Shower Arm & Drop Ear Elbow

[bricksnsticks]

The drop ear elbow on this shower in one of my rentals has a piece of an old arm broken off inside. Can only thread the new arm 1/2 turn and it leaks. Shower is fully tiled - trying to avoid tearing out tile to replace elbow. I tried to remove the broken piece with tools that work inside a piece of pipe to no avail. Can this brass elbow be re-threaded in place? Any other ideas?

[jadnashua]

An easy-out may work, but typically, you'd have to cut or grind part of it off since the taper would make it too long to actually get a grip.

If you are very careful, you can try to peel it out. Depending on how rotten it is, you may need to take a hacksaw blade to score the inside, then pry it out of there.

Threading it wouldn't likely work - it's a tapered thread, and it would take a special tap to do it. Not sure if you can find them that would work in that shallow of a hole. It would require drilling out the hole, then something similar to a bottoming tap, but a tapered one for the IPS threads.

You may want to spray some PB Blaster or another penetrating oil in there and let it sit for a hour or so before you try to get it out.

[Terry]

Some hardware stores will rent tools for that.
Below is an easy out that has been modified by cutting the end off to prevent "bottoming out" on the drop ear 90

[hj]

They also make a square extractor that you tap into the piece and unscrew it. That one usually does not have to be cut off to fit.

[Terry]

They also make a square extractor that you tap into the piece and unscrew it. That one usually does not have to be cut off to fit.

OK, I need to know who makes that one.
It would be real handy.