2000 Echo Exhaust Manifold

[poorboywilly]

I was told, in the course of a safety inspection, that my 2000 Echo has an exhaust leak. The mechanic said these manifolds are pretty crappy and have a tendency to crack, but it could also be the gasket, they would have to take the heat shield off to see--but his quoted price for said activities were ridiculous, so I left. I'm going to take the shield of and have a look see, any tips in helping diagnose the problem if it isn't obviously cracked? Secondly, I'm having some trouble finding any of these manifolds online to get an idea on pricing. I'm sure my local junk yard will probably have something, but what other cars (if any) share this manifold? There is a time limit on the re-inspection so I'm trying to get everything moving at once in case the manifold does need to be replaced. Thanks!

[Stevo_Echohb05]

I see the front pipe gasket very often, but rarely the manifold.

[poorboywilly]

argh...the top bolts on the heat shield were easy, but the bottom ones are super seized. Got them soaking in some penetrating oil...