'78 shower faucet replacement

[buffaloman]

I am running into trouble replacing the shower faucet in my 78 24'er. I guess I have gone about this backwards but it seemed so straight forward at the time LOL. I purchased a Pheniox shower head that has a hot and cold valve with the shower line running up between the valves. Standard stuff as I saw in an RV parts store and online. I was able to remove the pastic cowling and remove the old showe faucet today but could not install the new one becuase it was different. A small but imortant difference. The old faucet had exterior thrads to hold the washer & nut on the wall. A 90 degree brass fitting was then threaded into the female portion of the faucet connections both hot & cold. The new Pheniox has the exterior threads but ni interior threads for a fitting. Anybody solve this problem? Maybe I'll take a few picturs tomorow or so if someone answers.


Does anyone know who manufactured the original faucet? It wouldn't seal anymore becuase a portion of the brass connection has corroded away or somehow broken off. The O ring couldn't seal it off so it constantly leaked.
Thanks

[Mexray]

Our 78 Ambassador has all Moen faucets, and modern versions are readily available at H/Depot and Lowes, etc...

Don't know what were used in the Argosy models, however - may well be different...

Ray

[easyride]

Need pictures,all I`ve ever seen is Moen,and they are soldered in. Dave

[Argonaut20]

It's possible to find 1/2" pipe female X 1/2" pex push to connect elbow. It may even be possible to find 1/2" pipe female X 3/8" pex elbow. You can use this elbow to connect to the faucet exterior threads and then to pex tubing. If 1/2" is all you can find, get a 1/2" X 3/8" push to connect adapter if your shower feed is 3/8". These elbows are called 'sharkbite' type and are brass.

[Mexray]

It's true that our vintage years of faucets have soldered connections to the all copper tubing that was used then...

It's rather easy to adapt current Moen (or other) products however, by cutting the inlet tubes to the faucet and use compression fittings to adapt to the new faucet's inlet pipes - I did it in the galley and in the bath basin - the late Moen basin faucet was almost an exact copy of the original - some good designs don't ever have to change!

Our shower unit still works great, and so I haven't had to tear that one out yet...I'll now have to be prepared i guess...

[buffaloman]

this faucet is not a soldered fitting. It is a 1/2 x 3/8ths threaded 90 degree elbow with a compression connection to 3/8ths black tubing.

The old faucet has external threads for the locking nut and internal threads for the 90 degree elbow. The Phenoix faucet's outside diameter is smaller than the old faucet and the inside is made for a compression fitting. I have to make the cnnection and turn 90 degrees within a 2" space to fit behind the present wall covering.

I'm off to a plumbing supply store tomorrow.

[buffaloman]

Well this is what I have found out. The original faucet was made by a company that was purchased by Pheniox. Their facuet model 412 is not an exact duplicate. What I have done is threaded the interior of the shank to receive the 90 elbow IPT by 3/8" compression connection to the existing piping. The thread depth is not complete but may be enough to make a seal. I have used teflon tape and then added Restrol , a PG gas thread dope. We'll see if it holds pressure. THe whole replacement thing has been very frustrating as no parts are available. Options to work from the backside are not possible and the clearance between the shower fitting and back wall is only 2" to making a 90 degree turn with a flex hose impossible.

This whole process has been a lesson in patience. I hope it works.