Toilet seat nut turning secret

This is a really dumb question, but I gotta ask. I just installed a new toilet seat on the ol' throne. I found that it was really hard turning those nylon nuts by hand -- I would need fingers longer and stronger than mine to cinch them really tight. Looking at the nut -- sorta had four fins and nothing vaguely hexagonal that a nut driver would fit on

-- I didn't see any way that any tool /I've/ ever seen could reach up and tighten them suckers, esp. with the long bolts in the way.

So, uh . . . what's the secret? Do I have to send money to learn?

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot
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Just did the same job myself. In my case the covers over the top of the bolt flipped up allowing a screwdriver to do the tightening. You might try that. Mine flipped sideways, others I have seen flipped up from the back.

Harry K

Reply to
Harry K

Hi Mike,

Those nylon nuts and bolts are sometimes cast in two halves an as a result they like to bind before they get tight. The best way I have found to tighten them is grease them with dish soap , then take "Dry runs" with the nut and bolt work them in and out......and they will turn on like you sprayed rusty bolts with WD40...Hope that helps...Jim

Reply to
Jim M

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@adelphia.com:

I went to hell and back to get mine off. I had a quality oak seat and the thing was on there a long while. Then the seat began to crack and had to be replaced. The bolts rusted and I couldn't get the nylon nuts off.

I used vice grips and they kept falling off the nut. Then the top where the phillips head screw driver went began to strip the bolt.

It took many hours to lossen the stupid nuts. I'm not that young anymore and crouching in stupid positions really hurt. I sure don't know why they make the darned bolts so long. Anyway I kept at it and finally all of a sudden it came loose.

On the new seat I didn't tighten the nuts as much. When they start loosening I just tighten by hand. Granjero

Reply to
Granjero

No such luck. This new seat, with attractive chrome hinge bits, had studs that went into the above-rim part. Nothing on top to turn. I had to reach up underneath to turn the nylon nuts up the stud, which seemed to be about 14 inches long based on how long I was hunched over the toilet fingertipping the nuts up to mildly tight. Making them genuinely tight is beyond my fingertip strength. Maybe I should have made a nut-driver: the nylon nuts had four wings that could have fit slots cut into the end of a bit of pipe. Yeah, that's what I should-a done!

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

Well, even without lube I got them turned all the way up, it just took a while. It's getting them firmly tight that I can't do with my fingertips, and adding lube would not help with that.

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

I hate those nylon nuts.... but not for the reason you mention. I can loosen or tighten them easily enough with a large set of channel lock pliers.

No, the reason I dislike them so much is that they don't secure the seat to the toilet worth a shit, pardon the pun. The toilet seat slips from side to side a little bit no matter how tight you get them. I've found the solution was to buy a seat that had chrome plated bolts and nuts. It isn't as sleek an installation, and it's not as easy to clean, but it doesn't slip a bit. Nada. None.

The chrome discolored after a while but I've found Barkeeper's Friend shines them right up.

Reply to
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

I use a pair of regular pliers. I just slip them up there end ways and use the side of the jaws to push against the fins. It always works fine for me.

Of course I don't use the nylon bolts. I have never been able to keep them tight. Instead I get some brass tank bolts and use them, with the original nylon washers.

Bill Gill

Reply to
Bill

I replaced 3 seats in my house when I bought it because they looked original and had serious wear spots where the lid had been slammed down repeatedly over

20+ years.

After wrestling with one of them for over an hour, I got pissed and grabbed the propane torch. Lit it up and blasted that somebitch until it melted up and I just pulled the bolt up through the molten mass of nylon. Seeing as I didn't crack the porcelain, I tried the other side. Same great results. I then proceeded to do the other 2 seats the same way. Took all of 10 minutes per seat. I did try to be somewhat cautious and keep the heat on the nylon bolt rather than blasting the flame everywhere. The porcelain still did get quite hot, but I had outstanding results.

