Removal of Price Pfister cartridge

[MasterPlumbersKeymaster]

I have a single lever tub/shower faucet from Price Pfister. It is approximately 19 years old. We have a hard water.

I am trying to replace the cartridge. I have removed the handle, an escutcheon, and a holding cap. Many instruction manuals says, just pull it straight out.

I can’t. It will not move. I have tried to pull with pliers, wisegrips, but no luck.

Any suggestions as how to remove the old cartridge?

[segoviandoParticipant]

I had the same problem a few years ago. The problem is the water calcification around the body of the cartridge.
After fruitless questioning, the only way it worked for me was as follows:
1. Shut the main water off, and drain the shower head/pipe as much as you can.
2. Clamp a channel lock plier around the stem of the cartridge. If you can screw in the center of the stem a large washer for the needed leverage anchor point, it would be better.
3. Get a carpenter lever with a notch at the end. Place the notch behind the pliers (or the washer). Place the fulcrum point of the lever on the shower wall.Put a piece of wood under the lever to protect the tiles.
4. Apply steady pressure on lhe lever to pull on the cartridge. Do not apply excessive pressure. You will feel a small give on the tile and sheet rock behind the lever. That is enough force on the lever.
5. Take a blow torch and carefully heat around the cartridge housing. Be careful to apply heat only intermittently, toavoid damagaing the works!
6. Most important: you are not trying to melt anything with this process! You are only going to loosen things up. The secret is the
application of STEADY LEVER PRESSURE for a long time, by exploiting the principle of “creep” . It could take 10 minutes or more. But then you should feel the cartridge slowly moving out, and finally popping out.
Good luck.

[Author]

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