old shower valves - removing handles

It could be calcified up, try lime away or CLR

Common; they can get badly corroded and the stem is splined to boot.

Run out and buy a faucet "handle puller". No guarantee, but it almost always works.

If still no go, apply heat (small torch) to the metal handle. Have the handle puller in place, ready to tighten. Stick a metal heat shield behind the work to protect anything exposed and WEAR safety glasses.

Jim

try tapping it straight onto the shaft with a hammer to break the crust. i said TAP not, hit, bang, smash. dont try to bend it off, just tap it free.

randy

There is a special tool to do this. It's like a gear puller with a small pin in the center that fits in the screw hole and legs that grip the backside of the handle. Maybe you can find a plumbing repair guy that will pull it for you or borrow one somewhere..

Try heat, but it may discolor it.

As a last resort you can hacksaw it off and get another valve. If another valve isn't available, you could still fix the old one.