I got really lucky

[Exflyboy]

Call from renter this morning.. "Hey there is a crack in the toilet tank.. I heard it go and valved it off and mopped up any water).. Well thats good.

The I start looking into it... Its an old Crane toilet.. No problem.. replacement tanks at Home Depot?... Nope... Hmm

Well I could use an epoxy but I'd rather not.. look at bit more.. Uh-oh, its a 10" rough in (the center of the closet flange (hole in the floor) is 10 off the wall behind.. Most toilets these days are 12" rough in.. i.e WON'T fit!... Hmm

pull up the HD website.. 10" rough in pots are mail order only and North of $400... Yipes!.. I need it TODAY.

So I take the dimensions of the existing tank and head to HD with the intentions of buying a toilet with the same tank dimensions and if worse comes to the worse cut a 2" relief in the wall behind the new toilet tank, which would be a heck of a lot of work but probably easier than moving the closet flange with zero crawlspace)...

This was not looking good.

So I get down to Home Dopey and they have these replacement tanks for $29.. didn't see those on the website.

now I measured the hole spacing on the old tank and damn this is very close

the old plumber who works there shows up behind me and starts trying to talk me out of the tank

"Everyone who buys one of these brings it back.. don't fit nuthin!".. Thats why they are so cheap.. ha ha ha..

Hmm....grrrr...so he shows me the underwater epoxy and I'm thinking I'd rather not have the difference between me and a huge flood being a line of epoxy
So  I went over to put the tank back on the shelf and I'm like.. screw it I'm taking this home!
The  thing fitted perfectly.. mounting holes about 1/16th or 1/8th wider.. but it sealed up perfect..

Sometimes the blind squirrel finds the nut..:)

Frank

[Milspecstache]

Nice success! 

I do have a toilet mounted off from the wall.  Eventually plan on putting a storage rack back there which will fill in the gap.  So far, no problem with it like that, though.  It may help that  I shimmed the toilet to the floor using plastic shims and silicon caulk.

[horsepoor]

Very lucky!  I broke the base of our basement bathroom toilet when replacing the carpet (!) with tile, and discovered the lovely 10" rough-in wild card.  $250 or so later, we have a new toilet down there. 

[Left]

hm, for $30, I'd buy a spare for next time? Did you check out habitat for humanity stores? They have odd selection of things since it comes from all over

[Fireman]

Yours was such an oddball toilet that the new tank fit!  A buddy was finishing his bathroom and found a 14" offset instead of the standard foot.  I'm pretty sure that toilet cost north of $400 as well.

Nice job on the fix!

[Nords]

Call from renter this morning.. "Hey there is a crack in the toilet tank.. I heard it go and valved it off and mopped up any water).. Well thats good.

Speaking as a landlord and a submariner, I suspect that you're only getting part of the story on that "cracked tank"...

[Exflyboy]

Call from renter this morning.. "Hey there is a crack in the toilet tank.. I heard it go and valved it off and mopped up any water).. Well thats good.

Speaking as a landlord and a submariner, I suspect that you're only getting part of the story on that "cracked tank"...

Haha.. Possibly but they guy that lives there used to work with me and I know him to be a very honest and upfront guy.. Anyway, for $30, who cares?..:)