Blown Head gasket rebuild....@297k

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by danlatu, May 8, 2017.

Tags:
Page 1 of 53
  1. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Bought a 2011 prius Two not a II because only 2010 Prius used uppercase roman numerals for model designation winter grey for cheap and thought it just needed a head gasket......o_Oo_Oo_Oo_O
    I had rebuilt the head last week, lapped the valves and installed new valve seals. I bought a head gasket kit from rockauto and had soaked the pistons in marvel mystery oil and atf fluid. I was pumped to get the head gasket installed today, until I saw that one of the pistons looked a little short. It was cylinder #1 were the head gasket was eating coolant. I pulled the piston and found a bent rod. I will be replacing the bent rod and will throw in new main/rod bearings and new piston rings. The soak freed up all the rings (expansion) but the oil control rings were clogged. I will rehone the cylinder walls a bit and recheck the clearances. Pulling the motor out was sketchy because the windshield is so close. IMG_0051.JPG IMG_0059.JPG IMG_0061.JPG IMG_0062.JPG
     
    #1 danlatu, May 8, 2017
    PopCorkOff, jzchen, Mike from Merrick and 24 others like this.
  2. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,106
    39,426
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    What would it take to bend that rod? Some serious friction in the cylinder?

    Most of what you're saying and doing just whizzes by me, you da man! (y)
     
    #2 Mendel Leisk, May 8, 2017
    kashanv, N.J.PRIUS, slamm3r_911 and 3 others like this.
  3. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

    Joined:
    May 11, 2005
    110,444
    50,202
    0
    Location:
    boston
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    wouldn't it have been simpler to find a low mile motor?
     
    #3 bisco, May 8, 2017
    Benp98, N.J.PRIUS, Beachbummm and 1 other person like this.
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
    16,546
    8,444
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Yeah, but that's like going out for fast food everyday. Easy is just not for everybody.

    You should talk to bill the engineer, he's nuts

    SM-N900P ?
     
    #4 JC91006, May 8, 2017
    SidecarThief, Jkrssll, Hjeff and 11 others like this.
  5. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    The blown head gasket sucked coolant into cylinder #1 and hydrolocked the cylinder. Something has to give with high amounts of pressure in the cylinder.
     
    #5 danlatu, May 8, 2017
    SidecarThief, ydpplqbd, Jkrssll and 3 others like this.
  6. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Yes it would have been more simple to order another motor. But I like challenges, besides I have an engine hoist, motor stand, tools. I used to have a jeep.
    A used motor that has 40K miles????? That's what they say is on the motor. Warranty, unlimited miles for for 6 months or so for 1400$
    I'm rebuilding it for 300$ and my time. The rest of the motor looks really good with minimal wear. This is not my first rodeo. I have to check the tolerance's for the rest of the long block. I can't watch New York City Housewive's or vanderpump house rules any more. I need my space from my girlfriend and rebuild this motor. Mancave!
     
    #6 danlatu, May 8, 2017
    wu kong sun, Evelyn Shepherd, another_tyson and 20 others like this.
  7. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I let a buddy of mine borrow my hoist and found he had not returned the chain, I used #12 awg romex to pull the motor. I had to improvise.
     
    #7 danlatu, May 8, 2017
    Prius DIY nut, anonymous, MrPete and 5 others like this.
  8. JimboPalmer

    JimboPalmer Tsar of all the Rushers

    Joined:
    Apr 14, 2009
    12,470
    6,872
    2
    Location:
    Greenwood MS USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    #8 JimboPalmer, May 8, 2017
  9. Samprocat

    Samprocat Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2017
    491
    297
    0
    Location:
    Lincoln, NE
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Hydro lock....that is the cause
    Coolant dripping insde combustion chambers....

