Kohler Cimarron - Installing the Tank?!?

[vert]

So it's my first toilet installation and the bowl went down ok, (I hope), nice and level - yes shimmed it and checked it with a level - all that jazz).

The problem is in installing the tank. The picture-only directions show placing the two screws in their designated holes under the tank, then sliding them over to the smaller circumference sections but the smaller sections by no means hold the screws in place and so when you go to place the tank there's no way to hold the bolts, (screws) while you attach the wing nuts to them. Not to mention, the tank doesn't feel like it's going to seat well onto the bowl, (of course I'll have a better idea when I have a way to snug the wing nuts to the bolts but can't imagine how.

Help?? Anyone??

 

[Terry]

I think you need to try it first.
Those are a fairly easy mount. Don't worry about holding the bolts. Let us know how that goes.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[vert]

I think you need to try it first.
Those are a fairly easy mount. Don't worry about holding the bolts. Let us know how that goes.

Ok, all figured out! Kohler packed the box wrong. They switched the bolts for the tank with the bolts for the seat. So to answer my own question, the bolts for the tank are wider and they have the requisite rectangle shape just below the top before the threading to hold the screw in place. My plumber ended up getting the tank on with the toilet seat bolts somehow but now I'll need another set of bolts to secure the toilet seat as the tank bolts won't fit.

 

[SHR]

My plumber ended up getting the tank on with the toilet seat bolts somehow but now I'll need another set of bolts to secure the toilet seat as the tank bolts won't fit.

Your "plumber" does not seem to be a plumber since they used toilet seat bolts to anchor a common toilet tank! No paid professional who installs toilets would confuse the two bolt types. Keep an eye on that "plumber".

 

[Gary Swart]

Smells of handyman.

 

[hj]

I doubt that KOHLER boxed the bolts wrong, because the seat bolts come in the box with the seat, not mixed up with the tank bolts.

 

[Terry]

I doubt that KOHLER boxed the bolts wrong, because the seat bolts come in the box with the seat, not mixed up with the tank bolts.

Yep! Seperate factories. There is no way that Kohler could have been responsible for that mixing of parts. That's the guy pulling things out of boxes and getting confused.

 

[SHR]

Smells of handyman.

Not a very handy man...

 

[Claythrow]

Did you get it at a big box store?

Not to start a controversy, or disagree with the people who do this day in & day out, but for what it's worth, I got the same exact toilet from Home Depot & the parts were definitely incorrect. Not only the bolts, but the gasket that seals the tank to the bowl was too large. There was absolutely no way, no matter what size bolts you used. I was cinching the tank down as tight as possible without cracking it & it would not seat right.

I called Kohler & they sent me the package for the toilet (for free, no questions asked) & what they sent me was drastically different than what was included with the toilet, but with those parts everything went perfectly. There was no question immediately that the bolts were wrong, but I have enough bolts that it wasn't a problem, but the gasket was definitely incorrect. The one that was included was green, the one they sent me was black, don't know if that helps anyone.

After all that I actually returned the toilet anyway because the color was a little off (I'm a little ocd)...forget which American Standard I replaced it with but it better matched the sink.

As for my experience, I'm not a plumber, but a pretty capable diy-er & do a lot of side work. Can't count how many toilets I've installed.

My only guess is the plumbers source for Kohler is a step above in quality control vs what the big box stores get.