Help removing EGR valve and cooler.

Check out signature links in @Mendel Leisk posts... Just about everything you need to know to do that job.

As for the pressurized test of the coolant system, do you know what pressure they went up to?

Also how much coolant have you been losing?

Makes me wonder if the headgasket failure between cylinder 1 & 2 at first is so slight it can only be detected when the engine gets too hot? Or if even a tiny headgasket leak when engine is running hot would show up in a pressure test when engine is cold?

 

I'd concentrate on the head gasket first. Cleaning the EGR now is akin to rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Anyway, to facilitate EGR valve/cooler removal:

1. Remove EGR cooler lower bracket nut/stud combo, in advance. It's fine to leave off, and can be done without removal of any other components, car is still driveable.

2. Remove, lube and reinstall the nut/stud combo at the EGR valve, ditto for the bolt through the EGR cooler upper bracket bolt. If they're stubborn, doing this ahead of time ensures an easier main job.

3. Before removing coolant hoses from the EGR cooler, drain 2 quarts from the radiator, into a clean container. This will drop the coolant level below the EGR components, virtually avoid spillage. Also, don't remove coolant hoses from throttle body when lifting it off for intake manifold removal: they've enough slack you can just shift the throttle body out of the way, tie to the invetter conduits. And yeah, DO remove and clean the intake manifold, paying particular attention to the small EGR passages at each port.

4. Label everything coming off, unless it's absurdly obvious. Lay stuff out in order removed helps too.

5. Read the top two links in my signature, lots more info, attachments with torque values, tools required. (on a phone turn it landscape to see signatures)

Also, this workflow summary is helpful:

Professional EGR Cleaning Resources | Page 9 | PriusChat

 

Hey Mendel,

If two mechanics are saying OP doesn't have a failed headgasket and there is measurable coolant loss: is it possible that a bad electric water pump causes coolant loss in a similar way as Gen2 Prius belt driven pump does? Maybe @ChapmanF knows?

 

You can have coolant loss with overheating which then relieves from the reservoir pressure cap toward the firewall. However that scenario does not explain the morning rattling.

$800 for a head gasket job seems too cheap. The head needs to be checked and usually rebuilt by a machine shop as well, usually $500 by itself.

The borescope check has to be done with pressurized coolant on a cold engine (typically left overnight) and it needs to be a high quality articulating (moving) head.

Car Care Nut HG Borescope at 660s
Typical small leak

South Main Auto
Excellent Borescope Footage at 6:50
Honda Misfires on Coldstart Only

Unlikely to be this bad


Car care Nut Egr video with block tube test