Toto Pacifica Soft Close Seat Removal

[Blakecb]

I have a 12 year old Toto Pacific Elongated fully skirted toilet. The soft close toilet seat has now broken. I have attempted to remove the seat to fix or replace, but the bolts are stuck and starting to strip. Since it is fully skirted, it has the bolts with the drop in rubber anchor. Since the bolts won't remove, how do I take the toilet seat off. Any advice is very welcome. Thanks!

 

[Terry]

If you can't pull the rubber anchors out, you can pull the bowl and get access access from below.
The Unifit stays in place the entire time.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Blakecb]

Thanks, I was hoping to avoid pulling the bowl, but I couldn't think of anything else either.

 

[Jadnashua]

The bolts don't need to come out to remove the fastener (but, obviously to try to reuse)...the bolt operates a cam inside that expands to hold the thing in place. If the bolt does come out some, try tapping it down, which will break the wedge loose, allowing it to collapse. Don't get aggressive here, you don't want to break the toilet!

Removing the toilet may mean dealing with caulking around it, but the wax seal stays intact because the Unifit stays in place...once the toilet is free from that and the floor, it will just lift up, then set back down again and seal just fine.

 

[Reach4]

Thanks, I was hoping to avoid pulling the bowl, but I couldn't think of anything else either.

Drilling out would be another alternative, but pulling the toilet might be easier.

 

[MartinLacasse]

If you can't pull the rubber anchors out, you can pull the bowl and get access access from below.
The Unifit stays in place the entire time.

Hi,

I have a similar situation. One of the bolts in the rubber anchors will not come out. It just turns and turns. Unfortunately I stripped the screw when trying too much. So now I am quite stuck. You mentioned removing the bowl and access from below. I have a TOTO Carolina (MS884114), i can see little access area in the back of the toilet that can give access to the screw but not from below. And this is very little room. What would i do to remove the screw from there? Try to push the bolt up?

thanks,
Martin

 

[Reach4]

I have a similar situation. One of the bolts in the rubber anchors will not come out. It just turns and turns.

Does the head stick up from the seat, or is it in contact?

Is the black rubber turning when you turn the screw, or can you not tell?

 

[MartinLacasse]

The head does not stick up, and is in contact. I did not notice if the rubber was turning when i was turning the screw. And now that the screw is stripped it is absolutely impossible to make it turn.

I could get the head to stick up, by breaking the toilet seat out of the way. Similar to what this guy did here:

Though I am not too hot on prying a hammer against the toilet. I wonder if drilling through the head would be better?

 

[Reach4]

Though I am not too hot on prying a hammer against the toilet. I wonder if drilling through the head would be better?

I would drill.

 

[MartinLacasse]

I would drill.

Do you think that the vibration of the drill could be dangerous for the toilet itself? e.g. the porcelain

 

[Reach4]

Do you think that the vibration of the drill could be dangerous for the toilet itself? e.g. the porcelain

You want to use a sharp standard point metal drilling bit. I am not sure you if you would start with 3/16 and then go to 1/4 inch maybe. Use low RPM. Try to get a curl if you can by applying vertical pressure. If you don't have a low RPM drill, I would buy or borrow one. Wait for other opinions before drilling. I am not a pro.

It's got to be easier on the toilet than that claw hammer work in the video.

 

[MartinLacasse]

You want to use a sharp standard point metal drilling bit. I am not sure you if you would start with 3/16 and then go to 1/4 inch maybe. Use low RPM. Try to get a curl if you can by applying vertical pressure. If you don't have a low RPM drill, I would buy or borrow one. Wait for other opinions before drilling. I am not a pro.

It's got to be easier on the toilet than that claw hammer work in the video.

Thanks. I have a 2 speed drill, and also you can further adjust the speed by how much you press on the trigger. My guess is that since the seat is still there, the plastic of the seat will act as a cushion for the drilling vibrations.

 

[Terry]

The guy in the video was most likely breaking the closet flange at the floor the way he was torquing on that. At the worst, I've taken off the hold down nuts at the floor and lifted the bowl. Then you have plenty of access to the rubber toggles.
Or you could try drilling off the heads of the bolts.

 

[MartinLacasse]

Hi Terry,

That's what I don't understand. If I lift the bowl. I only have this little opening in the back to access the rubber toggles (see attached photo). What would I do then? Try to push them up?

 

[Terry]

You are looking at the back of the tank there. As I recall, there is space. We have sometimes installed seats without using the toggles by accessing the bottom of the bowl before we installed it. We didn't do it from behind, but from underneath.

And once you have access from below to get your hands on it, it should be all downhill from there.

 

[MartinLacasse]

Thank you all for the feedback. I ended up drilling and following the advice of "Reach4". I first started drilling with a 3/16 bit and then followed by a 1/4 bit. Was very simple, took maybe 2 mins and no where near complicated like the video above using a hammer to yank it out.