Is there a special P-trap wrench?

[bevman]

On my 58 Flying Cloud I need to replace cracked/leaking p-trap that hangs slightly out of the belly pan. There is a "patch" of aluminum that can be unscrewed to access, but it's only about a foot square. My problem is that I can't get a normal wrench up in there to spin off the nuts. Some plumber must have had a similar access problem and needed a wrench with some reach. Know of anything?

[silverleeper]

A basin wrench might help you. Amazon.com: Superior Tools 11-Inch Basin Wrench: Home Improvement

[bevman]

this is certainly the right idea... but do they come with jaws big enough to manage a p-trap nut? (I have one of these and have used it to install sink faucets.)

[3 Dog Nite]

If you can't access the leaking trap, how about the other nuts? Maybe you can remove the drain from bottom of sink & another point in drain line. Then you can remove it as an assembly. Reassembling with new parts should go easier as you won't need to exert the strength that's needed to break something loose.

Ricky

[markdoane]

Does it look like a regular tube P-trap, or is it a cast iron P-trap like the picture below?

If it's like mine ('59) you remove it by unscrewing the drain trim from above.

[silverleeper]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Does it look like a regular tube P-trap, or is it a cast iron P-trap like the picture below?

If it's like mine ('59) you remove it by unscrewing the drain trim from above.

That's what the p-trap on my 60 looks like.

Can you post a pic of the p-trap bevman? A basin wrench does come in different sizes.

[bevman]

I'll get out there when the rain stops (soon) and get some pix. It is just a brass u-shaped standard plumbing p-trap (not cast iron). The bottom third of it hangs outside the belly pan skin. It's somewhere under the shower pan and I think that it's attached to the shower drain. I'm unclear as to the routing of the grey water system (58 didn't have a grey tank so it's just a passthrough and out). There is a vent stack in the closet between the galley and the shower stall. I assume that the grey water line is a straight shot from the galley sink back along the curb side to the outfall, with the drains attached along the way. The "tee" where the floor mounted black tank joins the grey water line is a total mystery since I've never had the belly pan off.

[utee94]

Originally Posted by markdoane

Does it look like a regular tube P-trap, or is it a cast iron P-trap like the picture below?

If it's like mine ('59) you remove it by unscrewing the drain trim from above.

Right-- if it's original Airstream equipment, you need to remove it from above, while holding the nut still from below with an open-end wrench or crescent wrench or even a pair of large-jaw pliers or channel locks, whatever you can get on there.

From above, the drain has a "+" shape in the middle of it, and you can turn it out by using the special wrench that is made for such things:

BrassCraft Tub Drain Removal Tool - T170 at The Home Depot

Or, if you don't want to go to the hardware store or plumbing supply store, you can try using two screwdrivers crossed to get it out.

Depending on PO fixes over the years, there might be some kind of sealant between the drain and the pan. Putty, silicone caulk, etc. You should remove all of that with a razor knife (take care to protect your pan if you plan to reuse it) so that the drain can spin freely. Even then, decades of corrosion might make it difficult to remove. Hit it repeatedly with a heat gun and it should eventually break free (again, be careful not to overheat your pan if you plan to save it, try to keep the heat on the metal).

Good luck!

-Marcus