Need help

Dave Solly wrote: ....

They probably were simply plated steel rather than solid and the plating failed over time...or, it is possible the guy did just use something other than OEM-supplied, but would seem unlikely for all of them if the faucets were new at the time...

If the studs are still sound enough to re-use, cleaning them up w/ wire brush, or wheel will probably work. If destroy threads in region where existing nut was, may be able to use a shim to add enough thickness to get to clean threads...

Reply to
Duane Bozarth
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Our house was built 20 plus years ago. This weekend, I noticed one of our bathroom faucets were loose. I took off the handle and trim piece, and saw a pile of rust chunks and dust. The faucets are Price Pfister Widespread. It appears the plumber used pot metal (?) nuts on the faucets instead of brass.

Now, the problem is that for the most part, the nuts just crumble in your hand, but the rust is stuck to the threads, or, the nut is just frozen on the faucet body. No amount of WD40, tapping, trying to unscrew will get the rust off without messing up the threads. I also tried using a thin flat blade screw driver to clean the threads. I doubt that heating the thread will do much good either, although I have not tried that (I don't have a tourch at present). I also thought of a die, but since the rusted pot metal is harder than the brass body, I thought that this method would mess up the threads.

I hate the idea of buying new faucet bodies since they go for $40 a pop. I bought 4 to replace the ones in the master bathroom, but I still have 6 others with the same problem, and I havent even looked at the bath tubs or showers yet.

Going back to the plumber (I do know who the company is) after 20 years in not going to accomplish anything, I'm sure.

So, does anyone have any great ideas on how to get the rust out of the threads?

Thanks.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Solly

I've never seen pot metal nuts. I'm rather sure he used the nuts provided by the manufacturer of the sink. Installed proeprly, they should not get wet and corrode. The fauce to sink seal stopped working so water crept under it over the years. .

Wire wheel on a grinder may tak eit off.

It may not be their fault.

Reply to
Edwin Pawlowski

They make tools designed to clean threads. They are much the same as the tools made to make threads.

Reply to
Joseph Meehan

Neither have I. And pot metal (I presume you mean zinc?) does not rust; or even corrode much.

Reply to
toller

"toller" wrote in news:npz4e.550$ snipped-for-privacy@news02.roc.ny:

Well, I may be wrong about pot metal (that's why I put the question mark next to it), but it definately did rust. A magnet will also pick up the rust. Brass is not magnetic. To the best of my knowledge, brass does not rust either. When I bought the replacements, they included brass nuts. Therefore I AssUme they should have been brass when they were first installed.

Dave

Reply to
Dave Solly

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