How to Remove 7/8" hex nut on Grohe Euromix Shower Faucet?

[3dcal]

Hi, I'm trying to remove the cylinder on a Grohe Euromix shower faucet.
The only problem is the 7/8" hex nut.......there's a plastic sleeve that just rotates
either way, but doesn't unscrew, and it's preventing me from reaching the hex nut,
even with a faucet wrench.
I sprayed some vinegar on it to help get rid of scale that might have built up,
but need some way to unscrew the (brass?) nut without damaging it. It looks like it's only
1/8" deep.....not a lot to grab onto.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Cal

 

[Geofd]

Have you tried a deep socket or nut driver????

 

[3dcal]

I tried a regular socket first.....no room to grab the nut.
Then got a shower valve socket wrench from Home Depot ,but still
not enough room between the nut & the plastic sleeve.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

I don't know if this will help, but I found this on the forum: Stuck Grohe EuroMix shower cartridge It might be the same cartridge that you are working on.

The nut's hex is metric. If the cartridge is meant ot be disassembled for cleaning or repair, and you call Lixil's Grohe technical support, they will tell you the socket size. (855) 815-4726

The person might be able to send you an exploded view of the cartridge so you can have a better idea of how things disassemble- or maybe even explain the process.

If the cartdidge is meant to be disassembled, Grohe will also sell the socket, but it will be expensive.

I hope this helps,
Paul

 

[gouppVret]

Hi, I'm trying to remove the cylinder on a Grohe Euromix shower faucet.
The only problem is the 7/8" hex nut.......there's a plastic sleeve that just rotates
either way, but doesn't unscrew, and it's preventing me from reaching the hex nut,
even with a faucet wrench.
I sprayed some vinegar on it to help get rid of scale that might have built up,
but need some way to unscrew the (brass?) nut without damaging it. It looks like it's only
1/8" deep.....not a lot to grab onto.
Any ideas?
Thanks!
Cal

I tried a regular socket first.....no room to grab the nut.
Then got a shower valve socket wrench from Home Depot ,but still
not enough room between the nut & the plastic sleeve.

Your HD plumbers wrench "29 & 31/32" is not the same as the size you need, which is either 7/8" or 22mm and DEEP SOCKET to get over the post. I bought 3 different sockets before it worked, including that HD...

 

[3dcal]

I don't know if this will help, but I found this on the forum: Stuck Grohe EuroMix shower cartridge It might be the same cartridge that you are working on.

The nut's hex is metric. If the cartridge is meant ot be disassembled for cleaning or repair, and you call Lixil's Grohe technical support, they will tell you the socket size. (855) 815-4726

The person might be able to send you an exploded view of the cartridge so you can have a better idea of how things disassemble- or maybe even explain the process.

If the cartdidge is meant to be disassembled, Grohe will also sell the socket, but it will be expensive.

I hope this helps,
Paul

Thanks, Paul, but already got help from Grohe Tech Support 2 weeks ago.......best ever!
They sent the replacement cylinder express, no charge, plus PDF exploded view.
The part came in a few days ago.

The wrench is not the problem. There's just not enough clearance between the nut
& the large sleeve to get even a valve wrench in there.
The nut is 7/8", and the wrench is 29/32.......1/32" slop shouldn't matter.

I'll call Grohe again today, and the local Ferguson store, as well as
check here in case someone has run into the same problem.

Thanks for the help!

 

[3dcal]

Later......FINALLY! Got the &^%^$#! nut off!

The plastic ring that was keeping me from using a socket wrench,
was supposed to come out.....my bad. DOH!

Once I got that out (after grinding down the 6 corners of the Home Depot shower valve socket wrench
so I could get it past the plastic ring), the nut was still locked by corrosion/salt buildup.
Still took a lot of WD40 & torque to "break" the lock.

But now can't get the cartridge out. I've checked on Amazon, and see a lot of
cartridge pullers for MOEN, but none for Grohe.
I'll keep looking for something that can grab the stem to pull it out evenly.
I'd have to cut off the stem & drill into the cartridge to use a MOEN puller, if it would even work.

BTW, I had to call Grohe 2X today to ask a question, and got someone in less than a minute.
Great support.

"If there's a will, there's a way"

 

[gouppVret]

Vice grips on the stem... Whack vice grips with hammer... in an outward direction.
It'll come right out. Probably leaving rest of the cartridge, which can be engaged with a 9'16" bolt (into the hole left by the stem) and pulled, twisted or tapped out via vice grips, hammer...

 

[3dcal]

@gouppVret, that's what I was thinking, too.
Also considered C4, but only as a last resort. (just kidding).

Actually, the visegrips are working well....took a shower with just the grips to turn on/off.
A little difficult to push in to turn on the water, but better control of the temp than the handle that came with it.
If I wasn't married, I could live with it as is.

Instead of visegrips, want to try using a big claw hammer, pry bar, or even a crowbar to pry it
out like a nail. I'll put some cardboard or a thick towel on the face plate to prevent
damaging it. That should give me all the leverage I need.
As long as I can draw it straight out, it should work.
A smaller claw hammer was almost able to grab the end of the stem, but not quite.

 

[Bird Doo Head]

Be careful with prying. Prying inherently puts a sideways pressure (Archimedes).
You might snap the stem off or damage the housing into which it seats. Also note that Grohe metal face plates are cast. Prying against one might break it.

A mineral build-up, probably lime, is almost certainly the reason the cartridge isn't coming out easily. Perhaps, spray the cartridge with white vinegar. Tap very gently in all directions. Wait a few hours & try pulling straight out. If the cartridge fails to come out, repeat spray-tap-wait until it succeeds. It may take a few days.

On the new cartridge, use a lubricant that is compatible with the materials so it won't seize again. There should be a small, white, plastic envelope in the box with the new cartridge. That's compatible "Grohe Grease" to smear on the new cartridge.

Paul

 

[3dcal]

I agree.....too dangerous to use a pry bar....I started to, then saw how it would put too much
stress on the face plate and/or bracket holding the cartridge.

Plan A.....visegrips. Tried it, but just too tight. Stresses bracket.
Plan B.....pry bar.....same as A.
Plan C.....cut 1/4" off end of stem.....drill out & tap for screw in a MOEN puller
that fits the Grohe cartridge sleeve.
Plan D.....put it back together. It seems to work better now after working it over. =P

Can't spend more time on it for now.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[3dcal]

Final update/solution...

never was able to remove the old cartridge....I think the problem is a white plastic ring around the stem.

Eventually I may have to drill it out to replace the cartridge, but for now, I just replaced the outer assembly,
(GROHE 46 023 000 Euromix Handle Assembly, Chrome Finish $77 at Amazon-excluding the handle),
and it's working better than when I started.

I made more work for myself by not paying more attention to the exploded diagram, i.e.
the plastic parts that prevented getting a socket on the 7/8 nut. =P

Hope this will help anyone else who runs into the same problem with a Grohe cartridge.

The cartridge has worked for 40 yrs, and hope it lasts another 10, but wish they had used Moen instead.