Kohler Genuine 1039861 Flush Valve Kit

First, I was worried when I popped my toilet lid off, drained the tank, removed the old, faulty valve, and saw a larger-than-expected, *triangular* hole (that meant my "guaranteed universal" kit wouldn't work).Next, I was worried when I ordered this item. Was it really the right part? And if so, what about all those reviews mentioning installation difficulties?But in the end? It couldn't have been an easier job.This was presumably due to me listening to all the previous reviewers who offered their best tips and tricks, e.g., (1) soak the gasket for 20-30 minutes, (2) lube it up (I used soap), (3) remove the flapper for now (reattach it when you're done), (4) make sure to (a) line the three points up with the triangular hole corners (some make pencil marks on the tank and corresponding marks on this item to line it up, I just eyeballed it) while (b) simultaneously ensuring that the orientation of the valve is a short clockwise turn away from being where you want it in the end, (5) temporarily lift up the gasket to kind of get it out of the way for now, (6) angle it downwards so that the first one or two corners slide under the bottom, (7) apply steady pressure while making sure not to break the corners, and when you feel it finally slide in, finagle the gasket back in place and, finally, (8) rotate the whole thing clockwise to lock it in place.Thanks for the tips, folks! Don't want to give anyone false hope - maybe I got lucky (Lord knows I was due)! - but it really was pretty easy.

Works great.

fit fine easy to install, used a little lube on bottom of seal prior to installing. also used a baseball in the center from pressuring down while turning counter clockwise

I had to file down all three plastic triangular clips and removed about 1/8” of material which allowed proper installation. I used silicone spray lubricant to make it attach easier. Once secured in place it sealed well and works perfectly.

I read reviews that said to use a silicon spray lubricant on the gasket and to test putting the main black part in the tank hole first without the gasket on to see how it works. I did that and also marked the widest parts of the hole in the tank with a pencil on the bottom of the tank and used a white marker (or grease pencil) to mark where the 3 tabs are on the top of the black piece so I could line them up. This step really helped! With the gasket off it took tipping the top of the main black part toward the front or back of the tank to get the tabs to go in. I took the red flapper off to get it out of the way. With the gasket back on I was able to tip back and forward and push down firmly to get the tabs to go through the hole being careful not to break the tabs. This took a couple of tries but suddenly it was in. Then slowly turn it counter clockwise to set it in place. With the flapper put back on and the chain hooked back in place I was done. Toilet Fixed!!

Like many who have reviewed this replacement flush valve kit, I realized I needed to replace this part in a 20+ year-old toilet - and then struggled to find this odd-ball geometry replacement. Kudos to Amazon for clear photos of the product that helped me identify it as the part. (There are two similar-looking replacements and Kohler customer service confirmed this was the correct one for my application - that was very helpful).The installation is a bit tricky and as others have noted - be careful not to force it as the three locking tabs can be broken. I took the advice of others to lubricate the seal and locking tabs with a silicon spray. Once I had the assembly in place, it turns clockwise just a small amount (1/4 to 1/2 inch) to lock into place.No installation instructions are included but there is lots of information in the reviews that will help you install this properly.

It fits my Kohler tank very well and saves my water bill by 17 100-cubic-foot each month after replacing the old leaking one.

Identical part, soaked the gasket for 15 min, installed in 5 min.No leaks.Very happy!