THU651N, Remove stubborn Toto toilet seat

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Maureen Connors

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It appears that I've stripped the rubber bushings on my Aquia toilet seat. There is no good way to get underneath the Aquia to get a wrench on the rubber bushing. The screw just spins, so I don't see that I can drill it out or easy-out it. Hopefully someone has a work-around for this problem. I've also posted to Toto, but haven't received a response yet.
I would not be happy to have to remove the toilet to take care of this.

Thanks in advance!

Maureen
 

Terry

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you may not have stripped them. They unwind quite a long ways before you are able to lift them out.

Only two screws hold the bowl in place. It doesn't take much to pull and reset those.The adapter stays in place.

toto_seat_toggle.jpg


THU651N
 
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RoseJacobson

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You need to unscrew it again and redo the process make sure this time you do it nicely n tightly so that you don't get any kind of issues again and again.
 

brador

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For people looking this up, removing a Toto Aquia toilet seat can be a little tricky.

The toilet comes with long bolts and rubber "bushing nuts." These bushing nuts are inserted into the seat-mounting holes, the seat is placed over the bowl so the bolt holes line up, and then the seat is fastened down with the bolts. Now, the bushing nuts are rubber with a small threaded, metal piece at the bottom. When you tighten the bolts, the metal piece is pulled up, causing the rubber to expand against the toilet until it is tight. Kinda like a molly bolt. This works quite well.

Until, that is, you try to get them out. When you start to loosen the bolt after it's been in place for a year or two, the bolt sticks to the threaded metal piece and the rubber bushing nut is not tight enough to hold it still. So the rubber bushing starts spinning around and you get nowhere.

So grab the seat assembly near the bolt and pull up with one hand as you loosen the bolt with the other hand. Keep pulling up as you loosen. Alternate sides as you make a little progress. This puts pressure on the bushing, generally enough to hold it still while you unscrew. At some point you may have to work a pair of pliers around a recalcitrant busing to hold it still. But do so gently, maybe wrapping a little masking tape around the jaws of the pliers, so the bushing isn't torn up. If you get you fingers in there to hold it, all the better.

Before replacing, clean the bolt and bushing thoroughly, but do not use any petroleum-based lubricant, as that will quickly eat up the bushing.
 

Jadnashua

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Maybe a little bit of silicon plumbers grease on the threads might help long-term before installation. Or, maybe some anti-seize compound (if it says okay for rubber).
 

Nothandy44

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We have a new toilet seat and new bolt. We have been trying for 2 hours to get the old bolts out, to no avail. Worst design ever and will never purchase another Toto toilet!
 

Terry

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We have a new toilet seat and new bolt. We have been trying for 2 hours to get the old bolts out, to no avail. Worst design ever and will never purchase another Toto toilet!

If you have the rubber anchors with the metal screw, just push the old one through and forget about it.
Then insert the new anchor with screw.
 

WJcandee

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Worst design ever and will never purchase another Toto toilet!

We're not the manufacturer so you can take the stupid threats elsewhere.

It's a toilet seat. You are "not handy". How about you just learn how to do it so it will be easy next time, what do ya say?

You're much better off with the "horrible design" (of the seat anchors) than a toilet that doesn't flush well or has the important innards break easily or be hard to repair. Toto's design as far as those important things is excellent. There are zillions of Aquia fans out there for that very reason. And that's the reason that Terry sells a lot of Aquias to repeat Aquia customers. They put one in, and call and order more after they have used it.
 

Gary Swart

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There is a toilet and seat that might be just right for you. It's a older design and has been around for years. Never clogs, seat works just fine. It's called an outhouse. Real water saver too.
 

yourpalsal

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It appears that I've stripped the rubber bushings on my Aquia toilet seat. There is no good way to get underneath the Aquia to get a wrench on the rubber bushing. The screw just spins, so I don't see that I can drill it out or easy-out it. Hopefully someone has a work-around for this problem. I've also posted to Toto, but haven't received a response yet.
I would not be happy to have to remove the toilet to take care of this.

Thanks in advance!

Maureen

I have these rubber toggle bolts in my Toto seat installed 14 years ago. I turned and turned, lifted the seat assembly as I turned etc. They would not come out. But I did get a certain amount of “slack” in the process and then I did something a plumber would never do, and I can’t even recommend: crowbar. I didn’t damage the seat or the toilet, thank God, and I got the bolts out. One looks reusable, the other fell apart. Good news is the bolts are available on Amazon with one day prime.
 

Reach4

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They would not come out. But I did get a certain amount of “slack” in the process and then I did something a plumber would never do, and I can’t even recommend: crowbar. I didn’t damage the seat or the toilet, thank God, and I got the bolts out. One looks reusable, the other fell apart.
I think a plumber would have drilled them out. No reuse, of course.
 

Eveneren

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Old thread, but I didn't see this method used. My bolts just spun even with pressure applied upwards to the head. Since I was replacing the seat, I took my "plumbers" hacksaw and cut and pried enough of the plastic tab off until I could break it off and then wiggle the seat off leaving the screws in place. Then I took the hacksaw and sawed the screw head off, keeping the blade between the metal washer and the screw head. One took a solid 30 seconds of sawing while the next one basically broke off immediately, nearly fell off the stool.

Pushed them on through into that handy cavity. Since I was careful with my sawing, no marks on the ceramic.

Hopefully the new seat will last another 10+ years like the original one I just replaced.
 
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