Help me replace my bathroom faucet

April 23, 2022 8:24 PM

I am trying to replace a sink faucet. I have removed one lock nut, but the other I have now broken off the flanges that provide leverage on the nut, and cannot remove it with a basin wrench or vise grip. The space is tiny and cramped inside of a cabinet. Help!!

How the $#@&*!! can I remove this stripped plastic lock nut now??? The more I work at at the worse I fuck it up.

posted by latkes to Home & Garden (8 answers total)

If there are two separate handles, one for hot and the other for cold, and you have removed one successfully and broken the other, then the broken one could very well have a left-handed thread instead of the usual right-handed, and can only be removed by turning it in the opposite direction to the one you’ve removed already.
posted by jamjam at 8:34 PM on April 23, 2022

Do you have photos of the exact situation? If the nut is plastic and you are replacing the whole deal, time to get destructive. I'd try nibbling the nut down with side cutters, or cut with a hacksaw blade (wrap tape around one end as a handle) to fit in tight spaces.
posted by token-ring at 8:37 PM on April 23, 2022

Response by poster: OK here are photos. I can't see a way to remove the picture from above but can keep trying... the hacksaw blade seems promising since it is plastic...
posted by latkes at 8:47 PM on April 23, 2022

Response by poster: I can't see a way to remove the FIXTURE from above...
posted by latkes at 8:54 PM on April 23, 2022

Oscillating saw might nibble away enough plastic to get that nut out in pieces. Heat gun might soften it up enough to break the bonds between the plastic and metal threads. (NB: Heat can also warp internal faucet o-rings and such too.) Then another good grab with the basin wrench might work. I will not suggest a propane torch to really soften the plastic but I pictured where mine is in my shop and then I pictured where my goggles and full face shield are.
posted by kiblinger at 9:15 PM on April 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

I doubt you can do much from above. Being plastic I would try to cut or deforme it. Small/flexible saw blade, steak knife you don't like very much, possibly a comical series of drill extenders culminating in a small drill bit to weaken then snap with pliers.

On preview: oscillating tool if you have one and could get it in there!
posted by token-ring at 9:19 PM on April 23, 2022

Response by poster: Drill got it. That sucked. But it worked. Thank you.
posted by latkes at 10:00 PM on April 23, 2022 [6 favorites]

From your pictures, I’d guess those two sets of threads actually could have different handedness.

Try screwing the plastic nut you got off successfully at first onto the other set of threads. If it goes on without difficulty, they’re both right-handed.

If it won’t go on, one set of threads is left-handed.
posted by jamjam at 10:51 PM on April 23, 2022