[bminverness]

I am replacing a 1 piece toilet on 2nd floor installed possibly in 1977. Or may have been a remodel by prior owner. Anyway, the toilet is old and rusty.
On removing existing toilet, there was lots of plumbers putty around and on flange. After chipping most off, I see that it is a PVC flange 7" in dia. with closet bolts at 6" apart. The flange is white pvc, about 3/8" thick. It does not rest on the floor, but has gaps of 1/8 - 3/8 that had been filled with putty (now very hard).
The result is that the top of flange is about 1/2 - 3/4" above the tile and uneven (as determined by a level). The floor however, is level side to side, with maybe a 1/8" tip to rear.

The old toilet did not leak, but flush mechanism was poor and not standard. There is no name on the toilet. And I have an extra 5 yr old Toto I wanted to use.

Looking into the flange, there is a funnel (attached to flange??) which measures about 3" ID. The flange does not budge with a few soft face hammer taps.
Oh yes, there was a shim under the outside edge of the toilet on the same side the flange is high.
Need I worry?? After all, the old toilet worked and didn't leak.. Yes, lots of putty helped I guess. Replacing flange doesn't sound like fun and I assume the original installer had a reason. Certainly a pro would not have gone through all the shim and putty if it could have been resolved.
Bob M.

[speedball1]

"Dry set" the toilet bowl over the flange. Does the toilet rock? Toilet bowls set a little above the floor line. You mat be lucky enough not to gave to cut the old flange out. Let me know, Tom