how to cut a screw on the loo ?!

blueorchid_2

DIY question: any tips on how to remove this spinning screw? it's stuck in a top fixing toilet seat. ( no access underneath)

any tips appreciated as it would be good to (a) learn & (b) save money by not calling out a plumber to fit a toilet seat !

There's no room to cut it with a hack saw and worried about damaging the loo. The correct-size toilet seat just cost £55.

Thank you v much

Rolandtheroadie

Can you get something underneath the screwhead to put a little bit of upwards pressure on it?

Ebe_Scrooge

Is it one of these - what do they call them ? - blind fixings or something ? A right pain in the rear end. If it is, you need to grab hold of it with a pair of pliers, pull upwards quite hard and slowly unscrew it. Basically, there's a large rubber washer underneath that expands as you screw it in. But when you unscrew it, the washer just spins. What you need to try and do is, with your pliers, pull upwards hard enough to trap the washer against the underside of the hole, to stop it spinning. Unscrew the screw. When you've got enough of the screw out, the washer will contract, and you can pull the whole lot out of the hole. Work of the devil, these bloody fixings !

lstar337

Dremel?

Message Too Short.

ST1991

I had the exact same problem with mine when we moved in (and wanted rid of the grotty one!)
It took hours of trying... with a little mirror underneath so i could see what i was doing.

We used gripping pliers to hold the bottom and screw the top.
If you don't have the ability to access the bottom, it might be a drill-job.... Although not sure how well that will go without damaging the toilet

Wookey

Assuming here that there is a new seat going to be fitted, the bolt that is thru the hinge on the old seat needs to have the hinge removed by either cutting it out or breaking it this will allow you enough space to get a junior hacksaw blade in below the top of the old bolt, if you need to lift it up a bit drill a pilot hole in the top of the bolt and screw in a self taper screw to give you something to hold onto, use pliers to hold the bolt while you drill it.

shaun_from_Africa

Depending on the type of fixing, WD40 may well sort it out.


Some of the blind fixings rely on a friction fit to hold them in place (as on the picture below) and spraying a bit of lubricant down the hole and gently wiggling the seat can sometimes allow the fixing to slide out.
If this works then make sure that you remove every trace of the WD40 before fitting another seat.

George_Michael

I though that I would try to be helpful so I did a search on Google for "tight screw on loo"
Not really a good idea and I've now got a bit of explaining to do to my boss about the resulting images that showed up.

gingernut352000

Hacksaw blade or a multi tool thingy

blueorchid_2

I had a builder in today, and was going to ask him to help. But poor chap had a big box of Makita tools stolen from his van outside the house.
thank you all for suggestions.
who needs a loo seat?:eek: