# pipe thread removal



## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

This worked out well but it was the first time I ever tried it and don't know if it will work again. 

Client had a leak at the shower arm so I go to remove it and of course with hardly any pressure it broke off inside the drop eared ell inside the wall. Ok so out to the truck I go to get my inside pipe nipple extractor but because the shower arm was brass, I of course got nowhere with them. So, being very fearful of damaging the drop eared ell, I very carefully use an old flat head screwdriver with some easy hammer taps to see if I can get the remaining threads of the shower arm to seperate from the dropeared ell. This started off reasonably well with me being able to use some needle nose pliers to reach in and slowly pull little pieces out as the old shower arm threads "uncoiled" from the drop eared ell. After I got about half way though, I couldn't really get any more to come out. At this point I tested to see if the new shower arm would thread into the drop eared ell. It would just start but I couldn't get enough threads in to hope to be able to seal it. So I went back out to the truck looking for inspiration and decided to see what would happen if I tried to run an iron nipple into the drop eared ell. Well when I did it I was afraid that the ell would be damaged so I went very slowly. After about 2 1/2 turns with the pipe wrench I stopped and removed the iron nipple. To my very great happiness, the iron threads had displaced the brass threads of the shower arm pushing them into a spiral as it went. I reached back in with my pliers and pulled all the remaining shower arm threads out in a single spiraling piece . Happy, happy, joy, joy!

I don't know if this will ever work again but if you ever find yourself in this situation and you're running out of tricks, you might give this one a try.


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## Tankless (Jun 12, 2008)

> So I went back out to the truck looking for inspiration and decided to see what would happen if I tried to


HaHaHa...I do that often!!! Works well too. There are some really cheap shower arms out there. Super thin brass doesn't last too long. Good find on that one!


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## para1 (Jun 17, 2008)

sWEEEEEET!


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## Bulldog Plumbing (Nov 9, 2008)

I hope I never have to engage in that nightmare, but if I do I will keep that little nugget of knowledge stashed away.


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## Redwood (Sep 8, 2008)

I've done that quite a few times before.
If I can't get enough threads out to start the nipple I have a #7 easy out that I cut 1/2" off of that works quite well too...


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## PipemanNYC (Nov 21, 2008)

I always have a small set of sharp cheisils for stuff just like that.. have a couple caping also


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## Protech (Sep 22, 2008)

If all else fails, you can cut a wedge out with a hacksaw blade and pry it up with a small flat head screw driver. That releases all the compresion from the threads and the remaining materials can be spun out with the screw driver.


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## PipemanNYC (Nov 21, 2008)

i actually enjoy that sometimes...


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## JeffH (Dec 16, 2008)

I'm new to this forum as of today! Nice to meet you all!
I've have a set of dental picks that have come in handy for this process. With needle nose pliers, one trick is not to pull, but to rotate in the direction of the treads to kind corkscrew the remaining mat'l out. This has worked numerous times for me.


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## celtic1 (Dec 16, 2008)

*Thanks*

Some good tips here, thanks


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## PlumcrzyRedneck (Dec 13, 2008)

We all seem to get into those kind of situations some time. A #7 easy out has always pretty much worked for me as Redwood said but i have also had to cut out a wedge and pry it out as protech said. I am new here and this is my first response so hello to everyone and nice to meet you.


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## muck (Oct 10, 2008)

PlumcrzyRedneck said:


> I am new here and this is my first response so hello to everyone and nice to meet you.


introduce your self in the itroduce your self section, these guys will like you beter if you do


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## tciplumber (Aug 27, 2008)

I usually run a pipe thread tap into the drop ear to clean it up after busting the old shower arm pieces out.


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

I've done this many times. Small-tipped screwdriver works pretty well. I do have several different types of cutting chisels. Usually, a pair of needle-nosed pliers finishes the job fine, twisting them and pulling the threads to the center of the hole.

I used a similar technique a couple of weeks ago to replace a section of drain behind kitchen cabinets. 

Reaching through the drawer spaces, I used a saber saw with a reversed blade to cut towards myself blind, making a slit through the remainder of the pipe. Prior to that, I had attempted to use a pipe wrench and truck jack to unscrew it, but the pipe was so soft that it just kept collapsing.

Then, a hammer and screwdriver and it took seconds to pop out the remainder, and I replaced it with a new nipple cut in half and reamed.


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## WestCoastPlumber (Jun 17, 2008)

Herk, that looks like a durham flat tee in your picture. 


9 out of 10 times, I will just hack the santee out. I feel I am never doing them a favor leaving it in. Besides, cleaning the threads can sometimes take longer then cutting the tee out and installing a new one and a cleanout :thumbsup:


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## smellslike$tome (Jun 16, 2008)

WestCoastPlumber said:


> Herk, that looks like a durham flat tee in your picture.
> 
> 
> 9 out of 10 times, I will just hack the santee out. I feel I am never doing them a favor leaving it in. Besides, cleaning the threads can sometimes take longer then cutting the tee out and installing a new one and a cleanout :thumbsup:


Yeah, except look at the cabinet he had to deal with. I don't know how he got anything out of there to begin with.

How long are your arms anyway Herk?


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## brain freeze (Oct 20, 2008)

great tips guys.

thanks

Vince


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## rocksteady (Oct 8, 2008)

smellslike$tome said:


> Yeah, except look at the cabinet he had to deal with. I don't know how he got anything out of there to begin with.
> 
> How long are your arms anyway Herk?


 
oh come on. just weld 3 or 4 sawzall blades together and get in there. i'm wondering what's on the other side of that wall too. maybe it'd be easier to open that wall and repair it than do the work through the cabinets?






paul


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## Herk (Jun 12, 2008)

SmellsLike$toMe said:


> How long are your arms anyway Herk?


Never long enough, it seems.

That's a regular durham tee. 

It doesn't show in the picture, but the original "plumber," and I use the term loosely, put the stack in at a slight angle. So the arm runs slightly uphill. Without removing the cabinet, there really wasn't much I could do about it. Since most of the new pipe is plastic, it won't rot out at the end again.

It's been less than a year since the idiot owners put a new countertop on without checking that the pipe was leaking in the wall. It was. I could put my thumb through some of the holes in the old galvy. It would have been a lot easier to work on that with the top off the cabinets.

You might also note that there isn't any insulation in the outside wall.


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