In preparing for the sale of a 1940s era house that has the original tile bathrooms, I knew finagling a new bathtub faucet behind the thick mud-set walls was going to be a challenge. As a contractor who has replaced hundreds of bathrooms, I wasn't looking forward to extracting the old valve and getting the new one in place while working from the linen closet side of the wall. After breaking the plaster open to see what was involved, I found that the old valve was mounted into a notch in the 2X4 stud perfectly centered. I put off this part of the remodel, dreading the battle. Then, divine intervention occurred (or something) and the light bulb went off in my head. What about replacing the stems? The replacement valve I was going to install is pretty much the same as the old one, except cheaper, thinner brass with copper ports soldered into them connecting the valves to the mixer. My old valve is a heavy cast brass battleship, superior to today's castings. I purchased these yesterday morning (3-8-2019) and paid for overnight delivery. I have included pictures of the install so you can all see the comparison. A perfect fit! My only problem was that the old valve was installed a little forward, so the new escutcheons wouldn't fit. A vinegar bath to clean them up and presto! back in business with a "new" bath valve. All the threads match the old fittings, including the screw-on hot and cold water caps. If I had to totally replace the valve, it would have been an all-day affair, and I am a pro. To replace the stems took all of 20 minutes and it works like a brand new fixture. Cost-wise, you are looking at a $1,000 job to hire me to replace the valve and repair plaster VS a one hour service call and the cost of the parts (Total about$250). The chrome parts are all metal (brass?) and the stems and internals are solid brass. I would definitely buy this again and again. My customers will love having the option of reusing instead of replacing.