New tank-bowl gasket doesn't seal

**teve** · 03-25-2012, 02:12 AM

I have a Gerber brand toilet. I bought a new universal toilet fill valve (Fluidmaster 400A) and a toilet flush valve kit (Oatey #459-269). The box says it has a double thick sponge rubber gasket. I don't know if that means anything special.

The tank-bowl gasket is not sealing. When I flushed with a full tank, a significant amount of water came pouring out from under the tank, I assume from under the gasket. The old gasket seems to sit a little higher when I simply placed on the bowl water inlet compared to the new on. The toilet had three rubber spacer things so that the tank was not sitting directly on the bowl. Are those required or recommended? I removed those so the tank would sit just a little lower and still water came out when flushing.

Any suggestions?

**Terry** · 03-25-2012, 02:32 AM

The hardware store will have a gasket made for Gerber. The Fluidmaster gasket isn't thick enough.

**teve** · 03-25-2012, 02:09 PM

I finally found a tank-bowl gasket for a Gerber toilet. It's a little higher than the one from the flush valve replacement kit and fits snugly over the threaded plastic pipe, but it is not shaped to fit over the plastic hex nut, nor would it since it has a smaller outer diameter. The tank now sits higher than normal and rocks on the gasket. Do I need to get an exact replacement, or can the one I bought be made to work somehow if I can't find an exact replacement?

**johnjh2o1** · 03-25-2012, 03:14 PM

It sounds like you have the correct tank to bowl gasket. What you need is the rubber spacers you mentioned in your first post.

John

**teve** · 03-26-2012, 01:15 PM

I finally found the exact gasket. However, there is a very small leak along one of the bolts which I can see through the tank-bowl gap. I don't want to over tighten the blots. What is the best solution to stop the leak?

**jadnashua** · 03-26-2012, 01:57 PM

Did you read the linked 'how to install' thread? It explains it all.

Basically, make sure you have the proper placement of all of the pieces...use of a metal washer on top of the rubber one in the tank almost ensures you'll have a leak. Then, use an extra nut to clamp the bolt head to the tank. This can be fairly tight. Then set the tank onto the bowl and use the second nut/washer to hold the waterproof tank to the bowl. In that manner, the bolt is then just holding the tank in place, not trying to compress the washer in the tank to make a seal.

**teve** · 03-26-2012, 03:47 PM

Tightened the nuts at the bottom of the tank. I forget I had only hand tightened them. I'm a nut for not realizing that. Not tightening them is the obvious explanation. Thanks.

By the way, I don't see the linked "how to install" thread. Where is it?