tank to bowl gasket problems

[R-Co]

I have a 10-year-old Crane toilet that recently started leaking. I determined the leak was coming from the bolts that hold the tank to the bowl, which had corroded. I drained the tank, removed the bolts and the tank to bowl gasket, bought new bolts and gasket, but when I try to put it back together, the tank doesn't sit in the hole correctly. The first gasket I got didn't cover the hex ring that sits under the tank and holds the flapper/tube assembly in place. So I've gone through two other gaskets that fit over the hex ring just fine, but the tank sits above the hole to the bowl, perched on the gasket, and wobbles quite a bit. I've tried bolting it down as much as I dare but it still wobbles because it's not "seated" quite right in the hole. I've tried adding spacer washers to the bolts between the tank and bowl to stabilize it but it still wobbles. The gasket I have now was labeled as being for a Crane toilet, and while it fits over the tube and hex ring, it still seems too bulky for the tank to fit into the hole properly. The tank used to fit just fine. The old gasket has deteriorated enough that I don't think I should use it again. I've spent a week on this thing and I'm at a loss as to why it doesn't fit. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[phishfood]

It's been awhile since I have installed a Crane toilet (probably very close to the same 10 years). But it seems I recall having the same problem that you are describing. The fix I think we used was to use some type of rubber spacer between a ridge that was on the top of the bowl and the bottom of the tank to take up some of this excess space. Try to geusstimate the thickness of spacer that would be required to take up the space when the bolts are tightened down, and get some type of rubber that is that thick. Maybe some rubber hose available from an auto parts store, ie, fuel line, heater hose, etc.

 

[R-Co]

Thanks for your response. I tried stacking rubber washers over the holes that the bolts go through between the tank and bowl. It helped a little with the wobbling from side to side but it still wobbles front to back. Maybe the spacers need to be wider to give it a wider base? I'm still a bit ticked off that I need to MacGyver what should be a simple repair when it seems like Crane should just make a gasket that fits right. Is it me? It's them, right?

 

[Mr_David]

Don't stack the rubber at the bolts but stack them near the back and front ( where you can't see them )

 

[SlowDrip]

Some older Crane toilets have a particularly annoying tank-to-bowl gasket that is specific to the model. The gasket is quite large and has a clear cut-out of the plastic hex nut on the inside. make sure this is the gasket you are using, there are aftermarket gaskets that look large enough but do not have the proper cutout for the nut on them and using these often produces the rocking you describe.

I did a quick google search for a picture of one but couldn't find it.

 

[R-Co]

Thanks for the help. I've looked all over the internet and local stores for a gasket that fits this toilet, with no luck. I called Crane (now owned by American Standard) and it turns out my toilet is a discontinued model and they no longer carry parts for it. And the likelihood of finding it on a store's shelves are slim to none. So, for lack of the right $2 gasket, I bought and installed a new toilet. I think I'm going to buy a couple of gaskets for it now and keep them in a drawer in case THIS model is discontinued someday.