Trap Adapter Cap Leak

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E-man

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I have a brass desanco fitting into a cast iron stub-out.
An ABS elbow fits into the desanco with a nut and flange on the other end.
The brass desanco cap has a crushed seal (part of the cap) with a hole in it.
The plastic elbow will not move; its stuck.
Are these glued in place or what keeps it rigid?
No way to remove and replace the cap.
Should I try silicone rubber in the cap?
or should I cut off the elbow and try to remove the remaining ABS so it can be replaced?
or should I cut off the elbow and use a Fernco coupling?

Here are some photos:

In the mirror, you can see a hole in the seal/washer.

DSC01825.jpgDSC01828.jpgDSC01830.jpg
 

hj

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quote; No way to remove and replace the cap. YES THERE IS
Should I try silicone rubber in the cap? ABSOLUTELY NOT
or should I cut off the elbow and try to remove the remaining ABS so it can be replaced? IF NECESSARY
or should I cut off the elbow and use a Fernco coupling? NEVER


All I see is a slip nut with a hardened washer on a piece of plastic SLIPPED into the DeSanko. There are lots of ways to remove the plastic tubing, the usual one is to just twist it and pull it out.
 

E-man

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Thanks, HJ and Tom S.

Twist & pull is not working. I can just barely reach it from the front of the cabinet to pull, but can only twist with wrists. With my head and shoulders in the cabinet, I can twist a bit, but not pull and my back complains. I wonder if this tube could have been glued in place? Would you advise attempting to remove the brass adapter from the iron stub? (That could be glued as well!) I have two of these set-ups and they both leak.
 
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Jadnashua

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You can try sticking the handle of a long screwdriver up that trap arm going into the Desanko and use it as a lever. It is not glued in place, or at least it's not designed to be glued in place. One never knows what some people might do, though. Tubular fittings rely on the tapered gasket being wedged evenly against the outside of the pipe and making the seal to the fitting on the outside. The nut gives you the mechanical force to jam it in there and then hold it.
 

Cacher_Chick

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There is no "glue" for installing ABS to CI or the trap adapter. If you can't pull out the ABS by itself, you could unscrew the trap adapter and then pull it and the ABS out.
 

hj

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You will have a lot better luck removing the plastic piece, not matter how you do it, than unscrewing that brass fitting inside a cabinet. The real question is, "if the tube is that tight, how in the world is it even leaking?"
 

E-man

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Well, I have stuck a short handled tool into the plastic pipe and torqued it until it deflects. No movement.
I have beat on it with a 2-lb rubber hammer. No movement, just deflection.
Presently, I see only two options:
1. Try to remove the brass adapter, assuming that the CI is threaded, not smooth.
2. Saw the pipe out and hope the adapter can be saved, not covered with epoxy inside.

Any other ideas?
Has anyone ever dealt with ABS pipe stuck in a DeSanco adapter?
This is a 50 yr. old house, probably came with a bass tailpipe soldered to the CI originally.
 

hj

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quote; This is a 50 yr. old house, probably came with a bass tailpipe soldered to the CI originally

That is also an impossible connection, but it probably had a brass trap into the DeSanko. There are lots of ways to remove the plastic pipe without damaging the brass fitting, but I do not know which ones would work for you.
 

E-man

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Please elaborate on "lots of ways to remove the plastic pipe".
You were right about "unscrewing that brass fitting"; can't get any leverage, even with 18" pipe wrench. It would be a lot easier if I disconnect the two sinks and remove the entire cabinet, but that would be the exreme last resort.

None of my other drains have a DeSanco; they all have plated brass tube going into CI drain, with what appears to be solder, maybe a lead bushing. (I am not a pro, so not familiar with all the terminology.)
 

Jadnashua

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Playing contortionist under a sink is never fun!?

You could cut the pipe off, then use a hacksaw blade to cut nearly through the piece sticking in the wall, then peel it out. Cut too far and you'd make a bigger problem, though. You might be able to use a torch to heat the blade of a flat screwdriver, and melt a cut through it, then peel it out. But, it should come out without such extreme measures. You do have the nut fully loosened? That nut wedges a tapered washer between the adapter in the wall and the outside of the pipe.
 

hj

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cut it off flush with the DeSanko, then heat a flat screwdriver blade red hot and "melt" a groove through the plastic. You will have to reheat the screwdriver several times, but once the groove is all the way along the tubing, you can pry it inwards and remove the piece.
 

E-man

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Jim and HJ,

You both seem to agree on the cut and melt approach, sounds logical to me, so that's what I will do.
Thanks for helping out another retired aerospace engineer, (1955-1985).
 
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