I have old Sayco faucets in the shower/bath. I believe these are at least 20 years old.

Both faucets have started dripping water. I can take off the decorative cap and screw. However, I cannot see how the faucet handle comes off. I have tried turning it counter-clockwise as hard as possible till I thought it might break.

Any idea if these old Sayco faucet handles come off or will I need to remove tile and chip out the cement?

Thanks!

 

Handylessman, Welcome to the DIY Forums.
The handles probably have calcium deposits that are holding them on. They pull off, not unscrew. The end of the stem has a spline. Looks like a gear. You will have to wiggle and probably even pry to get the handles off. Pry evenly and use a piece of wood to protect the tile. Once the handles are off, there should be a nut that you have to remove off the threads and then slip the handle back on and unscrew the stem. At the end of the stem is a washer. It is held on with a brass screw. Make sure you buy the proper washers to do the replacement. Best bet is to take the whole stem with you when you go to buy the washers. Replace washers and reverse the steps to re-install. Good luck.

 

Thanks majakdragon!

Your advice was perfect. It just took more wiggling and prying that I expected. I should have started with the hot water faucet instead of the cold. The hot came off easily, at least compared to the cold... very little calcium deposits.

Now I just need to buy or borrow a stem wrench.

Thanks again!

 

You do not need a stem wrench to remove the stem. Remove the nut under where the handle was, form it's threads, and then slip the handle back on and turn. The stem will come out.

 

Thanks again! The stem came out just as you said. I finally had a chance to work on it today. I ran both hot and cold for a few minutes and didn't see any water come out of the faucet handles.

The spout was also dripping when both hot and cold were turned off so I'm hoping that fixing the faucets stops the spout leak too.