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Hey kids! New acquisition.

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Ianmeister, Sep 16, 2020.

  1. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    And I would suggest looking at the inside of the oil filler cap.
    If you have significant water getting into the oil, there should be a coating of white foam inside the cap.

    AND....that shaking on startup can be a sign of oil accumulated in the intake manifold because of oil coming trough the PCV loop.
     
  2. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    ahh yes. Good idea
     
  3. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    And the epic story continues! So I was sidelined a couple days because the 12v battery shit the bed. Replaced that (used a Toyota tru-start) and back in action. This time did a one hour mixed traffic trip. The good news..... BE02ACBB-30B4-4347-A905-FE2AEB05C448.jpeg
    The HV systems seems to work well. The bad news.....
    F544DC76-A6AF-44DB-97F6-080CCE6BFE58.jpeg

    Although I’m still not seeing any fluid loss. With the cap screwed tight the engine shakes like a belly dancer on each and every startup.

    so I’ve decided to pull the head, send it out for a valve job, clean out and replace everything that I can “while I’m at it” including the struts. Partly for the adventure and partly because I’ll KNOW the exact status of all the items in question.

    if there are bent rods I’ll reconsider

    that is all....
     
  4. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Replace the engine water pump while you're at it;).

    Good luck and keep us posted(y).
     
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  5. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    ggggg
    Since you seem to have money to burn, I suggest that you get a newer car.
    Unless you enjoy a "never ending" adventure.
    You do NOT know the "exact status" of everything else.......except that it is OLD.

    Good luck.
     
  6. 2012 Prius v wagon 3

    2012 Prius v wagon 3 Active Member

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    Well done on the block test. Very conclusive result. Good that you got to that so quickly.

    Especially since it sounds like you will be doing the head removal yourself, I think your plan sounds good.

    But a few things on terminology to clarify some things ...
    In Post #1, you referred to "cylinder was cracked" and "cracked block", and in Post #23, "valve job".

    You could have a cracked cylinder head. Hopefully not though. If you do, a replacement head would probably be the best option.

    And it is much less common, but possible that you have a cracked engine block. Replacement engine would be the answer if that.

    I don't read much discussion on this forum about engines needing valve jobs (where the head is removed, and the valves are replaced or their sealing surfaces are ground, and the cylinder head's valve-seats are similarly ground to make a tight fit), even at astoundingly high mileages.

    Much more common here is for problems with a failed head gasket. I seem some discussion of valve stem seals here, which would be relatively easy to do once you have the head off and apart.

    So at least, I would keep an open mind and inspect carefully once you have the head off. Look for a HG failure - hopefully you can see one; if you don't that's bad because it means you've got another, more serious problem. Look for a cylinder head crack - and realize that may be difficult to find visually. You might want to remove the camshafts and have the machine shop that does the head work (at a minimum, you probably want to have the head cleaned and the face milled flat) pressure test it to see if the valves are sealing well, etc.

    I don't know what to do about your concern for a bent rod.
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    If there's problems with anything below the head gasket, a new "short block" can be bought, for around $2k.
     
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  8. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    You’ve basically expanded on what I was thinking. Pull the head and make sure I’ve got a positive result on blown head gasket. The head I’ll replace the valve seals, maybe have someone check it for true and clean it. It sounds like in 95% of cases it’s a blown head gasket. Anyway you’re on to my thought process
     
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  9. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    So I don’t see how this is expensive. I’m talking about the cost of a gasket kit and my time. Other things like plugs will need to be replaced no matter if it’s this car or another one. Buying another car could mean possibly buying someone else’s problems and/or a car that hasn’t blown its head gasket YET. Fixing this one up leaves me with a car that has a repair status that I am fully aware of. Plus If I get the engine and suspension status back to a 200k mile life status I’ll have spent far less than depreciation and interest on a new car. Besides, I’m dying to get my hands dirty. This is largely about the challenge.
     
  10. Ed Beaty

    Ed Beaty Active Member

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    Ol' Sam, he ain't no adventurer.....
     
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  11. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    pfft! Snort! this is a call to adventure! And I must respond!
    I have spoken....
     
  12. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    OK, so I'm starting a parts list for this endeavor. I'm going to address everything that I might encounter as I'm replacing a 3rd gen head gasket. so far...
    Felpro engine gasket set
    PCV valve
    EGR valve
    injectors
    plugs
    serpentine belt
    tensioner
    VVT actuator
    front struts

    anything else?
     
  13. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

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    Beer, lots of beer.

    Seriously, have fun and keep us posted on the progress.
     
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  14. 2012 Prius v wagon 3

    2012 Prius v wagon 3 Active Member

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    There is no serpentine belt. And if "tensioner" meant drive belt tensioner, then there is not one of those either. But there is a crankshaft pulley, with v-grooves for a belt if one existed.

    There are some really good youtube videos out there of the HG job. Gasket masters or something like that. Not what I would actually follow, since I'd follow the manual carefully. But watching them do things so quickly should give you a good feel for what is involved, and many good tips along the way.

    EDIT - it looks like they took down their older videos and replaced them. Much longer now. Maybe more detailed and not so quick and dirty as the previous ones were (still great).
    Gasket Masters - YouTube
     
  15. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    no serpentine belt!!?!? Sorcery!!
     
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  16. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Engine water pump;).

    And this is magnetically driven:).

    Who needs a serpentine belt(y).
     
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  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Toyota makes a very extensive gasket kit, around $200~250 USD IIRC. Dealership would know it's part number. It's noted in a TSB for block rebuild; I could post it tomorrow (and a boatload of other relevant sections).

    For "anything else": maybe replacement Toyota head bolts? A set is around $100 USD? Originals "may" be ok, there is Repair Manual specs to check.

    Genuine Toyota head gasket and new bolts may help you sleep at night.
     
    #37 Mendel Leisk, Sep 22, 2020
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2020
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  18. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    Rock Auto has the Aisin unit for $195 USD

    I was watching gasket masters and they showed how to inspect it.. Is this something you guys think I can inspect and replace if obviously bad, or should I just do it since it's 227K miles old?
     
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  19. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    Replace it;).

    If you go through all the work you are about to undertake, make sure circulation isn't an issue:).

    It's a magnetically driven pump, the only way to inspect is to pull it, so why not with 227k miles just put a new one in its place(y).
     
  20. Ianmeister

    Ianmeister Active Member

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    yyyyyeahhh, i'm just getting lazy.... already....