Can't remove seat bolt from this 10-yr-old Kohler toilet

[ilyaz]

Have had a variation of this model Kohler for 10 years. The seat broke so I thought it would take 5 minutes to replace it. Not so! I can't remove the bolts. They turn freely in either direction after I finally dislodged them with a screwdriver, but I can pull them out or tighten them. They are stuck. Can I remove them without breaking the toilet and then be able to install a new seat? Or do I need a new toilet?? TIA!

 

[oldognewtrick]

Have you tried using a flat head screwdriver under the bolt head and gently prying up as you turn the bolts?

 

[ilyaz]

Have you tried using a flat head screwdriver under the bolt head and gently prying up as you turn the bolts?

Yep. Same result. :-(

 

[Snoonyb]

I use a sawzall.

 

[ilyaz]

I use a sawzall.

To do what? The bottoms of the bolts are somehow stuck in the holes. If I cut off the tops, how would this help me?

 

[Snoonyb]

Cut the tops off.
The holes are a thru hole, just punch them thru.

 

[ilyaz]

The holes are a thru hole

In this model, they are not. That's the problem. I've never seen a design like this before. All our other toilets have through holes

 

[Jeff Handy]

Typical bs Kohler crazy engineering.
Here are a few vids that should help you.

 

[Jeff Handy]

 

[Jeff Handy]

If you watch these vids, other similar vids should keep coming up on Youtube.

The hidden anchor system is ridiculous.

Some people had luck with prying up with a flat screwdriver under the edges of the anchor, until it got exposed enough to get a pliers or vice grips on it.

Then wiggling back and forth while pulling up.

Or follow the Kohler official vid.

You will need another Kohler anchor bolt kit to install a new seat.

 

[ilyaz]

What an over-engineered clusterf%$#! Thanks. Using a pry bar, I pulled those out.

Here's a crazy idea: can I use some sort of masonry bit to drill through the porcelain to make it like "a normal toilet"? And then find a long enough bolt that will fit. Or will I just break porcelain (or kill the bit)?

 

[Jeff Handy]

You can’t drill the porcelain.

Just order a new anchor bolt kit from Kohler.
Call their customer service for help, the toilet info and date of manufacture are molded into the back of the tank wall.
Models change over the years, so dates matter.

Next toilet, do not buy Kohler crazy garbage.

 

[havasu]

I have a friend that has one of those new-fangled "one piece" toilets, that constantly has a loose seat. I'd rip that puppy off the floor and toss it out the window.... but that's just me.

 

[bud16415]

I have a friend that has one of those new-fangled "one piece" toilets, that constantly has a loose seat. I'd rip that puppy off the floor and toss it out the window.... but that's just me.

I did exactly that to my mothers low profile 30 years ago.



The last toilet I bought I got it home and took a look at the bottom hole before I set it. the pattern mismatch for the hole was so bad that there were two sharp edges that just looked like a clog waiting to happen. I took it back and showed them and they gave me another and I checked it at the store and it wasn’t much better. I looked at 6 of them before I found one that was close to being right. When I got it home I tried to smooth up the rough edges on the opening where paper could snag and using a die grinder I managed to break the sharp edge. It is next to imposable to grind or cut the material it is so hard.



These kinds of features are a solution looking for a problem. Just a stupid idea.



On a side note that doesn’t mean our toilets are perfect. When in Europe I noticed the fill line didn’t enter the bottom of the tank. Instead it came in almost at the top of the tank above the water line. On the other hand in Italy the trap at the bottom is a different shape and no water stays in the bowl. Let me tell you that water in the bowl serves a function and over there you quickly flush.



For a product that hasn’t changed much in the last 100 years there is room for improvement.

Now I only buy Fluid-Master units that quick change and the seats I buy are the slow lower no slams with the quick change connectors. When I clean the toilet I snap the lid and seat off in 2 seconds and clean it in the tub and the bowl then is free of the seat to give it a good cleaning. Plastic bolts and nuts only.

 

[Jeff Handy]

Those Kohler one piece toilets are also harder to set onto the flange, at least for me.

It is hard to grip and lower by yourself, harder to see the bolts to line up, and no option to set just the bowl, if you are having a bad back day.

They also don’t flush that great, the tank guts are crazy and expensive, and the toilets cost about $1,000.00 or more.
New seats can cost well over $100.00.

 

[Spicoli43]

Well, thanks to this post, I'm not getting Kohler. In ripping out the toilets to do flooring, I really want to ditch my American Standards, which attract mold on the internal parts, probably because the flapper "platform" is 4 inches tall or so, while other brands don't have a platform. This leaves said 4 inches of water in the tank at all times, creating a chore to manually remove the water every once in a while because it becomes dingy.

While it isn't as fast, old water in the toilet is the same as stagnant water outside, and an utter failure in American Standard's design, in their effort to be "green".

 

[rbm328]

interesting this thread just popped up. we just moved into a new house (to us) and the master bath toilet had an old wooden seat - nasty! the seat bolts were rusted on, the bolt heads were stripped and I couldn't remove the plastic nuts. I used my dremel multi max and wound up cutting the plastic nuts off with it.
glad I've gone with the motto: NEW JOB - NEW TOOL!! I might use tools only once a year, but its nice to have options!!

 

[oldognewtrick]

interesting this thread just popped up. we just moved into a new house (to us) and the master bath toilet had an old wooden seat - nasty! the seat bolts were rusted on, the bolt heads were stripped and I couldn't remove the plastic nuts. I used my dremel multi max and wound up cutting the plastic nuts off with it.
glad I've gone with the motto: NEW JOB - NEW TOOL!! I might use tools only once a year, but its nice to have options!!

I never knew I needed a multi-tool till I got one. Now I wonder how I ever fumbled through life without one.

 

[ilyaz]

You can’t drill the porcelain.

Just order a new anchor bolt kit from Kohler.
Call their customer service for help, the toilet info and date of manufacture are molded into the back of the tank wall.
Models change over the years, so dates matter.

Next toilet, do not buy Kohler crazy garbage.

Did just that and it took me about 20 minutes end to end. The only difference - used a pry bar instead of their fancy removal tool to pull out the old bolts.

Thx @Jeff Handy

 

[BvilleBound]

We installed a Kohler one-piece toilet in 2013. The 'Quiet Close' lid failed so I tried to remove the lid bolts. No go on one of them; the bolt was frozen. I finally removed it and found that the anchor nut is made of aluminum, and the bolt of stainless steel. This is very basic design flaw! Aluminum fasteners should NEVER be used with steel or SS due to bimetallic / galvanic corrosion, which will cause the bolt to freeze on the nut. I managed to separate them and found clear evidence of bimetallic corrosion. I sent a complaint to Kohler USA; it will be interesting to see if and how they respond. Attached is a photo of the frozen bolt after it was removed. You can see the green annodized anchor which broke -- and the SS bolt. Also attached is a metal chart that I sent to Kohler which shows compatible metals in green -- and pairs that will cause corrosion in red. This is engineering 101 stuff.