Rusted Toilet Tank Bolts. Dremel Flex-Shaft Attachment #225 What You'll Need. How to Remove Rusted Screws. Fully submerge the bolts in vinegar and consider putting them in a bottle to shake. The flange is cast iron, the pipe appears to be cast iron. The most common thing is rusted bolts. Rusted bolts are a pain to both remove and install. I removed the seat so the hinges (which were metal) were easier to get to. The threads on a bolt are especially vulnerable to the damage caused by rust. How to replace toilet bolts without removing toilet. How to Replace Toilet Anchor Bolts. How to Cut a Rusted Toilet Bolt Written by Doityourself Staff. Pull the bolt up and out of the toilet base. As a result, it can’t hold the weight of the toilet seat and starts spinning inside the hole. The bolt cutters I have are, I believe, 24 inches, but they are too big to fit into the space I need to fit them in order to cut the bolts. A typical toilet attaches to the floor with a pair of bolts that stick up from the flange, a special fitting at the top of the waste pipe. Fortunately, the bolt with the metal nut was on the side that I could get to. I need to change the wax ring on my toilet. The citric acid in the mix neutralizes the rust, notes Linda Cobb in her book "Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean" (2004). Joined: Aug 17, 2004 Occupation: Plumber Location: Bothell, Washington. I tried to losen one of them with pliers, but that only ended up in one wing breaking off. My thought is that the rust has also taken out the wall of the screw in place. This can signal damage to one or more of your closet bolts. RUSTED OUT TOILET BOLTS; Author: Anonymous User My Toilet bolts on the bottom of the toilet that hold the toilet to the floor have completely evaporated....rusted out. [ 1 Answers ] I have a toilet flange on a 4" cast iron pipe (c. 1955) that has rusted away to the extent that the flange lip has broken away, so the toilet bolts have nothing to hold on to. Turn the socket counterclockwise firmly to break the nut loose. On the opposite side, they are held in place by two wingnuts made from plastic. If the bolts are still too long, you might be able to hacksaw them with the toilet in position (put nuts on first so they can de-burr the thread at the cut). I'm thinking of just breaking ceramic parts of the toilet near those bolts, but afraid whole bowl might crack. Toilet seat held down by rusted bolts and metal nut on one side and nylon on the other. A mild natural acid, lemon juice works similarly to distilled white vinegar to gently remove rust stains from porcelain toilet bowls. Remove most or all the rust from nuts, screws, bolts cheap and easy. When in doubt, you’ll need to remove the jolts with a hacksaw. I have a very old toilet that has started leaking around the tank bolts. The first rule is to invoke the patience of a Bonsai artist. I'm trying to remove old toilet bowl (lower part) from the floor but two bolts/nuts are rusted and turn freely (both bolt and nut) How do I remove it? I could not remove them to install new ones. The hinges were designed to fit into the toilet seat holes, so no chance of cutting them off easily (no room between hinges and toilet anyway). The rusted bolt is always tough to take off, but any DIYer with a level head and steady hand can tackle the challenge. A quick examination revealed a rusted mass under the bowl, the bolts and wing nuts have become one. Some toilet designs may require a deep socket or socket extension for you to reach the nut. You can use oxalic acid on really seriously rusted screws, but if the rust is that bad then likely the cross piece in the screw has deteriorated and it is not usable anyway. If I have brass bolts and nuts, I don't need the sawzall. A rocking toilet and rusted closet bolts can result in water puddles on the floor. Everything else is fine. After a while you would need to use a hard brush and clean the rust from the screw. Can you recommend a way to remove these bolts so I can install new bolts (and a new bowl to tank gasket). If you have more than a handful of rusty bolts to clean, this method is not ideal. My toilet tank is held in place by two screws, which have rusted so much that the shape in their head is almost completely disappeared. Remove the bolts with a socket set. I am working on cleaning up a free bike that I got. Due to placement I can only get about a 1" draw on a hack saw (which doesn't really cut well) so … The nuts on some can seats are recessed and for all intents and purposes out of reach, making the activity considerably progressively troublesome. Your toilet’s seat has plastic nuts that attach to the bolts, which go through holes in the hinges on the toilet seat. To prevent the screws on the toilet seat from rusting, fill the holes with tub and tile caulking, then use a putty knife to level the caulking and allow it to dry before closing the lid. For rusted or corroded bolts that won't loosen from the toilet, you'll need to cut them out. Why they did not at least use Stainless bolts seems a bit silly to me. 3. They pour some hydrogen peroxide on the screws and bolts and leave them as it is. Let the nuts and bolts sit in the clean water for several minutes to rinse, and then dry thoroughly with clean towels. In some cases, you may be able to directly fit your socket wrench onto the nuts holding bolts in place. If the bolts start to spin, you’ll need to hold them in place using a screwdriver. If your toilet tank has recently come under fire from stubborn rust deposits, you'll be pleased to learn