1970 Kohler Wellworth with a cracked base

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I got a new toilet today at the Restore. It's one I've been looking for for a very long time, and when I saw it, I was thrilled. However, my elation was short lived, because the base is cracked in two places. I got it anyway, at a discount, but those cracks worry me. I will be rebuilding it with all new parts, when I can afford them. Until then, l'll just clean it up. Also, the trap looks to have bad calcium buildup. Does anyone know a good way of getting it out? In the past, I used a flat screwdriver, but a screwdriver won't reach up there.
 
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Reach4

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Dedication!

I suggest you try ZEP Calcium Lime and Rust Remover for longer than the label says.
 
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I got the toilet cleaned up and calcium free. My main concern is now the huge crack in the base. You can see through it. I'm going to try to find some epoxy that can keep the crack from spreading or breaking.
 
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Disaster. When I tried to loosen the trip lever, the tank broke. Now I really need some epoxy. Unbelievable. And this is the toilet I've been looking for!
 

hj

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Yo are a glutton for punishment. I would have tossed it as soon as I saw the cracks. Everything you needed to "rebuild the tank" were generic parts so there would NOT have been a need wait until "you could afford" them.
 
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How do you know if I'm a glutton? Why did you even find it necessary to post such a comment? The cracks in the base have nothing to do with me. Kohler parts are expensive, thank you.
 
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KDMCPlumbing

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The very first toilet I owned was a Wellworth exactly like this one. It sucks that yours broke but it shouldn't be too hard to find a new one. There are a ton of these old Wellworths for sale in my area right now. Check your local craigslist every week. One will pop up sooner or later. I hope you find a new one soon!
 
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The last time I saw one of these was last winter. It was a 67 or 68 and I wanted it so bad! But we couldn't afford it. I go back to the Restore a few days later, and the manager told me that it froze and they threw it away. You can imagine the horror I felt. Thanks for your kind words, KDMC. Some other folks don't know the meaning of kind. I like your videos! Keep it up!
 

hj

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There are absolutely NO KOHLER parts that HAVE to used with that toilet. In fact, the Kohler parts are the same ones you can buy at a hardware store for about $20.00 TOTAL. Now, if you had a Rochelle, that would be a different story. You are a "glutton for punishment" because even after the tank broke, you insist on "repairing" it, when a "normal" person would toss it in the dumpster.
 
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I'm sick of your attitude. I don't HAVE to use KOHLER parts, but I LIKE to keep some of my nicer toilets ORIGINAL. I've been harrassed by countless people for 14 years because of my interest in toilets. Why should that stop now? I thought moderators were supposed to PUT OUT fires not START them.
 

Smooky

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Here is a site that sells old toilet parts. They are kind of pricy but if you save up, you might be able to buy another master piece:

 

Plumbs Away

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Don't pay any attention to the folks on here who, because they are supposedly professionals, have no tact at all if they're not in complete agreement with you. I also have something of a toilet preoccupation or fascination or whatever you want to call it and have taken more than my share of flack about it. I personally prefer American Standard over Toto, as is my right and privilege, but I feel like I've committed sacrilege if I express my views. In case you're interested, I have a NOS Kohler Wellworth elongated from around 1980 in Fresh Green, with a Bemis Color Match seat. I hooked it up long enough to test it. The tank internals were degraded from years of storage so they have been upgraded. I'll sell it but it's not cheap!
 
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Thanks. I have actually hinted to my dad that I'd like a brand new Kohler Wellworth in Black Black for Christmas. I guess it's a little early to be thinking about that, though. I'm on a "quest" to get a Wellworth from every generation from 1936 to 2015. I'm going to keep looking at all the Restores in my area for a nicer example of a 1967-1974 Kohler Wellworth, my favorite version.

You like American Standard, others like Toto. That's fine! Just because somebody doesn't like the same toilet as me doesen't mean I'm not going to try to be their friend.
 

Plumbs Away

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Thanks. I have actually hinted to my dad that I'd like a brand new Kohler Wellworth in Black Black for Christmas. I guess it's a little early to be thinking about that, though. I'm on a "quest" to get a Wellworth from every generation from 1936 to 2015. I'm going to keep looking at all the Restores in my area for a nicer example of a 1967-1974 Kohler Wellworth, my favorite version.

You like American Standard, others like Toto. That's fine! Just because somebody doesn't like the same toilet as me doesen't mean I'm not going to try to be their friend.
LOL!!! This site is definitely not about "friendship."

There is a Black Black Wellworth just like my Fresh Green one on eBay. It's also never used. It's $200 or best offer for pick-up in Jersey.
 
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