Sink Stopper Installation — Familiarize Yourself with the Parts A pop-up kitchen sink stopper is a simple mechanism that allows sink water to drain or collect. The assembly, however, can be damaged through time causing the mechanism to fail and preventing its function. There are sink stoppers that include a kitchen sink strainer as part of the assembly, but most pop-up kitchen sink stopper mechanisms are 4-part assemblies, consisting of a lift rod, which is attached to a pivot rod through a clevis strap (and a spring clip), while being directly attached to the drain stopper. Problems with your sink stopper mechanism are easy enough to diagnose and repair if you are familiar with how these parts function and interact with each other. There are a few common reasons why your sink’s drain stopper mechanism might stop working smoothly. One is a broken off or rusted pivot rod. Another is a broken drain stopper, which causes the pivot rod to fail by preventing it from pulling the stopper down. Fortunately for DIY homeowners, it is easy to find a kitchen sink stopper repair kit, complete with replacement parts to facilitate proper fix-up of a faulty drain stopper assembly. To help you get started with your sink stopper repair, here are things you should know about your kitchen sink stopper device: The Spring Clip and Clevis Strap Assembly The spring clip and the clevis strap are the very components that keep the entire sink stopper mechanism together. These hole-punched metal strap and clip attach the lift rod to the pivot rod, helping control the pop-up and pull-down action of the sink stopper. The Lift Rod There are two visible components to a kitchen sink stopper device — the drain stopper and the lift rod. The lift rod functions as your control lever, which closes or opens the drain stopper. It is a long, straight rod attached to a knob or handle, which can be installed right on top of the sink tap, or right beside the faucet, depending on the kind of sink that you have. The Pivot Rod Oftentimes, a faulty sink stopper is caused by a rusted or broken pivot rod. In many cases, simply cleaning the pivot rod is enough to get the entire mechanism working once more, although a replacement might be in order if the pivot rod is worn out beyond simple cleaning. The pivot rod connects directly to the stopper through an opening in the sink drain (the pivot door). On the short end of the pivot rod is a large ball that enables the rod’s pivoting action when pushed or pulled by the lift rod. The Drain Stopper The Drain Stopper is responsible for actually plugging the drain and keeping water from flowing. The visible part of the stopper consists of a round disk, attached to a gasket. Beneath this shiny round metal is a fin-like mechanism that attaches to the short end of the pivot rod.