# Installing a Kohler triangle gasket.



## liquidvw (Jun 8, 2009)

Does anyone know if there is a trick to tightening the  lock nut on the Kohler triangle gasket? I got a wrench that goes on the nut but I can't get it tight enough. 

Thanks.


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## liquidvw (Jun 8, 2009)

looks like I may have found my issue. After reading the reviews from  lowes, it appears that there is a friction ring not included. And for some reason my flush valve didn't have one to begin with. Looks like I'm off to find one. The friction ring can be shown  here.


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## Alan (Apr 12, 2006)

What in the heck??? I hope someone else checks here, because THAT diagram does not make any sense. How in the heck is it supposed to seal if the gasket is between the nut and the tank, instead of between the tank and bowl? 

That makes no sense whatsoever. :huh:


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## liquidvw (Jun 8, 2009)

There are 2 gaskets. One in the tank and one outside of the tank. Top down it goes flush valve, round gasket, tank, triangle gasket, "missing" friction ring, nut.


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## handy man88 (Jan 23, 2007)

There are replacement seal packages that come with 3 separate bolts/seals where you can seal individually to avoid having to use the the supposed painful triangle seal.

http://www.ronshomeandhardware.com/3-Bolt-Tank-To-Bowl-Kit-p/809913.htm?click=1014&source=googleps


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## liquidvw (Jun 8, 2009)

Thanks handy man. Good suggestion. But I have already removed the old triangle gasket. I did manage to get things working again and here is what I did. I figured I would post how to do this just in case someone else runs into this issue in the future. The friction ring is 100% necessary. There is no way to get the nut tight without it. I called my local plumbing supply house. They didnt have it. Neither did home depot or lowes. So what I did was to take the old nut and using my dremel tool with a cutoff wheel, separate the nut from the flat part. You can see here that the nut has a flat part.









Then I put a sanding head in the dremel and smoothed the flat part of the nut out. I ended up with a a perfect friction ring.









So then I installed the triangle gasket as per the instructions. Then I installed the friction washer. Before I put on the nut, I put on some vaseline on the friction washer. Then I put on the nut. To tighten the nut I used this wrench. Sears calls it an empire lock wrench.








I hope this helps someone in the future. I'm just glad my toilet is now fixed and now I know how to do it again in the future if necessary. :thumbsup:


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## HandyMan2012 (Aug 1, 2011)

*how to*



Alan said:


> What in the heck??? I hope someone else checks here, because THAT diagram does not make any sense. How in the heck is it supposed to seal if the gasket is between the nut and the tank, instead of between the tank and bowl?
> 
> That makes no sense whatsoever. :huh:


If your Kohler tank were upside down; 
place the corner ends of the Kohler 51487 Tank Gasket into three tank holes.
Then drop the Kohler #50752 Washer into the center ring.
Insert the threaded end of your flush valve up into tank hole.
Tighten flush valve nut with a plumbers wrench.


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