Problems with Replacing Shower Flange

[cshong]

I wanted to change my shower arm. It was one of those big "S" ones, and I wanted to switch it to a regular one. Now that I removed the old arm, I can't put in either the new one or the old one.

As far as possible indicators of a problem, when I removed the old arm, I heard a slight crack. I have tile around the arm, and it seemed like the tile was just very close and I bumped it a little. Maybe however the crack was an indication of something worse?

My belief is that somehow I damaged the threads in the in-wall connection. (Maybe that was the cracking sound?) The threads on the arm I removed were in good condition, but I can see no other reason why I can't install either the old or new arm.

Is there anything that I can do without having to tear down some tile and replace the in-wall connection?

I was thinking about trying a rethreading tool. Is this something that I should try or am I asking for more trouble?

My alternative was to get short piece of PVC, put teflon tape on it, jam that sucker in there, and then attach the arm to the PVC.

The last thing that I want to do is tear down tile. Any suggestions? Should I call a plumber on this?

[Old Dog]

Look at the end of the "s" arm again.You might of broken off a section of the threaded area inside the wall.I broke off one of mine before...at first glance it looked fine but I had broken two complete threads off.It was at the very beginning of the part that the arm screws into so I couldn't get the new one I was installing to go back in either.I was able to stick one of my smaller fingers in and feel where it had broken flush(careful,mine was sharp).Fortunately I was able to get a straight slot screwdriver (with a little duct tape to protect the threads) into the broken section and back it out.
I was lucky,didn't damage the threads or my tile.I was able to get the new arm in with no problems.Yours might of been weakened if you have been pulling down on an adjustable shower head.Maybe you can try this before calling in a plumber.Just be really careful not to mess up the threads...

[jadnashua]

The socket could have move and is no longer aligned with the hole. Take a flashlight and maybe a mirror and see if you can see the full fitting. If it moved, it could be a bear to rethread the arm in.

[cshong]

I checked the old arm again and all of the threads look good. The socket looks flush (I can see it completely).

I think it's the threads in the elbow, and I think that I'm going to call a plumber to get it tapped.