Step 2 · Remove the Old Flapper

With the tank empty, locate the old flapper. It's the rubber or plastic dome covering the large opening at the bottom of the tank (the flush valve). First, unhook the chain connecting the flapper to the long flush lever arm. Then, carefully detach the flapper itself. Most flappers have two flexible 'ears' or rings that slide over two small pegs on the vertical overflow pipe. Gently bend the ears and slide them off the pegs. Lift the old, worn flapper out of the tank and set it aside.