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Valve Cover Gasket / Misc items

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by butchbs1985, May 1, 2011.

  1. butchbs1985

    butchbs1985 Taking things apart is fun!

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    A while ago my wife had the '05 in the shop for the inverter pump recall / accelerator recall. At that time car had about 140,000 miles and the dealer said:
    - "Front Brakes are at 5%" to which I responded "So I've got 7,000 ish miles left"
    - "Front Rotors shot as they are pitted" I guess this makes sense with salt and them not being used much.
    - "Rear Brake shoes need replaced". I've got to believe this is a joke. Shouldn't these wear out long after the first set of front pads?
    - "Valve cover starting to leak oil". I have been topping off oil slowly for over a year. Not overly concerned but it looks like an easy job in the Bently manual but I can't find anyone on PC who's posted any pics / tips.

    I'm getting ready to drive to NY for a weekend and figure I should at least rotate the tires and check out the brakes but if I'm taking it apart, am I better off just changing them? Looks like I can get the parts for this at Advance Auto for under EDIT: $150.00 so that is likely the plan. Any thoughts?

    Does anyone have a link to a procedure for the valve cover gasket replacement? Like I said, it looks straightforward enough.

    If I do the valve cover gasket and it still leaks, I'm thinking it may be the timing chain cover based on : http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...86222-oil-droplets-backside-engine-block.html . Does anyone have a procedure for removal and replacement of the timing cover. I'm thinking that may be a bit more than I want to tackle but if it's a weekend job, I may do it.

    Thanks!
     
    #1 butchbs1985, May 1, 2011
  2. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    Considering the mileage I would not be surprised if it needed rear shoes as well. I would inspect the brakes yourself and see if they are worn.
     
    #2 The Critic, May 2, 2011
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I think that you should inspect the brakes yourself before deciding that the front pads/rotors and rear shoes need to be replaced. Since you know how to replace the parts then I don't need to advise you how to inspect them. I personally am not in favor of installing the cheapest available brake parts that can be found, but that is your choice.

    Regarding replacement of the valve cover gasket, that is reasonably easy although somewhat tedious. The basic process involves removing the windshield wiper motor and cowl that runs across the back of the engine compartment for access. The relay box mounted to the cowl can be removed and set aside.

    Then you can remove the engine air cleaner housing and the engine wiring harness that runs over the valve cover. Once the PCV valve hoses have been removed then the valve cover can be removed. Observe the tightening order and tightening torque listed in the repair manual so that the valve cover is not warped.

    While you are at it you should replace the PCV valve and the iridium spark plugs (using the correct NGK or Denso plugs) if they have not previously been replaced at 120K miles.

    Regarding the timing chain cover, I believe that will require pulling the crankshaft pulley so you will need access to an appropriate puller for that. It may be necessary to remove the engine mount on that side and hold up the engine with a hydraulic jack. I suggest you consult techinfo.toyota.com if your repair manual does not provide the procedure.

    Good luck.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, May 2, 2011
  4. butchbs1985

    butchbs1985 Taking things apart is fun!

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    Thanks Critic / Patrick,

    I'll pull the tires off tonight and inspect the brakes before doing anything. Patrick, I certainly agree about not going with the cheapest parts. I'm planning on using Wagner ThermoQuiet ceramic pads on the front. The only rotor available locally (haven't called CarQuest) is Wearever (Advance's store brand). My though is that going with a mid range rotor isn't a big deal since I will be replacing them again too if I ever need to do pads again. (Damn Salt / Pitting) :)

    I'll probably get the Toyota valve cover gasket unless I end up ordering my brakes from RockAuto. As for the timing cover, if it comes to that, I'll just take it in. Right now it's a very slow leak so I'm really not worried.

    I miss my old '92 Toyota Pickup where I could do everything to the engine and had room to pretty much sleep under the hood too.
     
    #4 butchbs1985, May 2, 2011
  5. butchbs1985

    butchbs1985 Taking things apart is fun!

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    I took the opportunity to rotate the tires since I was pulling them.
    - Front inside pads have about 1/8" left = 3.18 mm. Based on other forums, min spec is 1mm and original is 11mm? Based on this, I can assume I have about 28% left? Seems far off of the 5% that the dealer told me was left.
    - Rotors do look like crap but I knew that already.
    - Rear shoes have just under 1/8" so lets call it 3/32" = 2.38mm. From forums: Min spec is 1mm original is 4mm? So I have over 50% left but the dealer said to replace them? Sort of hard to stomach.

