Tub Drain Installation

[Mikael]

I hit a snag while attempting to replace my tub's drain. I thought I had done most of the heavy lifting in installing the American Standard drain assembly, but then I couldn't figure out how to link the two parts of the actual drain mechanism. (sorry if I'm not getting the vocabulary right) It is the style where you have sort of a hockey-puck shaped disk at the overflow that you turn about 90 degrees to plug the drain. The directions were not at all helpful-- they said that the "striker" (the spring shaped thing hanging from the overflow) should "rest on" the rocker arm, whick rests in the horizontal shoe under the drain and connects to the plug.

Needless to say, merely resting one one piece on the other did not allow for any mechanical interaction between the two parts, so turning the knob did not open or close the drain. However, I couldn't find any obvious way to link the spring to the rocker arm.

Any suggestions on how to handle this? Should I find some way to join the two and then fish the whole thing, minus the actual drain plug, through the overflow, pull it through the drain and reconnect the plug? I would have thought it would be more straightforward than that...

Many thanks!

Mikael

[Verdeboy]

I'm not familiar with that spring design. All the stoppers I've used have a plunger assembly that attaches to the trip lever (overflow plate) using a cotter pin. No other mechanical connection is necessary. When the plunger is pulled up, water can pass through. And when it is down, it closes off the drain. Maybe you can buy a plunger type assembly with trip lever overflow plate and use that instead.

[plumber1]

Pull out and look real good at the linkage on the stopper. A piece could have broken off not allowing the spring to make contact.

Look at the height adjustment at the stopper

If the stopper and linkage is all there, part of the spring could be broken off.

If everything is all there, put the stopper in first and then put the rod and overflow knob on.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I know exactly what you are talking about. I just installed an AMST drain and was appalled at the lack of directions...
The spring will press the top of the drain linkage to "rock" the plug up to allow it to drain. When you put the plug and rocker arm in make sure the puck is rotated to the CLOSED position or it won't work. After you put in the plug and rocker then you can rotate the puck open or closed.
My drain was made for a few different tubs so it was a bunch of trial & error to get the adjustment right... When it is closed the spring will be just above the rocker arm (all of which you can't ever see in the tubes...) When open the spring presses down on the rocker arm to lift the plug up.
Hope this helps and best of luck...

[Mikael]

That was it! In retrospect the directions were right, I just couldn't accept that the spring was nothing more than a weight. I was totally overthinking it. Thanks so much!

mikael