A month ago, the trap under the sink got bumped, and leaked. Before I started, it looked like:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/27614611337/in/dateposted-public/
(Oh darn, I'd hoped it would put the pictures in the page.)
Note that the bottom of the trap is much lower than the 2 shutoff valves. And it leaked. And, it really wasn't attached to the bottom of the sink drain pipe - it just sat in about the right place. After several days thinking, and finally putting the new PVC together, this is what it looks like:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/40677458090/in/dateposted-public/
Note that all of the PVC is much higher than the shutoff valves, and it's also farther back so we can put more stuff in before we begin to knock it loose.
About that time, I also noticed an unusual noise in the garbage disposal. While out shopping, I noticed one on sale, and, even though the old one was working, bought it. For a few weeks, the not-very-old-Insinkerator continued to work, and I was questioning my impulsiveness, however, this week, the old one stopped working. Strange, it's not frozen, and with a dozen attempts to start it, it started only once, and not again. Very strange.
So I had a friend come over to hold stuff while I took the old one out, and put the new one in. One of the most difficult parts of the installation is holding it up while turning the lower mounting ring to attach it to the upper mounting ring. (yeah, I had to look the names up.)
BUT I had an inspiration. I got a block that would fit inside the chamber, tied a rope to it so I could put the block in, then jam it under the edge, and pick the thing up. Then I tied a loop to that to put a lever through to get some leverage to hold it tight while attaching the unit to the kitchen sink drain fixture. (And, I got to use the old sink flange, gasket, upper mounting ring, etc, avoiding considerable time changing them.)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/28612765378/in/dateposted-public/
Those are the 3 parts, the small block that fits into the neck of the disposal (then you turn it to lodge it tight) the rope to hold it up, and the lever to get some leverage. The oversized dowel is my lever. (I actually use it as a lever for something else I do in the kitchen, but it worked.)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/28612774288/in/dateposted-public/
This shows the disposal dangling from the rope that's attached to the lever.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/42433950192/in/dateposted-public/
This is what it looks like when I'm hoisting the disposal up to make the connection. With the lever, I get far more leverage than trying to work underneath, holding it up with one hand, and turning the attaching ring to secure it. Applying some leverage to get the unit up tight made it really easy to turn the mounting ring. In the past, that was always hard.
This is what it looks like under the sink now. Notice that the bottom of the old disposal was an inch and a half above the bottom of the (new) trap. The new disposal is longer and goes 2" below the bottom of the trap. Not what I'd hoped for, but it does work.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/8530050@N03/41763497164/in/dateposted-public/