How do you replace 2001 Toyota Echo exhaust pipe gasket?

Answer 1

There are two gaskets, so I'm not sure what one you are talking about. There is one toward the front of the car, before the catalytic converter, and the other is between the catalytic converter and the muffler where there is a joint of two pipes.

To change the front gasket, you need to remove two bolts using a deep socket extension (you may need a breaker bar to get them loose), then you need to remove the big black rubber hangers that hold the entire exhaust piece to the bottom of the car. You need to clean the pegs first if they are dirty or rusty, then apply lubricant generously, then use an awl or similar thin metal object (a nail maybe?) to pry the rubber holder over and off of the peg attached to the exhaust. There are several of these and you need to remove all of them. You should have something ready to support the weight of the parts as them come down (empty boxes or buckets maybe). Once they are all off, you can pull out the entire exhaust system, you can then change the front gasket as well as other tasks like cutting out and welding in a new catalytic converter.

The rear gasket is easier because the piece the muffler is attached to can come off separately from the rest of the exhaust system. Look for the joint a few feet from the tail pipe, there is one 12mm bolt holding the joint together. Remove this bolt and the metal bracket unfolds so you can pull it away from the pipe. Note that this bolt can rust up and be extremely difficult to remove - you may need to actually cut it off and replace it with a new one which isn't that difficult with a grinder. Once the bracket is off, you need to remove the rubber holders as described above, but only the ones from the tailpipe to the joint. You may need a rubber mallet to separate the two pipes but there is nothing really holding them together except perhaps some rust. The gasket is inside this joint, you will see it when you pull the pipes apart, and it is easy to replace. You can also put high temperature silicone sealant around this joint and inside the channel of the metal bracket that binds the joint together in addition to replacing the gasket.