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #9 Samprocat, May 9, 2017
    Quantium, douglasjre, danlatu and 2 others like this.
  10. Maroon

    Maroon Member

    Joined:
    Jan 18, 2013
    159
    88
    0
    Location:
    Tupelo, MS
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    III
    Did you take a closeup of the rings?
     
    #10 Maroon, May 9, 2017
    danlatu likes this.
  11. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,241
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I was just thinking the same thing! How do you bend a rod on this type of motor that is designed to deliver lower torque? LoL
     
    #11 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
    danlatu likes this.
  12. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,241
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Just read the posts about the coolant being the cause............now I get it.
     
    #12 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
    SidecarThief, danlatu and Mendel Leisk like this.
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,106
    39,426
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Apparently by trying to compress anti-freeze/water mix, ie: cylinder full of liquid. :)

    (posted at same time as you, lol.)
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, May 9, 2017
    danlatu likes this.
  14. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,241
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You have an "eye" for this type of work. You saw the shorter stroke on piston #1. Most people (myself included) may had missed this and put it all back together. Great work!!
     
    #14 Montgomery, May 9, 2017
    ZBrink, N.J.PRIUS, kithmo and 2 others like this.
  15. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I did have the pistons soaking for a week, the compression ring and secondary rings moved freely, the oil control ring was clogged still. The picture shown is me scratching away at it to see how the oil flows through it. The oil passages to the rings looked fine on piston #1 I did not take the rest of the pistons out. I have to redone the cylinders a touch. I will put new rings in and plastigauge the rod bearings to see if there is spec. Motor looks really good overall. I'm impressed that this thing has 297k miles on it. IMG_0064.JPG IMG_0065.JPG IMG_0066.JPG

    Here is the piston height difference.
    Cylinder #1 IMG_0067.JPG
    Cylinder #4
    IMG_0068.JPG
    IMG_0069.JPG
    Blown head gasket prius 2011 gen 3 priuschat #1 bent rod piston short oil control rings clogged hydro locked coolant . Never mind this banter If someone googles these words they will find this thread. Just trying to help the community.
     
    #15 danlatu, May 9, 2017
    Last edited by a moderator: May 11, 2017
    Coots, MikeFixes, SidecarThief and 15 others like this.
  16. trentofdestiny

    trentofdestiny Master Finagler

    Joined:
    Aug 8, 2011
    1,104
    227
    0
    Location:
    Harrisburg, PA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    If a 40k used engine was $1400 then I wonder what a 140k engine would cost? That's what I personally would've used because the rest of the car still has 297k. Maybe I would've torn it apart and resealed it to make sure it didn't leak. Other than that I would've been okay with a higher mileage used engine from a reputable source like LKQ


    iPhone ?
     
    #16 trentofdestiny, May 9, 2017
    N.J.PRIUS likes this.
  17. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2008
    18,200
    6,483
    0
    Location:
    Green Valley, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Did you clean the top of piston 1, or was that caused by the coolant leak?
     
    #17 Patrick Wong, May 9, 2017
    danlatu and Mendel Leisk like this.
  18. Montgomery

    Montgomery Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 11, 2015
    2,254
    2,241
    2
    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You are teaching me. Keep the photos and the progress coming!
     
    #18 Montgomery, May 10, 2017
    danlatu likes this.
  19. danlatu

    danlatu Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 27, 2017
    533
    1,355
    2
    Location:
    maryland
    Vehicle:
    2011 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    Coolant leak did most of it. The marvel mystery oil and atf did loosen a lot of the carbon on the other cylinders.
     
    #19 danlatu, May 10, 2017
    idohavemail, Prius_Angie, Mendel Leisk and 1 other person like this.
  20. Beachbummm

    Beachbummm Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2013
    1,160
    392
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    that's what I would have done just install a new oil pump, water pump, timing chain and valve cover gasket while its out of the car.
    would have cost less that a $1000 total and about 4 hours time
     
    #20 Beachbummm, May 11, 2017
    PriusWave, SidecarThief and trentofdestiny like this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 53