I'm trying to replace a tub drain, and as far as I can tell the replacement piece is the right size (same diameter and thread spacing, and nearly the same height as seen in pics)
However, whenver I attempt to screw in the new one, it always goes crooked (see third pic). Worse yet, it's now difficult to screw the old one back in, and I fear that my attempts may have affected the threads on the inside of the drain 🙁
Does anyone have experience dealing with a similar situation or have any advice on solving it?
EDIT: adding photos of access panel behind tub. Not sure I can get the overflow water tight and the drain threaded in 🙁 still fiddling with it but it’s seeming impossible to get them both straight 🙁
Best Answer
Access panel is good. As usual, your call on "I need a plumber now" or "I can tackle this myself."
I [expletive redacted] hate glued in tub drains, as they have to be exactly perfect, and rarely are. This one was evidently quite wrong, and somehow man-handled into place under stress. So, I'd cut the pipe, install a slip joint drain adapter, and fit a drain shoe and overflow with slip joint tailpieces to match. Obviously the overflow is easier to work on than the drain itself, here, but there is access.
As usual with sliding tailpiece connections, you can cut the inner part to make it shorter if needed. You can also get extensions if needed. Just don't cut it too short, there's typically several inches of sliding play, so leave most of that when trimming.
You could also cut the pipe, insert a glued coupling, and get it lined up properly before the glue sets, and hold it there until the glue sets, if you prefer.
I suppose you could even use a couple of Fernco-style rubber couplings, for that matter. They would allow for the bit of adjustment needed to get things lined up.
You can spend a lot more on brass/copper ones, but I've yet to see a plastic one corrode away until it leaks, so I'm not convinced they are better.