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About This Project
When the stopper in your lever-style bathtub drain won’t pop up anymore because the linkage is damaged or clogged, replace it with a much simpler lift-and-turn style drain. The linkage in a lever-style drain attracts dirt and hair like a magnet, and must be cleaned regularly in order to keep the drain working properly. The lift-and-turn drain has no complicated linkage to dig out and clean—almost everything catches in the drain grate. Buy the replacement kit at hardware stores and home centers for about $15 to $40.
The linkage may stick and be stubborn to remove. Grab hold of it and tug hard until it pops out. Screw on the new overflow plate once the linkage has been removed.
The toughest part of the job is removing the old stopper body, but it’s all downhill after that. Remove the old stopper body. If you’re having trouble unscrewing it, try heating it with a hair dryer set on “high.” The heat may help loosen the old plumber’s putty. The old stopper body can also be cut out with a reciprocating saw and metal blade, but be very careful because it’s easy to cut into and damage the bathtub.
All that’s left is to install the new stopper body and stopper. Slide the new rubber gasket on top of the drainpipe under the tub and insert the new drain flange with plumber’s putty on it.Use the supplied bushing if the new threads are different from the old. Screw the stopper into the stopper body and congratulate yourself on a job well done.
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