Kissler & Company Inc. 68-7321 Tank to Bowl Bolt Set Heavy Duty, Solid Brass

It was probably a fulfillment mistake -- what I got included the package of items shown, but it also included a tank-to-bowl gasket. It's the kind that is commonly said to be for a 2-inch flush value, but in actuality that size of gasket has the inner opening at the bottom probably more like 2.25 " and the upper opening for the nut to fit into is big enough for that (and this one, like most, is round, but elastic) and then the outside is probably 3.25" -- as opposed to the large size that some less-standard toilets require that supposedly have more like 3" opening at the bottom (based on what I've read -- I've never actually heldone). It's blue, with the little extensions on each side that include gaskets for the bolts (and the washer+nut that goes under the tank would squeeze that rubber extension against the underside of teh tank) as well.But I had ordered the extra thick Gerber gasket since this product was not supposed to come with a gasket. I mean, look at the price -- just under $5.00 -- good luck even finding a gasket for that price.But I checked the brass bolts with a strong magnet to ensure they are, indeed, non-ferrous, and sure enough, they seem to be solid brass. So for the price, it's already good deal even with that gasket, and if you are lucky like me and they send you a superset product that also includes a gasket, then that's an even better deal. Buy it before you need it urgently, so you'll have time to order a separate gasket if you don't get one with it (after all, no gasket is supposed to come with this).The only drawback is that the 4 neoprene washers are flat. I would prefer the inside-of-tank washers to have a narrow cone to go down into the bolt hole. But would that really be better? I suppose that if the cone was a bit wider than the opening of that hole, it might prevent the rest of the washer from making as tight of a seal against the inside of the tank, so maybe purely flat washers are actually better (no?).And no, there are no installation instructions. Just find a YouTube (or whatever) video showing you how to replace tank-to-bowl bolts on a toilet. Not that hard. Just be aware of 2 main things that might not be obvious:[1] you really have to get the tank off of the bowl to do this (don't expect to just unscrew the old bolts and replace them with the tank still on the bowl!), so that requires getting the nuts off the bottom of the old bolts (or cutting them between tank and bowl using a hack saw), and turning off the water (if you can let the toilet sit for a few days without being used, empty as much water out of the tank as you can, then leave the lid off so it can dry out). It should be obviously that you'll have to clean out the old rust and deteriorated rubber from the inside of the tank and especially around the bolt holes (paper towel and isopropyl alcohol work fine). It's generally a good idea to replace the gasket (around the flush value in the middle) at the same time as you replace the bolts, but if the old gasket still has spring to it, you may not need to. Since a new one gets compressed as the tank sits on it and especially after it gets filled with water, it is also a good idea to tighten those wing nuts a bit more once you've gotten water into the tank for a while. The tank should not easily wobble a lot from side to side (or front to back) when pushed, but a little give is unavoidable (best not to tighten too much, as that could result in the disaster of having to mop up a lot of spilled water and having to replace the entire toilet).[2] do not put the steel washer on the inside of the tank, where it will be exposed to water, as that would defeat the whole purpose of using solid brass in the first place. You definitely need a neoprene washer there, though.Beyond that, extra coatings on the bolt to increase longevity can help. Vaseline? Well, that's all I was willing to try this time. In the past, I've actually gobbed silicone caulking all over the bolt head and neoprene washer to help isolate them from the tank water, but in practice this didn't work well because I wasn't willing to wait 2 days or so for that caulking to fully set. I ain't doing that no more.I think of the steel washers as just spreading out the load of the nuts so you don't crack the porcelain. The neoprene (rubber) washers are for cushioning, and also for a water-tight seal inside the tank. Whether to put the second neoprene washer directly under the tank to help prevent leaks or under the bowl to reduce the chances of breaking/cracking is something I'm not expert enough to debate, but I put mine under the bowl because there is a lot more pressure variation with any wobbling of the tank that is put on those ends of the connection -- the top of the bolt in the tank and the bottom wing nut (or its washer) under the bowl -- so that is where the cushioning of the neoprene (rubber) washers is most needed. Of course, if you use a gasket like the one that came with mine, it has extra rubber you can fit between the bottom of the tank the steel washer and nut that go directly under the tank, which provides a bit of extra crack-protection and leak-prevention there (but IMHO it's just not necessary, YMMV).

This was the cheapest kit that had everything I needed which was really one bolt and rubber gasket. I have a mansfield toilet that was mounted unlike the way videos and instructions say and only one of the white gaskets failed and started leaking down under the tank. I drained the tank, the remaining water leaked out from the bolt I removed. The old bolt was corroded so could not reuse it. The gasket was dried out and shot. Discarded both. Though the metal washer and nut under the tank was brass and I just wire brushed those and reused them instead of the steel washer that came with the kit after reading that unlike metals will react with each other badly.Everything went in fine and after a bit of careful tightening no more leaks! I did have two other bolts that were still holding the tank so I was able to safely do this and save time and money. And I have an extra bolt and additional parts for the next one that fails!

These are solid brass and will not rust and deposit flakes in tank.

I guess I could have used the second rubber washer when you connect the bowl to the tank with the wing nuts but I used the second rubber washer as additional leakage protection under the tank with the metal washer and the nut. I would have given 5 stars if the manufacturer would have included an extra set of rubber washers for use when you tighten the wing nuts. Other than that--nice set and reasonably priced. You will also need a 12mm wrench to tighten the nut.

Worked well do far

I like that these bolts are actually brass. Install them on my toilets, and they don’t corrode and fall out.

I read in another review that the purpose of the 2 nuts AND 2 wingnuts is to use the nuts to firmly attach the bolts on the bottom of the tank (helping to ensure tight seal against water leaks), and then use the wingnuts to attach the tank to the toilet bowl. The included wingnuts were too big to fit my specific toilet, but no matter, I used the two nuts from the previous set of bolts that I was replacing. This is the first time I have installed a toilet tank in this manner, and I think it is a much better method.