I give up. How do I remove this shower handle?



Supposedly it's a Kohler, which is what the backing plate says. It is original to the house, which was built late 1999/early 2000.

-There is no set screw on the back, no pop-off cap that could be hiding a screw.
-The plate goes behind the handle, so the handle has to be removed before the plate can be removed

I looked on the Kohler site, and even though the shower head is still available, none of the handles look like this one.

If you look underneath (where the handle part is), there is probably a set screw or clip locking it in place, then just a couple screwdrivers to pry it off the shaft.

[This message has been edited by MidEngineManiac (edited 08-10-2013).]

Allen screw at six o'clock.
Just a guess.

Here's the back. No screw, no cap. No idea.

try THIS:
Here's how I did it: Hold the faucet lever. Grab and twist the skirt under the lever and twist clockwise (as looking down at the handle). If it's tight, try using a rubber jar opener to loosen it. If really tight, use a strap wrench (I found one at Sears for under $6) to loosen. Spin the skirt clockwise until the lever is released. That exposes a Phillips head screw. Remove it to expose the underlying valve/assembly.
Try two flat head screwdrivers slipped behind the handle opposite each other, and pull both handles towards you or away from you a little... see if it'll budge. might be held in with a ring of metal or a little BB and a spring (know what i mean? like the way some screwdriver bits are kept in place...

[This message has been edited by TheDigitalAlchemist (edited 08-10-2013).]

That's definitely strange. Every one I've ever installed or uninstalled had a set screw underneath.

Don't forget that the strongest attractive force in the Universe is between screws and drains. Plug the drain.

It could be underneath, only accessible if the handle is all the way up.

quote Originally posted by Taijiguy: It could be underneath, only accessible if the handle is all the way up.

Agreed and as others have said at 6 o'clock under the handle itself, although it could possibly be back further behind the backing plate with those 2 screws I see in the first picture, take those out and try removing the plate and see if the screw for the handle is behind that. if that is in the off position and under that plate it may still be in the 6 O'clock position so look all around that handle.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

Figured it out. The backing plate and handle are removed as an assembly. The handle is attached to the plate so there's no way to remove it without removing it from the wall. Once the handle/wall plate assembly is off, the handle CAN be removed by removing two screws, and separating it from the plate.





The valve is removed from the wall by two more screws, AFTER shutting the water off. That part is very important.

Not much help but this??




Last ditch effort.

edit...oh NM

[This message has been edited by weloveour86se (edited 08-10-2013).]

quote Originally posted by RWDPLZ: Figured it out. The backing plate and handle are removed as an assembly. The handle is attached to the plate so there's no way to remove it without removing it from the wall. Once the handle/wall plate assembly is off, the handle CAN be removed by removing two screws, and separating it from the plate. The valve is removed from the wall by two more screws, AFTER shutting the water off. That part is very important.

WOW, sometimes my memory does still work, that's a miracle. glad you remembered to shut the water off to the faucet before you did this, forgot that part, now didn't I.


Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by weloveour86se: Not much help but this?? Last ditch effort. edit...oh NM

I did that ( well, reciprocating saw ) on a door knob once on my front house door. It was 'pressed' on and there was no way to get it back off without cutting it.. made a simple job a real pita..

quote Originally posted by User00013170: I did that ( well, reciprocating saw ) on a door knob once on my front house door. It was 'pressed' on and there was no way to get it back off without cutting it.. made a simple job a real pita..

sounds like the type they put on mobile homes, you have to pop that part behind the knob off far enough and it isn't that far to get at the underside of the plate and then unscrew the screws holding the assembly in. they generally have that type just on the inside doors not outside entrance doors. some have a button/slot after you pop the plate loose that you need to just push in and the knob be able to pop off and will allow the plate to be removed then you can get at the screws that hold the rest of the assembly off.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: sounds like the type they put on mobile homes, you have to pop that part behind the knob off far enough and it isn't that far to get at the underside of the plate and then unscrew the screws holding the assembly in. they generally have that type just on the inside doors not outside entrance doors. some have a button/slot after you pop the plate loose that you need to just push in and the knob be able to pop off and will allow the plate to be removed then you can get at the screws that hold the rest of the assembly off. Steve

Yes, we thought that too about getting behind the plate, but that didn't work out either. There was just no way to get it out without cutting the knob off. After that, it all slid out and was in the trash. ( Even after we had it out, still was no way we could see to release it ) Never seen such a beast before, and my dad ( and grandfather before him ) used to build houses so it wasn't our first time with a door

This was clearly an outside lockset . No brand name on it anywhere either.

[This message has been edited by User00013170 (edited 08-10-2013).]

One thing that you DO NOT want to do, is to install the handle in the 12 o'clock (upward) position. If you do, and you drop the soap, leave the bar on the ground.

Don't ask me how I know.

quote Originally posted by User00013170: Yes, we thought that too about getting behind the plate, but that didn't work out either. There was just no way to get it out without cutting the knob off. After that, it all slid out and was in the trash. ( Even after we had it out, still was no way we could see to release it ) Never seen such a beast before, and my dad ( and grandfather before him ) used to build houses so it wasn't our first time with a door This was clearly an outside lockset . No brand name on it anywhere either.

