I hope someone can help me as I am stumped. About 10 - 15 years ago I installed a Moen Shower faucet. It was a high end faucet when purchased and is one of those that mix the hot with the cold water. I now need to replace the valve as it is starting to leak. My problem is that I cannot get the handle off to get at the valve. This sounds totally stupid to me but it is true. I have taken the set screw out of the handle and the handle is one piece so there is not a screw going into the front of the valve. I can see nothing else holding the handle in place but it will not come off. I have pulled it as hard as I dare as I will be in more trouble if the solder weld breaks. Is there something else I need to remove or have the pieces come fused together and I just need more force?

More force. The "adapter" is cheap metal and it has "fused" itself to the stem and the handle.

Try a handle puller. When you screw the screw in it pulls the handle off.

Did you take out the retaining clip?

How is he supposed to remove the retaining clip if he can't get the handle off?

brain fart on my part. Pardon me

He is trying to get the HANDLE off so he can get to the retaining clip.

There is NO "screw" in the center of the handle. It is in the side of the handle and goes INTO an adapter on the stem, which is accessible once the handle is REMOVED.

Is there any chance the set screw on my moen shower handle is no longer in the handle but the handle is still attached? It seems to me like the screw is not even in the hole. The handle wiggles greatly and leaks like a Ford. I need it off to replace the cartridge but I can not remove it. I'm thinking the hex hole is stripped or the whole damn screw is gone and because the plumbing hasn't been so much as looked at in years the handle is just somehow rusted or mineralized on still. It looks suspicious. I can see a small hole down in the bigger channel. I can also see screw lines on the sides of the channel about half way down.