I have a Woordford Model 17 outdoor faucet and the operating rod (the metal rod inside the stem) seems to be worn out or broken. I can remove the rod but the check valve does not come out with it. Both ends of the rod are knurled like a gear but the inside end of the rod looks pretty worn. I can turn the faucet all day long and still not get any water no matter which end I put in.
Has the rod been broken at the end? I though the rod had a threaded hole on the end to hold the check valve on with a screw. Did something break?
Am I stuck replacing the entire faucet?
Also, the faucet is above a finished room in my basement. I have access to the copper pipe about 6′ into the house. Can I cut it there and pull out the faucet and the pipe from the outside, put on the new faucet and slide the whole works back in and rejoin the pipe?