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Has anyone pulled their motor and trans at same time?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Brianfromsocal, Apr 9, 2022.

  1. Brianfromsocal

    Brianfromsocal Junior Member

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    I bought my 2012 with 280k miles for about a grand. Not long after the engine went boooooom. I have bought another engine but it needs a head gasket ive mounted it on a stand and have begone disassembling it. Has anyone else done this and if so any tips or tricks? I kinda wanna check everything while engine is apart im trying to get ideas as im by no means a mechanic. Ive got a new water pump, Thermostat, plugs, coil packs, and timing chain. Anything else i should check or replace? The newer motor supposedly had 120k on it and advice would be appreciated
     
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    It would be unusual for a head gasket to fail at 120k miles. Chances are this engine has more miles than advertised. If there is a VIN number on the engine, maybe you can run a carfax to check?

    But great deal on the car, $1000 can't beat that!!
     
  3. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    This is open deck design . Better get in theyre and look really good whilst engines OUT. Yes mine in n out as assembly . Faster to me . As I changed to lower mileage assembly like from near 300K to something like 70K
     
  4. EH6TunerDaniel

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    Its much easier to leave the trans in.
     
  5. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    How ya sposed to buy em
     
  6. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    You need pistons and rings which is the root cause of the hg problems. We are seeing more lower mile hg fails with age.
     
  7. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yep one on floor here looks like no2 crown is trying to peel off top of said piston . Lil end of rod broke in such a way crank can spin without contact other 3 rotate. I was driving and felt this happen and heard it while going 50-ish miles an hour the pictures are pretty good too of the inside of the motor so far I haven't pulled the pan and girdle off but the top is undone and you can clearly see in the picture the number to piston crown is just lifting up like it's peeling right off the top of the piston
     
  8. EH6TunerDaniel

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    Don’t waste your time on a head gasket or gen 3 motor. If you can afford it just buy a gen 4 motor and be done with the issues.
     
    V Sport Wagon likes this.
  9. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I think the gen 3 and the gen 4 motors are the same price at the JDM import place where I bought my engine I could have got any of them same money I didn't know if there was a larger more powerful mg2 transmission other than the 70 horsepower yet so i'm still with that and I kept the gen 3 engine just because I don't not really sure that the gen 4 is fixed anything but you won't know it until 200,000 miles so it might be a minute for a lot
     
  10. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    yeah but... what if cvt is bad? and say car is parked in a driveway and won't go into Neutral... with limited space around it... I'm hearing in order to take cvt and engine out at the same time, you need to have car level and basically drop the front subframe.. i this correct?
     
  11. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I wouldn't be following that logic the engine and transmission comes right out the top You can even have the hood on but it has to be straight up and down a little bit past the highest point of the support rod holding it up but easily doable or if you're really crazy I've seen people take the hood off. Our 2Z and CVT came right out through the top of course all the wiring is undone from the inverter so on and so forth and then it comes up I use a chain that goes on the hoist that has a leveler system on it you hand crank it and it will lean the engine transmission transmission goes down engine up comes out of the car just like that No one doing any subframes If you're undoing the subframe it's because you don't have a hoist or a way to get the engine up and you're going to lift the chassis right up over the engine move it back and set it down which to me seems like as much work as pulling it right out through the top I don't use the hoist either. I use a ganyard looking frame like a swing set frame with an electric cable hoist bolted to the 4x6 center post and that's good for about 6,000 lb maybe a tad less. And you just push a button and up the engine and tranny come. I built that set up for a whopping $420 or something.
     
  12. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Dealers and others with lifts drop it from the bottom.
     
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  13. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes you can set the whole subframe right down on the floor with the wheels tires struts all of it if that was your end game just like you do with the Chevy citation. But I haven't really seen that done usually I seen them being hoisted through the top if they're taking both pieces. But I don't spend a lot of time at a lot of different shops watching them pull engines.
     
  14. black_jmyntrn

    black_jmyntrn Senior Member

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    okay okay okay. wait.. I've literally been at a standstill to finish this swap because one, Ive been trying to find a used sprague clutch from someone swapping in a prime Gen 4 motor to a Gen 3.... and the fact the car won't go into Neutral.. most tell me I need a lift and to drop the subframe to take out eng/cvt... I'm not one to just believe what someone writes on a forum, however, you don't appear to have steered me wrong this far. Plus, you sound like a reasonable non judgemental person un-like most around these parts.. hmmmmm... I have a hoist and if it's possible to do this without messing with the sub frame. then... this ol girl will be running sooner than I thought!
     
  15. V Sport Wagon

    V Sport Wagon Member

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    It's not unusual at all for a Gen 3 to blow a head gasket at 120k...I see them quite often and even less mileage.
     
  16. V Sport Wagon

    V Sport Wagon Member

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    If head gaskets blow due to pistons and low tension rings, then how do you explain all of the 2015 cars with head gasket issues? If you mean, oil burning being a separate issue...then you are correct, but there's little correlation.