On Sunday, June 22, 2014 2:34:00 PM UTC-4, dpb wrote:
On 6/22/2014 12:51 PM, trader_4 wrote:

...



But.... What we don't know is if the original length was a standard

close nipple or a length cut to make it fit. If it's standard, they

got mighty lucky..... That sucker has to be pretty close to the right

size to get the tailpiece vertical.



Of course it does (have to be the right length, that is), but given a

union plumber in NYC in the 40s or 50s, what's to think he didn't have

the whole shop set up at the time and did it all onsite?

I agree. It's precisely my point. If it's not a standard length
nipple, buying one isn't going to work. And I wouldn't trust
the drain guy to have measured it correctly. Folks here are
assuming the reason it's not vertical is because some of the threads
on the end broke off. But these fittings are tapered. I think
you could take 1/2" off the end and it still would tighten up to
about the same length, no? Meaning it may never have been the
right length to begin with.



I'm guessing

altho afair OP hasn't said that this must be a multi-story brownstone or

something similar -- otherwise the stack pipe would likely not be 3",

either if were single-family dwelling.



The curious thing is how it's assembled from the sink to manage to get

the tailpiece into the trap...there's got to be a slip joint there or

it'll be a real trick...


Yep, which is why I said if he can get a new P trap with a slip
joint in there, using a reducing bushing in the T, etc, that
would be much better/easier.





But, I'm presuming the guy who did it can measure...it would surely have

been nice if our OP had put a ruler or some other fixed-size object in

there when took the picture...



--

Maybe, but I'd leave it to the guy who's going to do it to figure out
the best solution, right size, etc. If you hand him the new nipple,
then the new P trap solution is out and if he tightens it up and the
vertical alignment is off, then Doh!

I'm still wondering what the duct tape below the tee is all about.
He said something about that being put there with regard to a
previous snaking of the drain? I couldn't make any sense of that.
I hope he's not saying they made a hole in the pipe to get the
snake in, then covered it with duct tape....