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cciaffone

Toilet Tank Bolts Corroding

cciaffone
16 years ago

Never seen this before, but ... in two of our three old

(1980's??) Kohler toilets, the heads of the 3 brass bolts

that hold the tank to the toilet are corroding badly.

And with the corrosion comes a brittle cake-like brown

cap that sits on the bolt head. Probably a product of

the corrosion.

What would cause such corrosion?

What's worseis that the three-bolt Kohler bolt/washer

sets are almost impossible to find locally.

chuck in Durham NC

Comments (8)

  • bus_driver
    16 years ago

    Do you have well water or city water supply? Actually, corrosion does occur with brass. And take a magnet with you to buy new ones. Many of those are just plated steel and will show rust in two days use. Two toilets use 6 bolts. Buy 3 packs of two bolts. Worst case, take one of your old bolts to Automotive Fasteners in Greensboro and get new similar ones.

  • cciaffone
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Why I am curious is that it ain't rust. The heads of the
    bolts are being eaten away, and a crispy, hard, browish
    cake is forming on top of each bolt head. Looks like
    wasp nest material almost - certainly not rust.

    As far as buying regular brass bolts, the main problem is
    that these are for a Kohler and need the extra thick
    rubber washers/grommets that only come with Kohler
    replacement bolts -- made of unobtainium.

  • hendricus
    16 years ago

    Can't you reuse the rubber washer/grommets?

  • bus_driver
    16 years ago

    I do not reuse the rubber parts. Imagination/resourcefulness is helpful in cases such as this. The person posting is locked-in on the idea of using only exact replacement parts. Time to call a plumber.

  • cciaffone
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    No, the person posting is NOT locked-in on the idea of
    using only exact replacement parts. I would really like
    to find the THICK and SQUISHY gaskets to fit the
    5/16 bolts and block the over-sized holes in the
    porcelain. The tank-to-bowl washers sold in the local
    emporia are only about 1/16 thick where I need more like
    1/4 thick tapered and able to deform enough to fill the
    spaces in the tank bottom. I have good brass bolts aplenty.

  • davidandkasie
    16 years ago

    goto a hardware store, not a box store. or even better, check the phone book for a plumbing supply house. you can get those washers jsut about any where. heck, walmart carries them here.

  • cciaffone
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Yep, finally got it solved.

    At Lowes, found a kit with the right gaskets and washers
    but cheap brass-plated steel bolts.

    At HD found a kit with the wrong gaskets but real brass
    bolts.

    Two kits to fix one toilet.

    Sheesh!

  • dontspamme86_cableone_net
    13 years ago

    In any kit that you purchase...look for the bolt washer metal being different (not brass) from the brass tank bolts...I have found that the regular silvery looking metal washers may actually contribute to the bolt mushroom head erosion. I purchased solid brass washers for .45 cents a piece x 2 for $1.00 with tax, and that metal matches the brass bolts that came with my expensive ACE HARDWARE tank bolt and washer replacement kit ($7.00)...use the cheapo metal washers on the lower bowl application in the final step (double-up if you wish), in order to use up all of your hardware from any kit...may help out in the future..also, if you use drop-ins, bleach tabs, bleach liquid (sodium hypochlorite) or other chemicals in your tank...think twice...you may be eating up all of your seals and metals in your pipes and tank assemblies!!!