that they can be easily removed with the aid of a few common bathroom cleaning tools.Below are the steps that need to be taken in order for your toilet bowl to once again be rust free. on Sep 14, 2011. I was going to replace the bolts and washers but the nuts are completely seized and rusted to the bolts. The video does show how hard it is to remove old rusted bolts from a tank. If the flange is intact, you can get those bolts out that way. If you wish to swap the toilet seat out for a new one, you must remove the nuts from the ends of the bolts, so you can remove the bolts and the toilet seat itself. I have a toilet with Rusted Bolt problems. Cleaned as much as possible, bought new 1/4" x 2-1/4" bolts but they won't grab. Because the environment in a bathroom is so damp and humid, nuts made of metal can soon become rusted and stuck. Step 3 Pour 1 to 2 cups bottled lemon juice into the rusted toilet bowl, and allow it to stand overnight. Try these common food and household items to clean your rusty bolts: Vinegar: White or apple cider vinegar are acid solutions that can be used for rust removal. Similar to any metallic object, bolts are susceptible to rust. Metal screws on a toilet seat can often rust, causing unsightly stains. The closet bolts that hold it in place are rusted so I need to cut them in order to remove the nuts. Click this link for more information. Step 1 - Apply Your Toilet … If not, then, it may be easiest to cut them off flush with a hacksaw or grind them with a grinder, then, install a repair ring, and use the slots in the repair ring to hold the new bolts. How do I fix this. Unscrew the bolt with a pliers or a screwdriver while you hold the nut underneath with the pliers. Thread Wizard put a new “spin” on the steel brush method by creating an inexpensive product that takes all the effort out of scrubbing bolts one at a time. Dyi rusted toilet flange? Do not rub your eyes while dealing with vinegar. Toilet seats are held in place by means of bolts anchored with nuts placed on the underside of the bowl. When the porcelain is broken or cracked during repair, it generally means the toilet has to be replaced. E.g. I thought of trying bolt cutters. Some people prefer using hydrogen peroxide on rusted screws and bolts. Warning. Once rust has set in, it will ruthlessly attack unprotected metal and render it practically useless if steps aren't taken to reverse the corrosion process. Put on a pair of rubber gloves and scrub the nuts and bolts with a brass brush. Otherwise, if you lift the toilet out again, it is best to install another new wax ring. Simply pry open the cover behind the seat to expose the bolt's head. Hi folks - I'm having difficult removing the anchor bolt/nut hardware from a toilet bowl. I can get to … in the bike repair videos they always grease the bolts before reinserting them, I was asking myself if this would work for the toilet tank as well. If the bolts or nuts are plastic, they can't corrode and will come off easily. You need to exercise care when working on a toilet. A typical issue is that the nuts verifying the can seat might be rusted or consumed. If I somehow succeed in removing the rusted bolts and replace them with new ones, ... (Other than removing the tank every x months/years just to clean the bolts.) Years of condensation often rust and fuse toilet floor bolts (also known as closet bolts) to the point where they cannot be removed conventionally. Step 4 For very tough grease stains, place the nuts and bolts in a shallow pan and spray with a commercial spray-on brake cleaner, found at your local hardware or automotive parts store. Last edited by a moderator: Aug 12, 2016. First, take a look at the bolts that secure the seat. When the bolts are rusted, it starts decaying the metal. That's one reason I prefer removing the old toilet to a dumpster and replacing it with something new. You may also need to use some oil after cleaning the rust on it so that the screw comes out easily. There are times when the head of the bolt is too rusted to hold with the screwdriver. (The squished new one makes a great shop item for waxing nails and screws for easier assembly.) Why Toilet Anchor Bolts Spins? Toilet anchor bolts hold your toilet to the floor and keep it connected to the flange, which is the opening to the waste line. For lesser-rusted bolts, you can simply use a wrench or channel lock pliers to remove the nuts that hold the toilet tank in place, they should not be super tight, but this will differ based on the toilet. What You'll Need. Terry Administrator Staff Member. How to Get a Toilet With a Stuck Bolt Off the Floor. I can quickly spin off the brass nuts and I'm done in less then a minute. My 4-year old tried to flush a plastic toy figure and it seems to be stuck somewhere in the base of the toilet bowl. Something that comes with "BRASS" bolts. Dremel Flex-Shaft Attachment #225 1. We have a really old toilet in one of our bathrooms which has started to leak around the tank bolts. DonL, Aug 31, 2014 #4. More rusting tank bolts. It doesn't go high enough for me to use hacksaw or dremel. All screws rust over time, so you will inevitably encounter stubborn screws that require a little extra work to remove from old furniture or vehicles. It was very dirty and rusty. These can be left for a day, and you should be left with clean and shiny bolts that are free of rust. If you are prone to pitching rusty nails and screws, you probably have always thought you were doing the safe, responsible thing. 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