Anchor flange... oops. Need some advice.

[dfelicia]

My house was build in '53, so I've got a lot of old cast iron and other original equipment. Yesterday I decided to replace an original (and leaky) toilet. The anchor bolts holding it down were so soft the sheared right off with almost no force from my wrench... made removing the toilet dead simple, but now I'm at a self-inflicted impasse.

After scraping off all the old wax to get a look at things, it was clear the bolts need to be replaced. I made an incorrect assumption that the drain pipe had a run of the mill flange atop it, so started prying it up with a screw driver. The metal is *very* soft and malleable. In no time flat I managed to mangle it beyond recognition.

Anyway, I've come to the conclusion that it was soldered on to the cast iron, or else it's just permanently fused from age. I took a saws-all to it to cut what was the flange gasket/ring off, and now have just a pipe.

Here's where I'm stuck - the top of the pipe is not smooth and level b/c I had to hack off the top. Additionally, it does not protrude above the subfloor.

Can I simply buy a flange anchor that fits inside a 4" pipe, somehow? Or do I need to call a plumber at this point? Something like this, maybe? http://goo.gl/0hmnb

Any help appreciated...

 

[johnjh2o]

You may be able to use that but it depends on the type pipe your working with. From your description it may be lead. If that is the case that flange won't work. Can you post a picture so I can tell what you have?

John

 

[dfelicia]

Hi, John. Thanks for the reply. Yes, I am almost positive that the metal I cut off was lead. Request picture, below.

(Obviously I have to replace the subfloor before anything else.)

 

[johnjh2o]

That is lead. The only way to repair that is to remove the lead pipe and the brass ferrule that is in the cast iron hub. I hope you have good access to the pipe under the floor. It may be wise to call in a plumber at this point. It would have been repairable if you hadn't cut the lead.

John

 

[dfelicia]

Crap. Live and learn.

Well, luckily the bathroom is above a crawl space so there is good access to the pipe.

Thanks, John.

 

[havasu]

Crap. Live and learn.

These are words often heard around here! Please keep us informed of the progress so we may help others behind you with the same situation. Good luck!

 

[johnjh2o]

Hate to say it but if he had posted here before he cut the lead I could have guided him through a very simple repair. There is a way to repair what he has without having to remove the lead. The lead could be extended by soldering a short piece of 4" lead pipe into the lead he has. It was a common repair at one time but today you would be lucky to find one in 15 plumbers that would be able to do it. Working with lead pipe has become a lost art.

John