I have a Delta 600 series tub/shower valve and I noticed when I turned the valve on, water flows out of the tub spout which is to be expected. However, if I pull on the diverter to divert the flow to the overhead hand shower, I hear this loud squeaky noise. Once it switches over the noise stops. If I then push on the diverter knob to go back to the tub spout without shutting off water, and pull on the diverter a second time, no noise.

The only time there is a noise is when valve is turned on and the tub spout diverter knob is pulled the first time.

Removed shower head to check for debris, clear. Did the same test with no shower head only shower hose with open end, same problem.

My guess is either the Delta 600 series valve has problems or the tub spout diverter mechanism has problems. I guess I will try to fix the tub spout first.



So first step is to remove the tub spout. This is a MOEN 205368 tub spout kit I installed in 2021. I tried to unwind clockwise because I remember it being a 1/2" threaded connection. But the spout spins and will not unthread.



May be there is some sort of a set screw from the bottom? Tried that. No set screw. There is a notch at the bottom but I used a mirror and there is no set screw.



I have an old picture of what the stub out looks like. It is definitely a threaded connection. What else am I missing?



How likely that this may be a Delta valve issue vs a tub spout diverter issue?

Funny thing I went to MOEN's web site and searched 205368 and came back with nothing.



Edited 1 times.

try unwinding COUNTERclockwise

{unless you miswrote}

Why would you work on the tub spout, when the problem is obviously in the diverter. I don't remember any Delta diverters that pulled to operate. Most push in to divert the water. Replace the diverter.

the diverter IS on the spout


not all 'deltas' had diverters built in

It's a tub spout with the diverter knob at the tip of the spout.

I am trying to remove it to replace it but having trouble removing it. This is crazy because I have changed out the tub spout before a few times and I even went back to old photos of the stub out to convince myself it was a threaded connection.

there 'may' be a female NPT 'adapter' inside the spout which ITSELF is 'spinning' inside the spout but NOT turning on the male NPT 'nipple'



you could try to 'crush' the spout with LARGE channel locks where you think the threads are



you will be changing the spout regardless

You can cut off the spout with an angle grinder, being careful not to damage the lookout.

'stubout'

Bern, you nailed it. Yes I figured I had to destroy the spout. In the past all I had to do was unscrew these tub spouts and the only trick is to figure out the distance from the wall to the female connection recessed into the spout body sometimes too deep sometimes not deep enough, but I never had to destroy the spout to remove it.

George I was thinking about using an angle grinder but was concerned about having to grind too close to the tiled wall. I end up using a Dremel to make the cut it has more control but slower.

First I turned the spout to face up and I made two cut from the base to the spout, exposing the copper piping.



Then I made a 360 cut to remove the tip of the spout.



By then I can see how the spout body turns, the plastic collar turns, but the metal female connection does NOT. This is such a bad design I wonder what MOEN was thinking.







Once I had that plastic collar cut away, I can undo the female connection part of the spout. Back to the original 1/2" male connection end. I put a threaded cap over it and turned the valve on and off a few times, no noise, so it's definitely the diverter.

I bought an all metal spout, but it is deeper than what I had by about 1/2", so I end up having to extend what I had with a 1/2" MIP X 1/2" FIP fitting.





Took me only 5 minutes to install the tub spout, but much longer to remove the old one. Really makes me think twice about buying more MOEN products in the future.



Edited 2 times.

stubout = lookout

TUB AND SHOWER VALVES
Measurements
These are shown in the drawings. The depth measurement is critical. Use
the front face of the plaster ground as a reference point for the finished
wall position, including tile (2-1/16" [52mm]). The center line of the supply
and discharge piping should be a maximum of 2-3/16" (56mm) and a minimum
of 1-7/16" (37mm) behind the finished wall surface.
Available with three or four port castings, with and without stops.
Connections are either 1/2 inch I.P.S. pipe or 1/2 inch copper sweat connections.
If the Moen Slip Fit spout is used, a 1/2 inch copper drop and LOOKOUT may be used

[assets.moen.com]

I use the adjustable Moen 1460BL diverter spout a lot when replacing existing diverter spouts. It is of decent quality and its adjustability saves having to modify the stubout length if it is not what is required.

It is not adjustable when used as a nose threaded spout, which is your what you have.

george, the adjustable ones is a push fit with a gasket connection and locked in from below with a set screw right?

I might switch to such a connection one day, right now all my rental tub spouts are female connections, and most of them are Pfister spouts (metal), and Pfister has been good with sending me free replacement should the diverter fails. Strangely, they all fail in about 3-5 years and is always the diverter gate becoming loose. If a tenant reports a problem, I verify the issue and Pfister sends me a replacement and it takes two weeks. Now if the issue is severe, like the diverter pulls up and immediately drops back down without switching to the overhead shower, I just remove the tub spout all together and install a temporary 1/2" FIP quarter turn angle valve and that works until the replacement arrives.

I just could not believe how this plastic collar does not unscrew it seems to have broken free from the metal female adapter inside of it. I have to think they were connected together at one time because I once screwed this spout on clockwise, and may be the screwing it on tight broke that connection, or may be they designed it once that spout was threaded on, a certain torque will break the plastic from the metal and once that happens you have to destroy the spout to remove it.

george,

? is it tomato or tomatoe up north ?

i stand corrected re: regional 'nomenclature'

The adjustability comes from two matimg threaded parts inside the spout. The length varies on how much they are screwed in to one another and the sealing of this movement is accomplished by an o-ring. There is no gasket. There is a setscrew to lock the spout in place when slid over 1/2 in copper. Setscrew is not used when the 1460 is used as a nose threaded or heel threaded spout.
[assets.moen.com]

Thanks george, I will check it out. Looks interesting, it is similar to a "slip fix" coupling I use occasionally to fix sprinkler lines.

The 1460 is also useful when encountering stubouts that are not anchored and flexes in and out of the wall. The 1460 can be rotated after mounting to pull the stubout out a bit to stabilise it. The spout can then be caulked to prevent further rotation. Of course the stubout can only be pulled out a lttle lest too much stress is placed on the drop from the shower valve.

This way you end up with a reasonably rigid spout even with an unclamped elbow at the stubout inside the wall.