How can I remove the rusty drain from my tub?
I am trying to instal a new drain line from my tub to the house’s main line. I cannot unscrew the original drain from the tub – it is disconnected from the overflow, etc. The drain is a very hard metal, possibly iron – I broke my screwdriver trying to pry it up. I have a Brasscraft drain wrench that I can’t get any torque on. (a little background on what I have already tried.) Any suggestions?
Contact a local plumber, most of them are willing to give helpful hints.
the only way to get it off is to turn it counterclockwise. You can try jamming pliers in the X at the bottom of the drain,then with a big screwdriver hold the pliers and torque on it with the screwdriver. If it breaks, its still off,right?
if you have the drain wrench, insert the wrench and then use a crescent, channel locks, or vise grip to grab the drain wrench and supply a lever so you can turn the drain loose
Have you tried an internal wrench. Either that or take a chisel or a screwdriver and tap a dent into it and then using a hammer gently tap it in the direction to take it out. If you still have the cross grates in the bottom try a 4 way wrench.
You can cut it off from underneath – cut it off horizontally as close to the bottom of the tub as possible. There is a nut then a rubber washer, then the tub and a brass flange that you see inside the tub. you may be able to chisel the remainder of the nut off, or cut it, being sure not to cut into the tub (this is a vertical cut). once you have cut a seam in the nut you can peel it off of the drain flange, and remove all of the pieces.