Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower, tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???

RON


Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
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Its a Grohe brand, should be easy enough to find on the web


"Ron in NY" wrote in message
...
Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair
it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded
it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This
faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've
replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower,
tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried
to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to
start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins
and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the
nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think
that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can
anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???


RON


Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

Ron in NY wrote:
Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower, tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???

RON


Ron,

Have you tried unscrewing the roundish outside brass nut first?

Tut

Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

Ron in NY wrote:
Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower, tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???

RON


Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

Have a look here for drawing and part list
http://www.guillens.com/gcat/classic/21_184.htm

Ron in NY wrote:
Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower, tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???

RON


Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.


Looks like that "roundish thing" just provides a "wobble preventing
bearing surface" for the faucet handle.

Don't use force when trying to unscrew the cartridge....get a bigger
wrench. G

Seriously, use a deep socket and a long handled socket wrench or slip a
"persuader" (an 18" long piece of conduit.) over the handle of a regular
6 inch long socket wrench.

Lean on the wrench handle and if that doesn't do it, then whack the
handle with a hammer while applying force.

If it won't come out that way then the faucet is junk anyway, eh?

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Life is like a sewer -- what you get out of it depends on what you put
into it."

Hi again all,

I've identified the faucet as a Grohe (how do you pronounce that ??) model
31771 or 31735. Thanks to Casino Knight for identifying the brand. Reed, thanks
for the exploded view, but that's a bathroom faucet. Jeff, you're right, the
fluted part is a wobble preventer. The nut is an odd size. 11/16 is slightly too
big, 5/8 is too small, 17mm is too big, and 16mm is too small. I've been trying
with the 11/16 wrench, but it won't budge. I have a few pipe wrenches that are
longer than the 11/16 wrench--I'll give them a try. The problem is that I don't
know if they are a regular or backwards thread. I don't want to push too hard
and either strip or snap the housing. I've flooded it with PB Blaster for the
last 2 days with no success. I guess that Grohe is not a popular brand, and
nobody has any info on them--I've never heard of the brand before. Has anyone
ever seen backwards threaded cartridges before ???

RON....KA2IIA
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

Ron in NY wrote:
Hi again all,

I've identified the faucet as a Grohe (how do you pronounce that ??) model
31771 or 31735. Thanks to Casino Knight for identifying the brand. Reed, thanks
for the exploded view, but that's a bathroom faucet. Jeff, you're right, the
fluted part is a wobble preventer. The nut is an odd size. 11/16 is slightly too
big, 5/8 is too small, 17mm is too big, and 16mm is too small.

Given that Grohe is a european brand, I'd expect that 17 mm would be the
correct size, and it's about twenty thou smaller than 11/16".

I have no reason to expect that it'd be a LH thread.

If a 17 mm deep socket and a cheater handle won't start it, you could
always try using the "chisel technique".

Take a hammer and a flat cold chisel (with about 3/8" wide cutting edge)
and use them to make an indentation on one of the hex flats, about 1/4
of the way from the end of that flat, on the LEFT side of top center.

After you've made a groove, place the chisel tip in it and tilt the
chisel to the right. Strike it sharply and the combination of the shock
plus the offset force should start the part unscrewing.

That one's worked for me many times, especially where I didn't have the
correct size socket at hand and the part had to be unscrewed "raaht now".

HTH,

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
"Life is like a sewer -- what you get out of it depends on what you put
into it."


I've been trying
with the 11/16 wrench, but it won't budge. I have a few pipe wrenches that are
longer than the 11/16 wrench--I'll give them a try. The problem is that I don't
know if they are a regular or backwards thread. I don't want to push too hard
and either strip or snap the housing. I've flooded it with PB Blaster for the
last 2 days with no success. I guess that Grohe is not a popular brand, and
nobody has any info on them--I've never heard of the brand before. Has anyone
ever seen backwards threaded cartridges before ???

RON....KA2IIA
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

"Jeff Wisnia" wrote in message
...
Ron in NY wrote:
Hi again all,

I've identified the faucet as a Grohe (how do you pronounce that ??)
model
31771 or 31735. Thanks to Casino Knight for identifying the brand. Reed,
thanks
for the exploded view, but that's a bathroom faucet. Jeff, you're right,
the
fluted part is a wobble preventer. The nut is an odd size. 11/16 is
slightly too
big, 5/8 is too small, 17mm is too big, and 16mm is too small.

