How to remove toilet seat screw cemented in place?

suzlala

Hi,

I bought a unit that had previously been rented out. The toilet seat was hanging loose and it looks like the previous owner attempted repairs, but very poorly. The toilet seat is top fixing - I cannot access the underneath of the fixings at all.

On the left side, the screw appears to be cemented in, though the large circular fixing which actually attaches to the toilet seat was not screwed in place. After a lot of jiggling with pliers and application of WD40, I can lift the screw about 1cm up, but no further. The block of cement can twist in it's position, but isn't loose enough to be lifted. The screw can sometimes move independently, but I can't seem to "unscrew" it from the block of cement.

I have been attempting to remove the screw and the block of cement from the toilet, however this is proving very difficult. Does anyone have suggestions for what else I can try?

If I really cannot remove the screw + cement, would a toilet seat stay in place with the right hand side screw done up very tightly? If possible, I would prefer not to have to replace the entire toilet for the sake of 1 screw, so any suggestions would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

MitchellMc

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @suzlala. It's great to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about removing a screw.

Have you tried putting the tips of the needle-nosed pliers under the head of the screw and using them as a lever to put upwards pressure on the screw whilst you attempt to unscrew it? This can often help back out a screw that is just spinning in place.

If the screw has been bedded in with cement, you might like to carefully try and break it apart. I'd probably use a medium-sized flathead screwdriver and a small hammer. Place the screwdriver blade flat onto the bowl and against the cement. Lightly tap the screwdriver's handle to see if you can break the cement apart. Remember to wear safety glasses and gloves. You might like to mask the area surrounding the screw to avoid scratching the ceramic surface.

The last option I can think of would be cutting the screw head off and hopefully allowing it to fall inside the pan. This can be done with a hacksaw. You'll likely need to hold the screw still with your pliers so it doesn't rotate whilst cutting. Once the screw has fallen inside, you can continue to try and break the cement apart.

Even if it is done up tightly, I do not believe that having only one mounting attached would be sufficient.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell