How to remove strange fixing on toilet seat?

[androidhaig]

 

I’m trying to replace a toilet seat but on one side it seems to have a custom fixing - there’s some sort of metal piece with a plastic wrapped nut. How can I remove this? It’s not budging! 

[JacobZ]

Hi @androidhaig,

Thank you for your question regarding your toilet seat fixing nut.

My best guess is that the white plastic sleeve around the metal nut once had wings on it allowing the nut inside the sleeve to be tightened by hand. For this reason, I believe the only way to remove the nut is to break the white plastic sleeve so you have access to the metal nut inside, which can then be loosened depending on the tightness with a spanner or by hand.

You could remove this plastic sleeve using a small flat head screwdriver and a hammer. Aim the flat head screwdriver at the gap between the nut and sleeve and tap with your hammer to get in behind the sleeve. Once the screwdriver is in behind the sleeve, you could rotate it to create some space to fit some good scissors or aviation snips in behind and make some relief cuts. Once cut, you can bend the sleeve up so you have access to the nut which can then be removed. 

Once removed, you can replace this nut with Kinetic PVC Toilet Seat Nut And Bolt.

Please ensure that you wear all necessary personal protective equipment. Specifically gloves and eye protection as slipping is definitely possible.

If you have any further questions or need some guidance on removing the nut, please reach out.

Jacob

[Noyade]

Morning @androidhaig 

Is it an optical illusion? The cistern appears to be sitting on the rear bolt? Maybe my eyes.

Four bolts to hold the toilet seat in place?

As above - but I would use a sharp unloved chisel and slice upwards splitting the plastic and then tearing it off with long nosed pliers.

The nut should then be exposed. I love long sockets in tight areas, but a shifter of spanner should suffice.

I would replace the steel bolts with plastic (as per @JacobZ ) and cut them to length so you don't have to turn and turn and turn and turn to get the seat off in the future.

Cheers!