In ,
TimR typed:
My shower needs replacement. The drip can't be stopped, new washers
and seat do nothing, and the stem slips. I've tried the specialty
places and they don't even recognize the brand, it seems to be the
original 1962 installation. My plan was a new stem and seat but we
couldn't find one that would fit.

So probably time to just replace. But that's a job I haven't done.

It is a two handle shower, which I like. I see you can still get
those, I thought it was going to have to be a one handle conversion.
Is there anything wrong with going back with a two handle? One that
will last and be easy to replace parts on, I really would like this
to be the last time I do the job.

I am going to have to cut the wall on the other side to get access,
and that won't be easy - it's plaster and metal lath, not drywall.

But not having seen the inside of one of these, I'm wondering how
hard it will be to get everything connected back up. I'm guessing it
is galvanized pipe but I won't know until I get it open.

Or am I going the wrong direction?

To TimR from TomR (no relation),

I am getting ready to do almost the same thing fairly soon. You said that
you have a "two handle" shower faucet, but mine is a "3 handle" shower
faucet -- hot, cold, and a diverter handle in the middle.

I tried to find some YouTube videos, but I couldn't find any that show this
type of replacement. They all seem to show how to replace and old 2 or 3
handle shower faucet with a single handle shower faucet. I'll post the
links to two YouTube videos below just to give you some ideas, but they are
not exact videos for what you and I are talking about doing.

In the end, after watching some of the YouTube videos, I may end up
converting my 3 handle shower faucet to a single handle shower faucet.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, you will need to open up the back wall and see
what you have now -- probably copper not iron pipe. And, after you open the
wall, you may want to look at Home Depot or Lowes or wherever for "access
panels". They are inexpensive and you can use them to add an easy access
panel where you made the hole in the wall rather sealing up the hole
permanently.

My 3 handle shower faucet has 1/2-inch copper pipe and fittings. I will
need to cut each of the copper pipes (4 cuts -- hot, cold, line up to the
shower head, and line down to the tub faucet). Then, I will be able to just
pull out the old 3 handle shower faucet fixture.

When I go to solder the new fixture in place, I will probably need some
1/2-inch "slip" couplings (also known as couplings with "no stop"). It
means a copper coupling that slides over the pipe but does not have a "stop"
in the middle on the inside. That way, when there is no room to move the
copper pipes on each side of the fitting (coupling), you can just slide the
coupling all the way on to one pipe, put the pipes together, then slide the
coupling back so that half of it covers one pipe and the other half covers
the other pipe -- then solder.

Here are the YouTube videos that I mentioned above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DwVRaLabSg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1g02dQWGh78