Bathtub faucet handle is stuck

[Higgins]

I can turn the water on and off (well, not completely off), but I can't remove the handle to try and fix the leak. My father in law (an HVAC contractor) banged on it and presumes 20 years of calcium deposits are freezing the handle in place. He suggests liberally and repeatedly spraying WD-40 in the screwhole and behind the handle over several days. But I'm thinking I should be using something more likely to dissolve the deposits. Any guidance??? Thanks.

[Speedy Jim]

Get the proper tool. It's called a "handle puller" (like a gear puller) and works almost every time. It's tough to get anything in there to dissolve corrosion. Carefully applying heat from a small torch may work too.

Jim

[Mikey S.]

WD-40 won't hurt so if you have a can handy give it a squirt or two and wait a while but I think real penetrating oil ( ask at the hardware store ) will be a better bet. Then slowly try to work the handle loose, any motion at all and you have it whipped, it just takes patience from that point to finesse it off.

[Charlie Bress]

If it is really calcium, I would try vinegar to dissolve it.

Charlie

[Tom]

I've invested in a gear puller, the 3-armed type. A little unwieldy to set onto the handle, leaving the attaching screw in place, but turned out a couple of revolutions(this provides a place to push against so as not to damage the stem, and leaves room for the handle to move). I come upon this problem _all_ the time, and the puller works for me. Tom Work at your leisure!

[Higgins]

Ah, this handle puller is sorta like a dent puller? You keep tapping back on the sliding thing in the middle??? Have to see what the neighborhood hardware store has....

[Speedy Jim]

Scroll down to "Big Yank"

Jim

[willshak]

No, it's like a mechanics gear or bearing puller. Here is a faucet puller (second tool)

[meirman]

In alt.home.repair on Tue, 16 Nov 2004 09:45:39 -0500 Speedy Jim posted:

P&M only because this didn't post the first time I tried, and the thread may be buried by now.

One problem is that you don't say what kind of handle it is. Metal? Plastic? Textured Vegetable Protein? You don't say if it is a one-handle faucet or a two-handle faucet, but I deduced that it was 2 since you mention the screwhole.

The problem with spraying WD-40 is the same as in other related situations. It will, I'm certain, fill up the empty space and keep much/most/all of the Liquid Wrench from getting in. Who knows, it might even neutralize Liquid Wrench or some similar product.

But of course this is the right solution. I don't think I've ever seen one on display, but I'm sure you can find one.

Meirman

If emailing, please let me know whether or not you are posting the same letter. Change domain to erols.com, if necessary.

[Higgins]

Well, I got a Big Yank and it's not enough. I'll keep working at it. I'd hate to start cutting the handle off with a Dremel. THAT looks like a tough job...