    So..... My dealer is trying to screw me. I'm glad I do my own work.

    It looks like the squealers will sound on the front even before I reach the 1mm min point so I'll just let them go until then. Ditto with the back (of course no squealers).

    I'm a bit supprised to see an extremely drastic difference in pad wear between the inner and outer front pads. It seems to be referenced in other threads but I wonder why there is so much difference? Seems the brakes would last forever if they wore evenly. Other than that, the inner pad is wearing properly so no apparent caliper issues :)

    Oil hasn't dropped much since the last topp off 1,500 miles ago so no top off required. (I run Amsoil full synthetic and change every 15K). Test the oil at a lab each change as well just to be safe. My previous test results indicate that I could continue using the oil long after 15K.

    Lesson learned. Less paying attention to the stealership and more confidence in what I've read here on PC.

    BTW: They also said my ICE water pump was leaking. I've never topped off the fluid other than when changing and it's still full so perhaps it weeps a very little bit when the heater is full blast? (Wife drives the car and likes it warm). Fluid is still at the full level so not worrying about this either. (Yes I do realize that 147K miles is about the life of the pump but why fix what ain't broken).

    Thanks again guys!
     
    #5 butchbs1985, May 2, 2011
  6. seilerts

    seilerts Battery Curmudgeon

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    Just keep an eye on that water pump. When it starts to weep, there is seldom enough coming out to leave any spots on the driveway. The only evidence will be a declining coolant level or pink crusty gunk underneath the pulley.

    When you go to change the front pads, be sure to read up on the procedure. I don't remember offhand if it is covered in Bentley. The ABS system will not be happy if you go in and compress the pistons without disabling the electronics.
     
    #6 seilerts, May 3, 2011
  7. butchbs1985

    butchbs1985 Taking things apart is fun!

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    Yep. I'll at least pull the 12V before doing the front brakes. Some have eluded that this avoids the ABS codes. The pump will need to be done but I'll save that for when I take everything apart for the valve cover gasket. Thanks!
     
    #7 butchbs1985, May 3, 2011
  8. The Critic

    The Critic Resident Critic

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    I usually replace front pads (and recommend my friends to) at 3mm. Usually when they reach that level the chamfers and slots wear off and you get more noise. Also, if you're trying to salvage the rotors (which you are not), replacing them before they reach 1mm is a good idea.

    Also, I replace the shoes when they hit 2mm. So, I feel the dealer upselling you brake service at this point is not unreasonable at all.
     
    #8 The Critic, May 9, 2011
  9. Chad Douglas

    Chad Douglas Junior Member

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    Bringing back an old thread because one thing wasn't covered here:

    When you have uneven wear on inner vs outer pads on a disc brake system, it usually means that the caliper sliders are binding to some degree.

    This usually manifests as uneven wear (inner usually worn more than the outer) and uneven wear on the pads themselves (if one slider pin binds more than another causing an uneven pressure on the pads.

    Any time you have a disc brake system apart (not just on your Prius), you should check the slider pins for wear and pitting, make sure the dust boots are in good condition, and relubricate them. Some advocate the use of a silicone paste to reduce the chances of damage to the rubber boots due to the common practice of using petroluem-based lubricants there. Personally, I've never had a problem with using a good hi-temp synthetic brake grease.
     
    #9 Chad Douglas, Jun 28, 2017
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I don't know the composition of the rubber Toyota uses for their seals and boots, but they recommend a lithium-soap-based glycol grease. They sell it under the name Rubber Grease. It has a clear reddish color and a sort of interesting, musty-antique-store smell.

    It's what you find inside new Toyota brake parts if you open them up. It is not the same stuff they specify to use on the shims; that stuff is gray.

    -Chap
     
    #10 ChapmanF, Jun 28, 2017
  11. dolj

    dolj Senior Member

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    Yeah, I was a bit confused by the OPs statements above. Can't figure how he came to the conclusion that there were no caliper issues, when he clearly stated that there was uneven inside/outside wear. Surely that indicates that there is binding on the caliper slide pins.
     
    #11 dolj, Jun 28, 2017
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