deep socket around that bad boy and go for it.  If you don't have the right size socket (if it's Price-Pfister it's 13/16 but could be 7/8), your local hardware purveyor will have some light metal plumber's sockets.  Use your pipe wrench with them and it'll be off in no time.

I think I'm either going to have to call a plumber or get a socket that is long and narrow enough to fit down inside the escutcheon because this thing will NOT budge.

The ring around won't come off. I've tried prying it off and that doesn't work either so I can't access anything like caulk that might be holding the escutcheon in place.

And actually, I can wiggle the whole thing in my hand, so I can tell it's not caulking around the tile that is keeping it in place, it feels like it's deeper, if that makes sense, like it's attached behind the tile. I've taken pliers to it and I just mangle it. Sigh.

I am currently trying to grind down a sheet mettle plumber's socket to make it narrow enough to fit in there. If anyone has any idea what size the second nut is, let me know. The outer nut, which I am able to remove is 13/16, and the inner one is slightly bigger.

In reply to CyberEric :

Probably 7/8 or 15/16.  Shouldn't be more than 1 inch.