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Blown Head gasket rebuild....@297k

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by danlatu, May 8, 2017.

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  1. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    Bought a 2011 prius Two not a II because only 2010 Prius used uppercase roman numerals for model designation winter grey for cheap and thought it just needed a head gasket......o_Oo_Oo_Oo_O
    I had rebuilt the head last week, lapped the valves and installed new valve seals. I bought a head gasket kit from rockauto and had soaked the pistons in marvel mystery oil and atf fluid. I was pumped to get the head gasket installed today, until I saw that one of the pistons looked a little short. It was cylinder #1 were the head gasket was eating coolant. I pulled the piston and found a bent rod. I will be replacing the bent rod and will throw in new main/rod bearings and new piston rings. The soak freed up all the rings (expansion) but the oil control rings were clogged. I will rehone the cylinder walls a bit and recheck the clearances. Pulling the motor out was sketchy because the windshield is so close. IMG_0051.JPG IMG_0059.JPG IMG_0061.JPG IMG_0062.JPG
     
    #1 danlatu, May 8, 2017
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  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What would it take to bend that rod? Some serious friction in the cylinder?

    Most of what you're saying and doing just whizzes by me, you da man! (y)
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, May 8, 2017
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  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    wouldn't it have been simpler to find a low mile motor?
     
    #3 bisco, May 8, 2017
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  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Yeah, but that's like going out for fast food everyday. Easy is just not for everybody.

    You should talk to bill the engineer, he's nuts

    SM-N900P ?
     
    #4 JC91006, May 8, 2017
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  5. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    The blown head gasket sucked coolant into cylinder #1 and hydrolocked the cylinder. Something has to give with high amounts of pressure in the cylinder.
     
    #5 danlatu, May 8, 2017
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  6. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    Yes it would have been more simple to order another motor. But I like challenges, besides I have an engine hoist, motor stand, tools. I used to have a jeep.
    A used motor that has 40K miles????? That's what they say is on the motor. Warranty, unlimited miles for for 6 months or so for 1400$
    I'm rebuilding it for 300$ and my time. The rest of the motor looks really good with minimal wear. This is not my first rodeo. I have to check the tolerance's for the rest of the long block. I can't watch New York City Housewive's or vanderpump house rules any more. I need my space from my girlfriend and rebuild this motor. Mancave!
     
    #6 danlatu, May 8, 2017
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  7. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    I let a buddy of mine borrow my hoist and found he had not returned the chain, I used #12 awg romex to pull the motor. I had to improvise.
     
    #7 danlatu, May 8, 2017
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  8. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

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    #8 JimboPalmer, May 8, 2017
  9. Samprocat

    Samprocat Active Member

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    Hydro lock....that is the cause
    Coolant dripping insde combustion chambers....

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #9 Samprocat, May 9, 2017
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  10. Maroon

    Maroon Member

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    Did you take a closeup of the rings?
     
    #10 Maroon, May 9, 2017
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  11. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    I was just thinking the same thing! How do you bend a rod on this type of motor that is designed to deliver lower torque? LoL
     
    #11 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
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  12. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    Just read the posts about the coolant being the cause............now I get it.
     
    #12 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
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  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Apparently by trying to compress anti-freeze/water mix, ie: cylinder full of liquid. :)

    (posted at same time as you, lol.)
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, May 9, 2017
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  14. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    You have an "eye" for this type of work. You saw the shorter stroke on piston #1. Most people (myself included) may had missed this and put it all back together. Great work!!
     
    #14 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
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  15. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    I did have the pistons soaking for a week, the compression ring and secondary rings moved freely, the oil control ring was clogged still. The picture shown is me scratching away at it to see how the oil flows through it. The oil passages to the rings looked fine on piston #1 I did not take the rest of the pistons out. I have to redone the cylinders a touch. I will put new rings in and plastigauge the rod bearings to see if there is spec. Motor looks really good overall. I'm impressed that this thing has 297k miles on it. IMG_0064.JPG IMG_0065.JPG IMG_0066.JPG

    Here is the piston height difference.
    Cylinder #1 IMG_0067.JPG
    Cylinder #4
    IMG_0068.JPG
    IMG_0069.JPG
    Blown head gasket prius 2011 gen 3 priuschat #1 bent rod piston short oil control rings clogged hydro locked coolant . Never mind this banter If someone googles these words they will find this thread. Just trying to help the community.
     
    #15 danlatu, May 9, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2017
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  16. trentofdestiny

    trentofdestiny Master Finagler

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    If a 40k used engine was $1400 then I wonder what a 140k engine would cost? That's what I personally would've used because the rest of the car still has 297k. Maybe I would've torn it apart and resealed it to make sure it didn't leak. Other than that I would've been okay with a higher mileage used engine from a reputable source like LKQ


    iPhone ?
     
    #16 trentofdestiny, May 9, 2017
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  17. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Did you clean the top of piston 1, or was that caused by the coolant leak?
     
    #17 Patrick Wong, May 9, 2017
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  18. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

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    You are teaching me. Keep the photos and the progress coming!
     
    #18 Montgomery, May 10, 2017
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  19. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

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    Coolant leak did most of it. The marvel mystery oil and atf did loosen a lot of the carbon on the other cylinders.
     
    #19 danlatu, May 10, 2017
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  20. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

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    that's what I would have done just install a new oil pump, water pump, timing chain and valve cover gasket while its out of the car.
    would have cost less that a $1000 total and about 4 hours time
     
    #20 Beachbummm, May 11, 2017
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