Reply to
Mark

A gentle application of hammer and wood chisel (don't want to get too happy and chisel the toilet) to split the nylon nut is the way I usually approach this. Hell with subtlety.

Reply to
Andy Hill

Use a real nut?

Reply to
JerryMouse

Mike,

Here's something I have done before to loosen wing nuts in tight spaces:

Buy a cheap deep well socket. Use a dremel or similar rotary tool with a cutoff wheel to cut notches for the wing nut wings to fit into. Pop that onto your ratchet and you're good to go!

Reply to
spamdisintegrator

Smartass. Go bug someone else with your sensible ideas.

Reply to
Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliot

"Mike Rocket J. Squirrel Elliott" retorted with

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Reply to
Kathy

I was faced with similar problem on faucets with "welded on" plastic nuts with fins at 90º positions.

I took a piece of plastic PVC pipe ( diameter big enough to fit over the faucet inlet stub on bottom of the sink - in your case a toilet seat bolt ) about 10 inches long and cut/filed slots about one half inch deep and one eigth inch wide at 90º angles ( 4 slots on one edge of the pipe) and then drilled a whole on the other end so I could put a dowel or 12/16d nail thru it for turning.

Takes time to make but this way I have a tool for ANY occasion in the future.

+++++++++++++++++

Reply to
Conase

Ok, lets begin from the beginning. You are trying to do this alone. Thats your first mistake. You need someone with small hands to help. I always prefer to use a woman, because their hands are usually smaller. So go find yourself a woman for starters. Have her ready to help and at your side. OK, now YOU need to apply firm pressure to the toilet seat to put the required pressure on the bolts. Sit yourself squarely on the seat, with your pants down to avoid the lumps in your pants from interfering with your levelness. Once you are sitting in the seat, and are perfectly level, be sure you are completely erect.

OK, the next step will require the woman, or whoever you carefully chose to assist. Ask her to reach between your legs. Once her hand is in there, tell her to turn the nuts as tightly as she can. (Whatever you do, do not move. You want to continue to apply a level downward pressure against the seat, and be sure to remain erect the whole time). When she says she has turned the nuts as tight as they go, ask her to place her head between your legs and and make sure the nuts are firm and secure. Be sure to remain erect.

When she completes the inspection, ask her to go get you a cold one out of the fridge. You will most likely need one by then. While she is on her way to the fridge, flush the toilet to releive any pressure and stand up. The toilet seat should not be as tight as it will ever get, because when you stood up, you took the pressure off the seat as you released your load.

That should do it. You are now an expert at this, and you are qualified to go to other people's homes to do the same, and possibly even get paid for it.

Samu Krokavich

Reply to
SamuKrokavich

This is a problem due to the bolts being smaller than the holes. I shimmed the bolts with shrink tubing (Plastic tape will work as well) so they fit the holes tightly. Eliminating the side play also reduced the tendency to loosen. I've never had to re-tighten the nuts again.=20

To reply, please remove one letter from each side of "@" Spammers are VERMIN. Please kill them all.

Reply to
Doug Warner
1/2 inch hard drawn copper tubing, 8 inches long - a tee soldered to the other end for a handle -

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Joe

Reply to
J O E

Vice-grips lightly on the nut job and a big bladed screwdriver on top and there you go.

Reply to
Jim

Jim wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

LOL LOL I went to hell and back to get mine off. I had a quality oak seat and the thing was on there a long while. Then the seat began to crack and had to be replaced. The bolts rusted and I couldn't get the nylon nuts off.

I used vice grips and they kept falling off the nut. Then the top where the phillips head screw driver went began to strip the bolt.

It took many hours to lossen the stupid nuts. I'm not that young anymore and crouching in stupid positions really hurt. I sure don't know why they make the darned bolts so long. Anyway I kept at it and finally all of a sudden it came loose.

On the new seat I didn't tighten the nuts as much. When they start loosening I just tighten by hand. Granjero

Reply to
Granjero

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