Removing kitchen sink strainer with no lock nut and no threads, only thumb screws and a metal ring

[flipsyde98]

One of the strainers in my kitchen sink (the side without the garbage disposal) started leaking in the putty/gasket area. After seeing a bunch of videos about how to replace it, I attempted to do the same. However, while all videos talk about removing the lock nut and having that be the hardest part, I went and got a lock nut wrench and prepared to remove the old part. To my surprise, my existing strainer doesn't have a lock nut at all, and there are no threads other than the one for the coupling nut at the very bottom. There are 3 thumb screws that appear to hold the strainer in place. The problem is that the thumb screws go through a metal ring, and while the metal ring has slots for what could be a screwdriver, that metal ring won't budge at all. After removing the thumb screws, it is possible to move the strainer, but only as far as it goes until it reaches that metal ring. See pictures below. You can even see that the metal ring isn't exactly straight, but all my attempts to get it to budge (with vinegar, with WD-40, etc.) have not been even the slightest bit successful.

Any ideas, short of trying to cut the metal ring with a hacksaw? It would be a bit difficult being how close it is to the sink.

Thank you.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Loosen the thumbscrews then rotate the collar you said had “ a possible screwdriver slot “ until those slots slip over stampings in the basket body.

If the thumbscrews will not turn, cut them off with a metal cutting blade.

 

[flipsyde98]

Thank you, but I've already removed the thumb screws prior to posting this and the metal ring was already jammed in the crooked position by the original person who installed it. Even with the thumb screws removed, the ring/collar would not budge or rotate. The entire strainer does rotate, as the putty and gasket seal will have then be broken, but that doesn't get the ring off any easier.

 

[Twowaxhack]

The ring has to spin and align with the stamping before it can come off.

Or you’ll need to cut the ring off.

 

[JG plumbing]

If it's jammed on there crooked, tap it straight with something heavy. It might need jostled into a position that let's it spin.

 

[flipsyde98]

I finally got this strainer removed. First of all, thank you all for your suggestions. It was correct that it had to do with lining the slots up with the notches.

After struggling with this a bit more and almost trying to pry it off as a last resort, I called my plumber. Luckily, I have a plumber who asks for pictures and then gives advice, allowing me to attempt to fix it myself. He says to only tell him to come over and fix it if I am really stuck (pun intended).

He also said that the metal ring should normally rotate, but since the installer didn't tighten all the thumb screws evenly, it led to the crooked angle and made it so that over the years, it became even harder for that metal ring to budge. Furthermore, the slots were moved so far away from the notches that it would take a bit to get it back to being lined up.

He highly recommended against trying to pry it off, as he said since I had a stainless steel sink, it can bend the opening for the strainer and cause me more problems later.

Instead of removing the thumb screws completely, it should just be loosened so that the metal ring can move (and so that the washers won't come down and block me). He said the best approach would be to have 2 people. One person would have to hold the strainer in place from above, while I would be hitting it with a hammer from down below. He said I can either hit the ring so that it wouldn't be at a crooked angle anymore and then try to line it up, or I can just try to keep it in place while hitting the thumb screws with the hammer in attempt to cause the metal ring to rotate little by little until it lined up. Since I didn't have 2 people, I opted to just hold the flange from the bottom to try and keep the strainer from moving as I hit the thumb screw with a hammer. Slowly, it began moving. After it was lined up, it still took a bit of effort to pull on it, but it finally came off (pictures down below).

By the way, my plumber recommended just replacing the putty and the gasket. He said that from seeing the picture, I had a decent strainer and that the newer cheap ones would rust within a couple of years, whereas this one was better built and would last longer than that. I cleaned everything off and did that this evening, and everything works fine and leak-free now!

Again, thank you everyone for your responses.

 

[Twowaxhack]

I like these for stainless sinks.

 

[sarg]

I would certainly think of something nice to do for your plumber "friend" ..... He seems to be one of the good guys.

 

[Twowaxhack]

Whoever installed that first basket looks like they used too much putty.

 

[Jeff Handy]

FYI for the next person with a similar problem, you can shove the handles of a small channellocks type of pliers through two of the basket strainer slots, to give you something to grab and control the movement of the basket strainer.
Either from below by yourself, or with a helper from above.

 

[matt.mena]

These work good for holding strainers
I got these cheap at a Harbor Freight

 

[Jeff Handy]

I think I have a Ridgid sink plumbing tool somewhere, shaped like a tube, with one end that fits into a strainer to let you hold it still or spin it.

 

[Jeff Handy]

This doohickey.

 

[sawguy]

Why do most instructional videos have to have loud head banging music? It's very irritating.