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Head gasket replacement reasonable price/worth it?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by lydia9790, Jan 10, 2021.

  1. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Could be. One thought, would they cut it that close when boring and threading the hole?
     
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    What’s REALLY astounding, that they would make a video like that public...
     
  3. mrspike55

    mrspike55 Junior Member

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    @lydia9790 can you please let me know what mechanic you used? I am in need
     
  4. lydia9790

    lydia9790 New Member

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    I used the Model Garage in Berkeley. They did a good job! No issues with it but 6 months later I unfortunately got my catalytic converter stolen...ended up selling the car as I couldn't afford to fix it.
     
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  5. Chayan

    Chayan New Member

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    This is a dilemma, if u do it with a mechanic, they will change the gasket, but depending on the damage, the connecting rod may be bent, or head is warped for running it with those issues, then again if u get a used engine that might already have a bad gasket waiting to be blown, best option is if u can do it urself check if damage is too much, or buy a rebuilt engine from renowned seller.
     
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  6. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Best thing is to have a trustworthy and experienced hybrid mechanic on your side by using him before major engine work is needed.
     
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  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That could apply to a lot of things. (y) Dentistry also comes to mind...
     
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  8. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Yes but the dentist is licensed, you may have insurance and he will eliminate the pain first. Around here anyone can setup a repair shop, hybrids at this stage have no warranty and the pain in the wallet is real. Seriously, the diy owner is often at a disadvantage if his network of good mechanics is non-existent. The dealer then swoops in and makes a killing.
     
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  9. Dave Morison

    Dave Morison New Member

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    I have a 2014 Prius III 1800 which blew a head gasket after the coolant return hose came off. The temperature sensor failed and no lights warned of overheating. I rebuilt the engine and shaved the head. After three weeks head gasket symptoms began again. Pulled the head and a different cylinder leaked into the cylinder, though no water in oil. Has anyone found a cracked head? I buying a used head for mine. Does anyone know of a remanufacturer that sells reman heads?
     
  10. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Did you have the head tested or cracks and if it was warped?
    Anytime the engine overheats and blows the head gasket it should be checked.
     
  11. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    I am sure there are qualified automotive machine shops in Wilmington to remachine a head. What is sometimes missed is a slightly bent piston connecting rod or a warped block.
     
  12. iskoos

    iskoos Active Member

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    Till I came across this thread, I would see the Gasket-Masters like a God when it comes to replacing head gaskets on Prius.
    Now their credibility dipped below zero for me.

    I tend to go with members who think the best job is the one done by the owner (if DIY capable).
    If this happens to me one day, I would probably try to tackle the job myself in my garage. I would thoroughly inspect the engine and do the necessary work. If I see the total work required is not worth the time and effort, I would look into putting a used engine (probably Gen4 engine).

    I wouldn't give up easily on my car. I love it. She is 2010 and currently at 192k
     
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  13. Ken moss

    Ken moss New Member

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    Just wanted to give a heads up after having a new gasket put on my warning temp livhtkept flashing on which seems to be a big problem posted all over this website and nobody really says the correct fix so I just wanted to tell you after doing a head gasket and still having this problem I finally found the cure I had to replace the three fan relays which was causing the fan only to come on for a couple seconds not to stay on causing the temperature light to come on so nobody has posted the answer to this issue and I just wanted to tell you that I finally found a answer peplace all three fan relays .
     
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  14. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    Typically a Prius head gasket does not cause a high temperature problem.
     
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  15. Alex May

    Alex May New Member

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    Hello, what warranty are you talking about? Thank you!
     
  16. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The Op had bought a used high mileage Prius from a used car dealer that included a 12 month warranty worth $3,000 max. No original Toyota dealer warranty or extended support program would still apply for a blown head gasket. Apparently she had it fixed but sold the car 6 month later.
     
  17. runnyeggs

    runnyeggs Junior Member

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    Wow, almost asked them for a quote. And they made a video about some other shop ripping off a lady in one of their videos. What HG did you end up buying? Autozone has 2: 1 is the HG only and the other is a set. Did you replace the head bolts too? I am planning to do it slowly.
     
  18. Mr. F

    Mr. F Active Member

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    I used the OEM engine overhaul gasket kit (04111-37316).
    There is another OEM kit (04112-37254) which has 7 fewer gaskets and costs a little less. The ones not included in 04112 are highlighted in the image below:
    [​IMG]
    I did replace all the head bolts. Since one had actually sheared off for me, I'm glad I had the entire set at hand.
     

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  19. whataboutbob

    whataboutbob Junior Member

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    I am in the Bay Area too, do you mind sharing the mechanic contact info and the results of their work? Curious about what sort of issues you saw that resulted in the blown head gasket diagnosis, did you have milky coolant or leaking coolant, or was it just hard rough starts?
     
  20. whataboutbob

    whataboutbob Junior Member

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    What sort of symptoms did you have for the diagnosis of blown head gasket, milky coolant, leaking coolant, rough starts?