Fleshwound2 t1_j8ur2ow wrote on February 17, 2023 at 2:11 AM

Reply to comment by Traditional-Ad-5321 in Do you need to remove bathtub drain first if you’re demolishing it anyway? by Traditional-Ad-5321

If you have access to a crawl space, I would highly recommend you go under the house and cut it out if you don't want to remove it from the top.

I have seen some people cut grooves in the drain and use a couple of screwdrivers to remove it, but it is still a massive pain without the right tool. If I were you, I'd just cut it and plan to use a connector and just run a new drain.

Traditional-Ad-5321 OP t1_j8urtqu wrote on February 17, 2023 at 2:17 AM

I’ll try this tool: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Tub-Drain-Removal-Tool-410-075-0111/311493720

And if that doesn’t work I really have no choice but removing it from below right?

Fleshwound2 t1_j8v0m8b wrote on February 17, 2023 at 3:26 AM

Yeah, it's worth a shot. Depending on how old the tub is, it can be a lot harder than what the video depicts. You might need to spray some lube on it and let it set up for a bit.

fredsam25 t1_j8v9dzi wrote on February 17, 2023 at 4:44 AM

Worst case you can use inside pipe cutters or a Dremel to disconnect the drain before going Hulk on the tub.

AngleFreeIT_com t1_j8xfq0x wrote on February 17, 2023 at 5:17 PM

I literally just used one of these a week or two ago for a very similar situation. Not replacing the tub, but had a nasty, leaky seal (in a 2nd floor, no less). Worked like a charm. Old guy a lowes told me to 'hit it real soft with a rubber mallet and use a long breaker bar with a torque adapter so you don't break the pipe'. Might not be necessary to 'not break the pipe' in your case, but in case someone else comes across this post in the future - if your crossbeams are broken, buy a crossthreaded remover like above. Works great!