Given that Grohe is a european brand, I'd expect that 17 mm would be the
correct size, and it's about twenty thou smaller than 11/16".

I have no reason to expect that it'd be a LH thread.

If a 17 mm deep socket and a cheater handle won't start it, you could
always try using the "chisel technique".

Take a hammer and a flat cold chisel (with about 3/8" wide cutting edge)
and use them to make an indentation on one of the hex flats, about 1/4 of
the way from the end of that flat, on the LEFT side of top center.

After you've made a groove, place the chisel tip in it and tilt the chisel
to the right. Strike it sharply and the combination of the shock plus the
offset force should start the part unscrewing.

That one's worked for me many times, especially where I didn't have the
correct size socket at hand and the part had to be unscrewed "raaht now".

HTH,

Jeff

Trying to remove a stubborn 2 handle Price Pfister faucet I had to resort to
the other alternative - using a hacksaw to cut the nut off - of course you
pretty much destroy the faucet - but I always hated that particular faucet
anway. The other extreme frustration alternative is to use a pair of vice
grips to rip the nut off. It's brass after all and a pair of steel vice
grips applied along the outside of the nut will deform the metal
sufficiently to break the metal if done properly and if sufficient anger and
violence have been bottled up. It worked well for me once - again the
faucet was useless after that but I didn't care. This trick works even
better when the brass is about 40 years old and so corroded it makes the
Liberty Bell look like it just came from the foundry.


I've been trying
with the 11/16 wrench, but it won't budge. I have a few pipe wrenches
that are
longer than the 11/16 wrench--I'll give them a try. The problem is that I
don't
know if they are a regular or backwards thread. I don't want to push too
hard
and either strip or snap the housing. I've flooded it with PB Blaster for
the
last 2 days with no success. I guess that Grohe is not a popular brand,
and
nobody has any info on them--I've never heard of the brand before. Has
anyone
ever seen backwards threaded cartridges before ???

RON....KA2IIA
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.

You may have found a solution to this but if not, since we have Grohe
fixtures throughout our home I've been afforded numerous opportunities
to dissect them (I'm doing one right now.) The cartridge that you are
trying to remove has right-hand thread. It is seal by an o-ring and I
find that this is the culprit when trying to remove the cartridge,
rather than corrosion. When it is compressed a substantial force is
exerted between the underside of the flange (located about 17 mm below
the top of the 17 mm hex nut that you see in your photo. After a half
turn of so the o-ring will become uncompressed enough to make further
turning possible bay hand.

The most frequent drip/leak cause that I've seen is foreign matter on
the seat that then gets imbedded in the washer. The seat seems to
survive but the washer is best replaced.

I sometimes resort to removing the entire fixture and put it in a vise
to remove the cartridge. It is frequently easier in the long run. You
may want to get a 1/2" seat washer before you open the faucet up though.
The washer actually measures 0.65" dia x about 0.1" thick. Grohe's
part number is 05.291.

I like Grohe fixtures and specified them. I have noticed that their
quality is declining. I bought some recently and was not as happy as I
was with the ones bought in 1991. I several identical shower setups and
some are rusting badly while others are not. It looks like they are
skimping of their plating and preparation. Too many visible pin holes
and no apparent use of electrophoretic finishes to seal the surface.

Good luck.

B

Ron in NY wrote:
Hi All,

Can anyone identify this kitchen faucet, and tell me how I can repair it
??? After 18 years, it has started to drip. As you can see, I pulled the
handle, and exposed the stem and nut, but it will not unscrew. I flooded it with
PB Blaster, and let it sit overnight, but it still will not budge. This faucet
might have cartridges, and dissassemble differently--I don't know. I've replaced
many washers and washerless cups in my bathroom fixtures (sink, shower, tub),
but this is my first kitchen fixture. I put a wrench on the hex, and tried to
turn it both ways, but it will not budge. When you turn the handle to start the
water flowing, the stem DOES NOT screw out of the faucet--it just spins and
starts the water flowing. There is a "U" shaped clip on the stem, at the nut
that you can see clearly in 1 of the pictures--that's what makes me think that
there is a whole cartridge in there, rather than a stem and washer. Can anyone
tell me how to dissassemble this faucet ???

RON


Pictures located at:

http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-001S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-002S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-003S.JPG
http://home.computer.net/~rong/MVC-004S.JPG
================================================== ======
Remove the ZZZ from my E-mail address to send me E-mail.