2010 Prius with coolant and spark plug issue

Once you get that lower EGR cooler nut off (and the stud if you're ambitious), leave it off. With both those off you can remove the cooler without having to remove the rearmost stud. You will need to loosen a bolt on a gas tank vapour return line, shift it slightly for clearance. Another benefit: with the rear studs still on, they will keep the rear gasket (which has no clips) from falling down, into the nether regions behind the engine. Check out first two links in my signature for EGR tips.

 

It’s hopefully still clinging. Get a hand underneath as you lift out the cooler.

I presume it’s the nut on the lower bracket on the EGR cooler you’re struggling with. It can be done. I used a long handled ratchet with a swivel head, and a short extension, maybe 1.5”.

You can actually get a finger on that nut, reaching around clockwise from the left side, with your left hand, while more or less lying on the engine. Having left hand on the nut helps to guide the socket onto nut with your other hand.

again, once it’s off leave it off.

if you haven’t already, read second link in my sig for tips on how to avoid any coolant spill.

 

my opinion, go for the gen 4 engine swap. someone says it's much easier than a head gasket, and you have a much better engine

 

You can always swap the engine. But you need help and a hoist of some kind. Many of the parts have to be used over again anyway. Even more so if you go the frankengine gen3/4 route. The problem with another used engine is it could be the same as yours. That is why rebuilt is the guaranteed solution.

The milkshake reference is oil with coolant in it.

Hate to say it but the hardest parts are still a-head. Then a go no go. Putting it back together is a skill as well.

What you are doing usually takes a mechanic with several years of experience, all the right tools and some help.

 

I think you can rent a hoist. Read through the gen 4 engine swap threads to see if it’s something you want to tackle

 

For next time, see second link in my signature

come to think of it, you’re doing the head gasket; step one should be draining the coolant.

 

Spay silocone on and around the clamp so it will slide.
Then take a hooked screwdriver and reach inside the hose to break it free from the then metal.

 

I slid the clamp to the right and then pulled the head up and to the left, cleanly disconnecting the hose in the process. You would first need to remove the 5 studs at the back connecting the head to the exhaust manifold.

During reassembly you'll need a way to hold the new exhaust manifold gasket in place without those studs to help. I used thread through the 2 top bolt holes on the exhaust manifold to hang the gasket in position. Screwing the studs back in cuts the thread.

 

When @Ragingfit pulled his engine he (inadvertently) left the exhaust manifold attached to the engine, and it "just" cleared the windshield. Maybe that would work in reverse as well, make it easier for that gasket.

Video series in kind of a weird location:

Swapping in a Gen 4 Prius' 2ZR Engine into the Prius v | PriusChat
(Part 7, around 5:00)

(pretty much same process as swapping engine on a regular gen 3)

 

The first image shows where the head connects to the exhaust manifold. There are 5 studs that go into the locations marked:


The studs pass through the exhaust manifold gasket and then the exhaust manifold here:


You can take the studs off with the same E8 external Torx socket that you use for the EGR studs.

 

Is that the revised Toyota head gasket, or someone elses?

 

That's the new one from Toyota.

 

I'm not sure if this is the case. My 2010 just blew it's head gasket at 245k. It had the updated intake manifold per the TSB. The EGR cooler and valve were brand new Toyota units. all with about 15-20k miles on them. I think the issue can be the head gasket itself. Toyota released a TSB with a revised gasket design.