Replace Engine or Repair Heads 2012 Prius V

Get some popcorn, a comfortable chair, and watch @Ragingfit's engine swap:

Swapping in a Gen 4 Prius' 2ZR Engine into the Prius v | PriusChat

 

18 hours is them dropping the assembly out the bottom, swapping engine, and reinstalling said assembly. The engine comes nicely out the top by itself. I was out, head off, head rebuilt, back together and in the car in about 9 hours with mine last July. But it was the 4th time in 3 days. LoL

 

The simple way is the way I did it, reuse existing Gen 3 head, or procure remanufactured Gen 3 head. Install that head on Gen 4 short block and everything changes over except flywheel and transaxle damper.

 

Aren't the coolant lines coming out of the gen 4 block on 4th gen different? Seems to me that was the big difference @Ragingfit was dealing with. He also needed to lengthen one sensor wire.

Plus, with 3rd gen intake/throttle body, 4th gen head, 3rd gen exhaust, he had to stick with 3rd Gen EGR, free-spanning between the intake and exhaust manifolds, with a slight surgery on the 4th gen head to let the (3rd gen) EGR pass by without hitting.

 

Just how the coolant enters and leaves the head is different. The Gen 4 head points forward. The Gen 3 points to the left front tire. I still have not found a bolt on housing that will fix that one. But that would only fix the one fitting on the head. I still think the Gen 4 EGR cooler could be a bolt in replacement on the Gen 4 engine to Gen 3 vehicle swap. But that’s another project for another day.

 

It's all in the head, not the block.

 

Yup

 

So how common are these engine issues with the 3rd gen? I thought mine would be pretty solid until 200k, are there signs these might not be as solid as the older engines or other Toyota engines?

 

Thus the phrase............."blockhead" ? LoL

 

Unfortunately it is common. However, the preventive maintenance at 70k and every 30k afterwards seems to resolve the issue.

 

Excuse my ignorance, what preventative maintenance will prevent this issue? I’m at 98k now.

 

Mostly keeping the EGR circuit clean, and that entails, cleaning everything from it's connection to the exhaust manifold, through to the passages in the intake manifold that feed exhaust gas to each port.

A secondary, but possibly connected strategy is to install an oil catch can on the PCV line going to intake manifold. The detritus the PCV line dumps into the intake manifold may contribute to the EGR clogging.

From what I've read hear: as the EGR circuit clogs, and it's apparently inevitable, the engine combustion chamber temperatures rise accordingly. And a coking-up, hot-running engine starts having multiple problems.

Toyota USA's 10K oil change interval (a selling point for consumers), and 0W20 oil spec (to improve fuel economy) might also be factors.

 

I enjoy it when you use big words early on a Monday.

 

Ah, the detritus in the nadir.

 

Ok, thanks. I’ll check out my egr this weekend, I was planning on doing that when I hit 100k.

Any specific catch can? I saw some on sale and a few diy kind.

I really hope mine makes 200k, my oil is the cleanest oil I’ve ever seen out of any car I’ve owned at 10k miles. Maybe hightway miles help?

 

You asked the wrong guy, lol. I got the "moroso 85474 air-oil separator" but they're pricey. There's a lot cheaper; a lot are getting a Ruien one if I recall correctly.

Jegs is an interesting website, if you're in the States.

 

Thanks, I’ll order one today for more fun this weekend.

 

Moroso, or no? Some pics of my Moroso install, just accessible from below, though, during oil changes (I take the full engine cover off, every 6 months. Of note: you do not want to solidly bolt to that lower cross beam; the front central jacking point is the underside of it. So if you bolt to it thus, put a sheet of rubber or some rubber washers in the interface, and use lock nuts. You want it snug but not solid. Self tapping screws would be easier too, than the thru-bolt connection I did.


(The OCC came with bolts for connecting that clamping ring, but I found them terrifically hard to screw in, sub'd some 1/4" N/C bolts, maybe 3/4" long, hardware store purchase. Bring the ring along, to verify, thread pitch and that the bolt doesn't bottom out.)


(It was a bear drilling down there. Centrepunched first, then small diameter pilot, then bolt size plus a 1/6" or 1/8".


(There are large openings on the underside of cross-beam top flange, allowing access to nut/bolt, but it's difficult. Self-tapping screws just from above simpler.)


(OCC in. Note, it has a tap on bottom.)

 

No Mecca/Canton Accusump? Hey, you were in the neighborhood, so...