Removing head from 1970's bathroom tap

I was going to say, I'd expect see see a grub-scren on the head, but if you already know that, then use a spray to clean the grot out of the hole, get a torch and look closer for the screw head is all I can think

On those types of taps the top is a cover (the bit with the H and C) can be prized off with a craft knife blade to reveal the screw that holds the tap head to the spindle.

Otherwise try a smart mobile phone to take a photo down the hole and then expand (zoom in) the resulting photo. You may need to take the photo from a foot away and have the flash on (or turn on the phone light).

Err, no. The bath taps are like that but the sink taps have a small hole in the side of the handle and there is some sort of screw that engages with the side of the spline (I guess).

The hole is about 1/8th of an inch. Almost impossible to see what is deep inside. I suspect it is full of 49 years of soap and gunge

I've got taps like that (in your photo) on my ancient 2nd hand sink ... _like_ that, not precisely the same. Mine just lift off (cf the post re levering it). How much levering space have you got: knife-thin, or not-so-thin: tht has a bearing on what tool you use, and how much force, to _investigate_ the possibility of levering it up (as opposed to making the b_____d move with a big tool).

But your 1/8" hole might indeed hide a screw, and in my experience with old taps that old, the screw is a simply slothead. Obviously you need to scrape around with a pointy thing: have you a set of darts?

Good luck - what fun! John

I was going to look at my sink taps which look the same as your picture, metal with plastic tops, but now you say the taps are not like the picture. How about giving the correct picture, either from online or taken by yourself showing enough to identify the model?

I don't have an account where I could post a picture though.

Have you tried metric AND imperial Allen keys?

After 49 years it may well be that they’ll never budge though.

Tim

It seems you might need a 2mm or 2.5mm allen key according to this site:

All my taps have removable caps and a countersunk head plain slot underneath

They do get scaled up and corroded though.

In many cases I just replace the taps. That design is as common as muck and pretty cheap

Even if you can find something to fit the whateveritis, IME the likelihood of being able to turn it and get the head off is fairly low after all this time. Taps like this are surprisingly cheap so I would just replace them - if you have half-decent pressure you could treat yourself to ceramic quarter-turn taps.

Drop me an email, and I will create an account for you on the DIY wiki - you can upload images there.

(or failing that, order a set of taps from screwfix or similar!)

We had taps which looked identical in this house when we bought it.

The cap on the top pops out.

There is a screw ( Cross head on ours) under it.

The handle can then be pulled off ( up).

You can then see the tap head.

To remove it, hold the spout and use a large spanner on the hex nut like body.

On ours the spindle has a flat and the grub screw connects with that, but the grub screws, maybe replaced over the years, have a head and if I replace one I get away with using small screws used in computers.

My guess is that the head has been snapped off in a previous attempt to undo the grub screw and what you are left with is a broken piece of thread. You might have to try and drill it out taken care if you can to avoid damaging the outer thread.

The bath taps are like that, the basin taps are annoyingly different.

My ex-car mechanic neighbour says he has a whole set of allen keys of various sizes so I'll try them after the WD40 has had a good soak.

Even then if they are badly scaled up it may be very hard to get them apart without destroying them. These days I simply buy a new set of taps if I cant get them apart in less than 10 minutes.

I'm 99% sure this is the right answer.

Of course, even with the grub screw removed, the OP will have a hell of a job removing the tap handle.

Personally, I would not bother with the damn grub screw. I'd grip the spout of the tap with some big grips (padded with a towel or summat) and I'd put a huge stilson on the handle, then undo the whole of the top of the tap. (Interesting if the water's not turned off first, of course.)

Then replace the top of the tap with one of these:

Even with the grub screw removed, it's really hard to remove the handle.

I suggest sacrificing the handle, and using a tap reviver kit: