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2011 IM+EGR Coolant Cleanup Saga - With updated details

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by MrPete, May 16, 2022.

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  1. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    Ohhhh... that's why people from Japan say it is easy!

    (Oops: typo igniter vs injector)
     
    #21 MrPete, May 17, 2022
  2. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Only problem with soaking the EGR cooler in Oxyclean is that the rear nuts that the studs screw into are most likely rusty now.

    The EGR cooler itself is stainless steel, so it can take quite a bit of exposure to harsh chemicals like Oxiclean, drain/oven cleaner and mechanical clearing with wires, rods, high pressure washer, etc.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #22 xliderider, May 17, 2022
  3. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    They were rusty before I ever touched them. Presumably due to a decade of Colorado mountain weather ;)
     
    #23 MrPete, May 17, 2022
  4. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    You wasted a LOT of time playing with the cooler cleaning. OVEN CLEANER!!!!
    And Pressure Washer! It's stainless STEELE! The pressure washer can't hurt it.

    Your time though. (y)
     
    #24 ASRDogman, May 17, 2022
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  5. CR94

    CR94 Senior Member

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    Good write-up so far! I don't think a bicycle spoke can get through. I used a steel wire of about 0.041 inch (1.04 mm) diameter, thin enough to maneuver through the corner slots. .
     
    #25 CR94, May 17, 2022
  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    You recall correctly;).

    The pitfalls of doing something the first time:cool:.

    But you live and learn, then help about a dozen others complete the job:).

    I guess more if you count the 'net:whistle:.

    About to click 60k miles on our Prime so halfway to the gen4 / Prime cooler cleanse(y).
     
    #26 Raytheeagle, May 18, 2022
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  7. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    Read the end of my photos post. I agree 100% with using a pressure washer.

    But it did not break through the clog at first.

    Oxiclean at both ends worked to loosen enough that the pressure washer DID work. But only using 0 degree needle tip.

    I now have a clean cooler. Can see all the way thru. Oxiclean and pressure washer. Even with 100% clog. (I used carb cleaner for final touchup. Eliminates water residue.)
     
    #27 MrPete, May 18, 2022
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  8. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    (I was going to pull the PCV plate that hides the built in oil separator, just for fun. It won't budge, and I notice signs of some kind of other sealant holding the plate in place. I think I will leave that for another day. Time to wrap this up...)
     
    #28 MrPete, May 18, 2022
  9. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    There's nothing behind that plate. It's just a cover for the pcv valve.

    If you had used oven cleaner, it would have ate it ways through, in a tenth the time.
    If you have a spare cooler, you can let it soak the 50,000 miles between cleanings.
    And change the cleaner every few days...

    I used the oven cleaner on my 75 RD350 to decarconize the pistons. Worked great and was fast
    and easy.

     
    #29 ASRDogman, May 18, 2022
  10. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    There's a bit of a labyrinth shape cast into the block behind it, with openings for blowby gas and draining of oil back into the sump. It's an oil separator.

    It's sealed on there with a 2 to 3 mm bead of the Toyota Seal Packing Black 00295-00103, or equivalently Three Bond 1207B.

    pcv.png
     
    #30 ChapmanF, May 18, 2022
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  11. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    The oxiclean part was about half an hour of my time in rinse-reload cycles, and 3-4 hours on the clock.
    Mostly enough to loosen the carbon enough that the power washer could push it out (instead of packing it tighter.)
    So oven cleaner is apply-once and done in 15-30 minutes, even on a 100% clogged cooler that won't pass any water? If so, I am duly impressed!

    If so, not sure why it needs changing every few days.

    My cooler is clean, a couple of days after i began.
     
    #31 MrPete, May 18, 2022
  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Yeah there's sealant acting as a gasket under that cover. There is a rudimentary labyrinth (for air passage to the pcv valve) behind, but it's not that effective, judging from the intake condition. Oil Catch Can is worth considering.

    As you've noted: all the cleaning methods can be helpful, and some excel where others fall short. And vice versa.
     

    Attached Files:

    #32 Mendel Leisk, May 18, 2022
    Last edited: May 18, 2022
  13. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Or, sealant is the gasket of that cover.
     
    #33 ChapmanF, May 18, 2022
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  14. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    Oil Catch Can is part of this cleanup. Have it in hand... next up: interpreting spark plug condition...
     
    #34 MrPete, May 18, 2022
  15. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    While I'm in here, and with everything else gummed up so much, I want to maximize opportunity for a good rescue of this engine and hopefully avoid HG issues. Already burning too much oil.

    So, I picked up a set of plugs at the dealer. Grabbed a magnetic 9/16 socket (thanks O'Reilly :) )... and pulled the plugs.

    See photo. One of these plugs is not like the others ;) ... What does this mean?

    Plug #1 was "gummy" coming out. Also note the firing tip: pure white ceramic, dark metal.

    Is this explained by the fact that the EGR input into IM was 100% clogged for #1 (and EGR/cooler also clogged...)???

    FWIW, I have had no codes. Occasional misfire on #2. Occasional cold-start shake in early/cold 2022, but not since the weather warmed.

    2022-05-18 15.27.14.jpg

    I also note: all four plugs have oil above the seal. when I peer down the igniter tube, the top of where the plug screws in is a bit oily for all four cylinders. Is that normal?

    I don't see anything quick/easy I can do about this, so I plan to start assembling with fresh plugs etc. It would be nice to know what I am in for in the months/years ahead...

    Oh: I'm at 200k miles. Plugs were changed at 130k
     
    #35 MrPete, May 18, 2022
    Last edited: May 18, 2022
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  16. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Look inside the spark plug hole and see what the top of the pistons look like.
    You may have a leaking valve cover gasket. That's where the oil is coming from...

     
    #36 ASRDogman, May 19, 2022
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  17. MrPete

    MrPete Active Member

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    I assume you mean spark plug tube gaskets? (If I'm reading the diagram correctly, the valve cover gasket is on the outer perimeter of the cover?)

    Questions
    • Does anyone have the maintenance PDF for replacing these gaskets? I don't want to get the torques wrong on all those bolts.
    • Am I fooling myself that replacing these doesn't look like a particularly challenging little add-on to what I'm already doing?
    • Do I have my gasket list (below) about right? (Seems like there ought to be a package P/N if they all need replacing anyway?)
    [UPDATED: combined with PDF from @Mendel along with Amayama diagrams, the following six types of gaskets/seal washers need replacing (9 total including x4 for spark plug tubes):
    Number Name Price from, USD Required
    11159-37010 Gasket, Camshaft Bearing Cap Oil Hole 2.07 1
    11193-37020 Gasket, Spark Plug Tube 1.40 4
    11213-37040 Gasket, Cylinder Head Cover 8.19 1
    90099-14137 O-Ring(For Cam Timing Oil Control Valve) 1.41 -
    90430-10024 Gasket, Camshaft Bearing Cap Oil Hole 1.00 -
    90210-06013 Seal Washer (or 16258-37010, costs 3x as much?!)

    90430-35001 Gasket (For Oil Filler Cap) 1.00
    90430-20004 Gasket 1.00 3 (Needed? Has same plug/gasket as oil plug)

    Replacing the oil filler cap gasket seems a great idea. My wife had a very hard time opening the filler cap on her last Nature Girl trip w/ a few friends. Not at all sure about that -20004 gasket. It goes with the same kind of plug as the engine oil drain plug.

    I read elsewhere on PC about needing some black RTV somewhere. Need to look into that.

    If this is a common issue after 200k+ miles, perhaps this will be a good next NAB video... :)
     
    #37 MrPete, May 19, 2022
    Last edited: May 19, 2022
  18. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    Back to the cooler cleaning part for future reference. Tuesday I cleaned 10 coolers and eight IMs in about three hours. Once I'm all set up, it takes about five minutes to clean a cooler that's not completely clogged. Totally clogged ones take longer, but in either case, if you have a good compressor, take it outside, mask up and get ready for great clouds of black and purple dust. Do that before you get it wet and turn it into half-dried concrete and the soot comes out a lot easier.

    My sequence:
    • Air
    • Pressure wash
    • Air
    • Inspect
    • If not clean, pressure wash again and repeat.
    • If still no light at all showing through, pressure wash again, reinspect, and if necessary soak in Purple Power before pressure washing again.
    For intakes, put it in a plastic bin with the ports facing up. Insert one of the hoses with a right angle into the opening for the EGR pipe so it points up. Spray carb cleaner into the hose till it comes out all four ports at the other end. Let it soak for a couple hours. Pressure wash and spot clean with carb cleaner as needed. Takes about 10 minutes not counting the soaking.
     
    #38 jerrymildred, May 19, 2022
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  19. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    last page of this:
     

    Attached Files:

    #39 Mendel Leisk, May 19, 2022
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  20. Merkey

    Merkey Active Member

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    Jerry, are you taking these off cars yourself or is that left to the shop's auto mechanics? And, cleaning so many, I wonder if an ultrasonic cleaner would be useful.
     
    #40 Merkey, May 19, 2022
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