Changing the valve is going to require ripping open the wall, and replacing
and then putting everything back.

The trouble you describe is probably easily repaired with replacement stems
and seats.

Turn off the water, remove the handles and unscrew the escutcheons. You
should then be able to use a wench to unscrew the packing nut and then the
stem will screw all the way out (Put the handle back on). Take these stems
to a good hardware store and buy:

2 new stems (1 hot and 1 cold)
2 valve seats
Valve seat wrench (An L shaped rod with a tapering square shaft on one end
and a tapering hex shaft on the other.)
A small tube of plumbers grease.

When you get home, figure out which end of the seat wrench to use by trying
it in the new seats. (The guy at the hardware store can show you this.)

Now insert the seat wrench into the old valve seats and unscrew them, and
replace it with the new seats.

Grease up the new valve stems and reassemble.

This should give you many more years on your shower valve.

To make it look new and pretty, you can optionally purchase new handles and
escutcheons.


--
Roger Shoaf
If you are not part of the solution, you are not dissolved in the solvent.
"Joe" wrote in message
oups.com...
I've had a slow drip for a while from my ancient American Standard
faucet in my bathtub. It has recently turned from a drip into a stream
and since the water is no longer cold but luke warm I suspect the hot
water side has started leaking as well. I'd love to replace it myself
but from investigating online it looks just too complicated. Right now
it has two handles and I'd like to turn it into a single handle. My
question is this: what is the best way to go about installing this,
call a plumber? Or go to a home center, pick out the style we want and
have them install it? As I said, I'd love to repair it myself but I
don't think watching 10 episodes of Ed the Plumber is going to qualify
me to taking on this task.