Bathtub drain lever

[oakumboakum]

The upstairs bathtub drain lever is jammed and won't move. The bathtub is enclosed with a floor and walls surrounding it. Will I have to remove the bathtub to replace the assembly?

 

[ExtraMilePlumbing]

Start by removing the trip lever face body . Usually need flathead or Philips

 

[oakumboakum]

I removed the drain lever face plate and found the bucket is stuck in the pipe. The wire linkage broke off as well. The house was built in 1976 with ABS and copper plumbing only. The water is very hard and homes have to use water softeners. I believe the hard water caused the brass bucket to rust onto the brass pipe fixture. This is conjecture on my part.

I will have to remove one wall and hope I don't have to remove the ceiling below the tub to replace the drain lever assembly. I am going to use an ABS fixture this time.