?ID Bath Faucet Type-Kohler, 1937? Stem?

[sparking5]

Hi,

What kind of faucet style is below and it is leakin. It has a nice feel to it, hefty & I think I can clean it up well. Kohler is on the handles.

Is this an old traditional stem style? I cleaned the portion next to wall & hit it w/ penetrating oil. I tried to unthread it but won't move. I gently smacked all the sides to shock it loose. It's hard to get a good hold of the flat sides for a pipe wrench. My 460 channel locks didn't work.

I have never worked on this type of faucet. It started a steady leak as I was finally done using it to pail flush my toilet that I just fired up 3 days ago. I just want to stop the leak for now. I'd like to salvage it.

Got any idea on age?

Thanks!

[hj]

You have to unscrew those "nuts" somehow. Given the age of the faucet, you might find the stems have "barrels" similar to an American Standard Re-Nu unit on the ends. If so you want to replace them also because they are a wedge fit and once tightened may not seal the second time.

[sparking5]

Thanks!

I just spent some more time on it and I got what American Standard Re-Nu would call the stuffing nut. The remaining looks like it is one piece tho it does have the 6 or so flat sides fr a crescent/adjustable wrench. I can not tell if it divides or not. (Some of this is hard to explain w/ words).

It sure looks similar to the Re-Nu's I found on net, diaghrams. The overflow plate says Kohler too so I'll research that.

The chrome stem is still in place. I wish I knew the sequence to install & good exploded diaghram.

I looked inside & picked at what seems to be deteroiated string---old school, right? This was surrounding the stem directly underneath the stuffing nut. It's the stuffin' right?

A sawzall would be easier but I wanna reuse it to maintain the integrity of bldg BUT not at the expense of my sanity (thinking of the many choices I will be making in future whether to buy new or restore).

Hey, some of you may think I got me a big old yellow lemon. BTW, house is yellow. BUT, i put exterior photos on several architect websites and they say I got "a gem", "a beauty". It's a Cape Cod.

Of course they didn't seem my plumbing photos.

How do I remove the plug in bottom of tub. I have the overflow pipe off.

Going to search Kohler & old, decrepited faucets.

[sparking5]

I now see where it splits. Would it be a left hand thread? It ain't yet budging.

Trying cleaning crap from hard water, penetrating spray and scraping w/ my tiny electrical control screwdriver. I haven't tried an actual crescent wrench yet. Tried channel locks, vise grips, old style pipe wrench. The copper wants to deform easily.

[sparking5]

I think this is the faucet tub set

Kohler "Old Style"

http://www.plumbingpartsdepot.com/kohler407072.pdf

The bonnet nut is what I am stuck on now as well as stem. I tried the usual. By now I have mangled the bonnet nut some-looks like copper?

Going to look in my dad's pole barn in collection of old tools to find a bonnet/tub/faucet wrench/socket thingy. I think it is ar at least was 7/8" nut.

[plumber1]

Pam, I've seen a gillion of these Kohlers and Am. Std. faucets. The lav faucets repair the same way.

If you removed that round stuffing nut your in trouble. You need to leave it in place and use a plumbers socket wrench. Neither Kohler or Standard left much of a shoulder to put any tool on..

A last resort would be to grab that son-of a- gun with a vice grip, but put the packing gland nut back in where it belongs. It will work better if you don't
try to push or pull. Just hold the vice grip with one hand and continue to bump the other hand with the free hand till you start it turning......

[Winslow]

you have to use a socket or you'll distort the stem, make sure the packing nut is in the bonnet when you unscrew it. I use a 1/2 drive socket (7/8 if I remember correctly), then unscrew the socket with channel lock pliers or a pipe wrench. If you try and unscrew it with anything without the packing nut in you will ruin the stem. the sline will pass through a 1/2 drive socket and fit onto the bonnet.

[sparking5]

Thanks for the above info!

So far, I have 1 stem out. I put the stuffing/packing nuts back on whichheloed w/ 1. The other is too mangled/rounded to fit in 7/8 socket or any socket. I'll try w/ a bigger vise grip tomorrow.

[sparking5]

Plumber1,

When you returning to the north? I got some things I wanna show ya.

Last night I had the first locally grown asparagus. I think it is alittle early this year.