Removing Toilet Tank Bolts

**DonL** · 05-23-2012, 11:14 AM

I have a American Standard toilet that has developed a leak around the bolts that hold the tank.

I could not believe how loose they were, without leaking before this. They have a lot of play and the tank can be moved some. Started by just cleaning the outside of the tank.

When I went to tighten them they would not budge.

I tried to loosen them and could not break the nut loose from the bolt. The head of the bolt is a straight blade screwdriver, so it is hard to get much torque.

Normally I would just cut the bolt off, but I can not get to it as it is recessed. I do not want to crack the tank.

Should have never tried to clean it I guess.

Is there some kind of magic juice that I could use to break them loose ? WD40 did not help.

What do you pros do, short of replacing the toilet ? Sure would be nice if they uses stainless bolts and nuts.

Thanks for any help that you can provide.

**Gary Swart** · 05-23-2012, 12:00 PM

In the first place, WD-40 is not a penetrating oil. One of the best penetrating oils is PB Blaster, however, while worth the try, this may not solve the problem. Perhaps some of the pro plumbers are familiar with this type of flange bolt, but they don't sound like anything I'm familiar with. If you can't get enough torque to break the bolts either loose or off, then you may be able to drill the head of the bolts. After the toilet is finally off, I sure inspect the condition of the flange before reusing it. The cause of the leak is of course the movement which destroyed the wax ring seal and even if you could have tightened the bolts, that would not have fixed the problem. Once a wax seal is broken, it's game time for that seal. I certainly agree about stainless steel nuts and bolts.

**DonL** · 05-23-2012, 07:32 PM

Thank You for the Info Gary.

I will have to give PB Blaster a try.

My problem is not on the bowl (Yet) it is on the water holding tank.

WD-40 was good in the day.

**Gary Swart** · 05-23-2012, 08:24 PM

WD-40 is still good stuff, just not a penetrating oil. It never was touted to be, but many of us assumed it was so the myth began. Sorry I misunderstood your original problem, but the solution may be pretty much the same.

**DonL** · 05-24-2012, 06:13 AM

Originally Posted by Gary Swart

WD-40 is still good stuff, just not a penetrating oil. It never was touted to be, but many of us assumed it was so the myth began. Sorry I misunderstood your original problem, but the solution may be pretty much the same.

WD-40 works good for arthritis and joint pain.