Sounds more like I said it was for a mobile home not something someone who had built stick homes would have ever run into ether you would have to have been in the mobile home industry to know what to look for,
you wouldn't know what to do because it doesn't look like anything you would realize it was the release for the knob, just a simple slot that had a plug it looked like and that plug was what you pushed in, then the knob and the rest of the assembly would release, unless you knew what you were looking for you would never realize it was a button. trust me, if it wasn't for someone else knowing what it was and what to do I would never have realized it was and I have been working on homes and other things in construction for decades. just ask online about older mobile home outside door handle lock releases you will see what I mean.

Did it look something like this.

http://www.completemobileho.../doorhardware117.htm

http://mike-thomson.com/blog/?p=38

The second link shows the button I am talking about.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 08-10-2013).]

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: Did it look something like this. http://www.completemobileho.../doorhardware117.htm http://mike-thomson.com/blog/?p=38 The second link shows the button I am talking about. Steve

It looked more like the first image. The 2nd, we didn't have the little 'slot' that its showing ( i looked for something like that once i got the beauty plate loose, but no luck ). Also, there were screws to remove the 'beauty plate' to the door, like you would expect.. Neither of those styles seem to have that.

its too bad i didn't take pictures, but the thing pissed me off and i pretty much destroyed it anyway I will say however it was pretty damned tough. even a 10lb sledgehammer didn't even budge the handles ( just dented them all to hell ) . And cutting it wasn't trivial.

The odd thing is that we had one on the back door that took the same key, but it was NOT the same kind of mechanism. It came off like you would expect.

quote Originally posted by User00013170: It looked more like the first image. The 2nd, we didn't have the little 'slot' that its showing ( i looked for something like that once i got the beauty plate loose, but no luck ). Also, there were screws to remove the 'beauty plate' to the door, like you would expect.. Neither of those styles seem to have that. its too bad i didn't take pictures, but the thing pissed me off and i pretty much destroyed it anyway I will say however it was pretty damned tough. even a 10lb sledgehammer didn't even budge the handles ( just dented them all to hell ) . And cutting it wasn't trivial. The odd thing is that we had one on the back door that took the same key, but it was NOT the same kind of mechanism. It came off like you would expect.

The second one could have had paint/varnish covering the button making it hard to see, but there is another kind I thought about after finding that one that I ran into that had a small hole in the area of the lock on the inside as well of it just had the rotating button on the inside it would have been next to that, if it had the key on the inside and outside it would have been in the lock part. you had to have the key turned into the unlock position in order to put a paper clip into the hole and then the entire knob would pull off. if you didn't put the key in and turn it the hole was not visible to put the paper clip in, sort of like the cover we have on our car door locks, I can't find that one online but will admit I didn't look very hard.

the one I posted was the one I was talking about before, but then some of those had that button under the beauty plate and you would have to remove or at least get it back away from the door to see that button as it was like I said hidden behind the beauty plate making it more invisible to the naked eye. that was the one I was actually talking about and more difficult to find the release button to allow the knob to be removed as well as the beauty ring completely. pain in the ass to find because it was under the beauty plate and if someone hadn't shown it to me I never would have found it. the one in the picture is real easy to find unless like I said someone had painted or varnished over the button.

edit to add you can have just about any lock rekeyed to the same key as another in your home, simply take it to a locksmith, remember those guys, they are few and far between no days as they are becoming a dying breed with all the throw away stuff we have know days. they just take the lock pins or plates in some cases depending on the brand and replace them with the pins or plate to make the key work in the other lock.

Steve

------------------
Technology is great when it works,
and one big pain in the ass when it doesn't



Detroit iron rules all the rest are just toys.

[This message has been edited by 84fiero123 (edited 08-10-2013).]

quote Originally posted by 84fiero123: The second one could have had paint/varnish covering the button making it hard to see, but there is another kind I thought about after finding that one that I ran into that had a small hole in the area of the lock on the inside as well of it just had the rotating button on the inside it would have been next to that, if it had the key on the inside and outside it would have been in the lock part. you had to have the key turned into the unlock position in order to put a paper clip into the hole and then the entire knob would pull off. if you didn't put the key in and turn it the hole was not visible to put the paper clip in, sort of like the cover we have on our car door locks, I can't find that one online but will admit I didn't look very hard.

Yup, looked for that too ( actually was my first thought, a small hole to shove a pin in ). Not saying you are wrong as i'm sure it was a mobile home one, but doesn't seem to be the same kind as you have described so far.

As far as the re-keying, of course they can do that, but i find it odd that the previous owners would have 2 radically different systems and bother to have it re-keyed.. Unless perhaps the back door was replaced totally, they also couldn't figure out how to transfer the lock over, and just had the new back door re-keyed to take the easy way out.

[This message has been edited by User00013170 (edited 08-10-2013).]