Can't change the toilet seat that broke on kohler rialto

If your problem is like mine your toilet seat is loose and swivels when you sit on it. If you try to tighten down the screw it won't tighten. Use instructions above to remove old hardware.

To fix with new hardware

Purchase Hilti brand 3/16" x 2-1/2" Toggler Brand Toggle Bolt (Home Depot sells the kit). Kit comes with 10. You will only need 2. My last repair lasted about 8 years (with new kit = 40 years left or the purchase of a new toilet - whichever comes first). Set comes with 3/16 flat head screws. I recommend purchasing 3/16" 2" round head screws with matching flat washers. Sink Metal Toggler into hole with toggler pointing straight up (it's attached by long plastic legs). As it goes in the hole it opens up. Pull up on the plastic pull rings as tight as you can until the toggler is tight up against the inner porcelain of the bowl (similar to tightening cable ties). Line the seat up with the holes and it's new plastic adapter (that won't slip into the hole courtesy of Hilti). Slide washer underneath round head screw but on top of toilet seat assembly and screw directly into the newly installed toggler which is sunk in bowl/abyss receptacle. Repair should take around 5 minutes.

Kohler Rialto Toilet seat replacement.

Use dremel to cut off old bolt and allow it to fall into the black abyss that is the genius of Kohler engineering. Enlarge the hole to 3/8. I worked up to that size slowly increasing bit size so as not to crack porcelin. At Home Depot I bought a 1/4 x 20 x20mm "Insert Nut" and a good 2 part epoxy meant for metal and ceramic. Gently tap the Insert nut about 1/2 way into the hole and apply epoxy all the way around. Continue tapping the insert nut until it is flush. Clean off excess epoxy and allow to set. Now attach any standard round toilet seat using the standard 1/4 nut that comes with it. I used a Kohler "Cachet" round toilet seat to replace the Kohler "French Curve" that comes standard with the Rialto. All in all it should take you about 1/2 hour.

Happy Fixing!

If you will observe the rear of the unit, with the lid down, you should see two connecting brackets that are affixed to the hinge of the seat. These have snap down covers that hide the fasteners where the seam can be seen with close inspection, and can be accessed by inserting a fine bladed straight screwdriver in to the seam and lightly prying upward. This will expose the head of the screw or bolt and there should be a vaulted concave under that area at either side that will allow you to access the wing-nut. With the proper tool to turn the screw/bolt (counterclockwise) while grasping the wing-nut will remove the fasteners, thus removing the seat. Replacement is achieved by reversing this process.
Good luck...

I had the same problem. The one piece Kohler toilet did not have any way to access the bottom of the bolts. One of the bolts unscrewed with no problem at all. The 2nd one would not budge. So, I went to Lowes and bought the largest straight slot screwdriver that I could find and also I bought penetrating oil. I first tried the super large screwdriver, but the bolt still would not move. So, then I put the penetrating oil on the bolt. Still no positive results. Then, I held the washer up, scraped under the washer so that the penetrating oil made it to the threads on the bolt and got a pair of vice grips and locked onto the bolt. After an hour the bolt started to turn. I then installed the toilet seat using the original bolts and the job was finally done. It would have never happened if Kohler used plastic bolts instead of metal ones. It is my opinion that Kohler needs to hire some rational engineers so that there is maintenance access when a consumer wants to something as simple as change a toilet seat.

Toto THU651N

I had the same problem as TnLes. The Rialto 3386 is a stupid engineering flop. Just got off the phone with "Matt" at Kohler customer service. He gave me the same spell, and run around. I asked for a supervisor on Only to be told they were'nt available. All he did was to condescend me, and he repeated three times.....all one piece toilets were this way ! Grrrrrrrr.....finally he agreed to send it to me for free....but couldn't guarantee I would not have to drill out the screws. Very bad customer service. Anyone should be able to replace a toilet seat without calling a plumber and doing non conventional measures to replace a part. I told him it was an engineering flaw and he disagreed. His treatment of me was to out talk me and condescend, p Robably because I am a woman. He said sites like this get people to call in just to get the repair kit for free. I told him, I was only searching for help from others online since Kohler offered no real advice or answers on how to fix this problem.....duh."... now I have to wait for 7-10 days for this stupid kit....which may or may not work. I am disabled with 4 spine surgeries and my husband is an amputee. We both now have to climb a set of stairs to use a toilet while we wait for this "repair" kit. Let's do the math.....3 toilets x 500.00 + 250.00 for initial installation + 90.00 for new toilet seats + wait for 7-10 days, and may a call to the plumber to drill out the old screws ( 150.00 ) =. Very costly, not to mention a huge waste of my time. I will not be buying Kohler again......American Standard, here I come, :(.

I have just replaced the toilet seat on my Rialto with a Kohler Brevia. It was VERY hard getting the old one off. I had to prise the hinges up while unscrewing it. I got one off completely, but the other broke and I didn't want to spend $47 on the kit from Kohler. I used a 3/16" short hollow wall anchor from Bulldog (AN-252). I wound some PTFE thread seal tape under the flange as it has a sharp grip, also to get it to grip the porcelain. It took some sweat as I had to push down quite hard, but it worked in the end!

I have same problem...I called Kohler and they offered me a $47 repair kit for the problem. (Probably plus shipping)...I told them no. Then they offered it to me for 25% discount. I told them no but that I was a builder and they could rest assuried I would not have this problem on the new house. Then they decided to send me the kit for free. We will see how it works. I was able to get the seat off by prying under both sides of the screw at once while turning the screw. (be careful not to break the toilet) It could then be fixed with some butterfly anchors but will wait the five days for the new anchors Kohler said they would send. Good luck with your problem.