PSA Warning: "Toyota Prius 2ZE head gasket replacement (complete step by step)" on Youtube

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Atari, Jul 9, 2019.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Just a warning to anyone thinking of following this video from "Gasket Masters" on Youtube:



    It is definitely not complete. They skip nearly all of the most difficult/time consuming portions dealing with the drivers side of the cylinder head (removal of EGR cooler, large hose going into cylinder head, etc. -- these are all a m@#!@#!$er to get to.)

    For the EGR part you can also look at NutzAboutBolts video:


    Or just know that the "invisible" bolt holding the EGR cooler to the cylinder head can be removed with a 12MM deep socket directly connected to a long armed flex head ratchet. Try anything else and you might as well just punch yourself in the face.
     
    #1 Atari, Jul 9, 2019
    charlesinoc, Ed Beaty and mikey_t like this.
  2. mikey_t

    mikey_t Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    370
    391
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    True. When I did mine I couldn't get my arm around like he did in the video. When I crouched at the right level and angle I could actually see the bolt so I figured out that the 12mm with long extension would work with some finagling. Though the exact placement might be slightly different in the 2010 vs later models like the car he worked on.
     
    #2 mikey_t, Jul 9, 2019
  3. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2010
    3,970
    2,621
    0
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Just pull the darn engine out...
     
    #3 Rebound, Jul 9, 2019
    Ragingfit and Atari like this.
  4. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Haha. Man for all that work to replace the head gasket, and being that its a [shudder] 2010..... yeah.... if I could do it over again I would just do the 2016 engine swap. Live and learn.
     
    #4 Atari, Jul 15, 2019
    mikey_t likes this.
  5. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    I figured out how to access that elusive stud in 2 seconds!

    Taking it off is easy enough... you can use a flex-head ratchet and a deep socket 12mm from above.

    It's putting the nut back on that's the hard part.

    The secret is that you need to lay on top of the engine (or stand on a stool from the front) and reach your arm/hand over, around, and under the right side of the valve cover by the right exhaust manifold. That allows you to start the nut on the stud again pretty easily, then you can tighten again with the flex/12mm from above.
     
    #5 Atari, Jul 15, 2019
    mikey_t likes this.
  6. mikey_t

    mikey_t Active Member

    Joined:
    Feb 5, 2019
    370
    391
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I followed the advice of some folks here and just left it off.
     
    #6 mikey_t, Jul 15, 2019
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  7. Rebound

    Rebound Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 11, 2010
    3,970
    2,621
    0
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    If you don’t drop the blasted thing into the engine bay first...
     
    #7 Rebound, Jul 16, 2019
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  8. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,960
    39,989
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    It occured to me, after watching @Ragingfit install a 3rd gen EGR on a 4th gen engine (it basically free-spans from the exhaust manifold to the intake manifold, no intermediate connections to the engine), that maybe you could just leave that nut off, and everything would still be very solid.

    I mentioned that here, and @Raytheeagle confirmed: that's what he does, in his EGR "clinics".
     
    #8 Mendel Leisk, Jul 16, 2019
    Ragingfit, Merkey, Raytheeagle and 1 other person like this.
  9. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,261
    15,499
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    The under Cooler nut is a fiddly bit:cool:.

    I have a collection going (up to 8 nuts right now):).

    You have at least 5 other securements, and leaving the stud there for the cooler to rest is enough(y).
     
    #9 Raytheeagle, Jul 16, 2019
    Ragingfit, Merkey, mikey_t and 1 other person like this.
  10. schmuber

    schmuber Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2018
    115
    84
    1
    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Ok, since we're talking about hoses… How to remove the thick short hose on a driver side of the head? Undoing the clamps that hold the metal pipe, or is there another way?
     
    #10 schmuber, Jul 16, 2019
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,960
    39,989
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Someone was saying there was a bracket that could be unbolted, gives you some room?
     
    #11 Mendel Leisk, Jul 16, 2019
  12. schmuber

    schmuber Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2018
    115
    84
    1
    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    2 brackets actually. Undone both. Bottom one is a beatch, while the top one could be reached surprisingly easily through the top with a very long extension.
     
    #12 schmuber, Jul 16, 2019
  13. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    57,960
    39,989
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    And still no joy.
     
    #13 Mendel Leisk, Jul 16, 2019
    Raytheeagle likes this.
  14. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2016
    11,261
    15,499
    0
    Location:
    Bay Area, California
    Vehicle:
    2019 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    The joy comes at the end when everything is assembled, no codes and a cold adult beverage in your hand;).

    Patience is a virtue(y).
     
    #14 Raytheeagle, Jul 16, 2019
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  15. schmuber

    schmuber Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2018
    115
    84
    1
    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Just realized that he omits at least one more thing in the video, which will turn the engine into a leak-o-matic. That captive 10mm bolt on a timing cover needs a FIPG (I'm scraping FIPG off my head block and just noticed an odd location). Looks like that video is actually quite dangerous.
     
    #15 schmuber, Jul 17, 2019
  16. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    That's what my dad suggested after 30 mins of taking turns trying to get it on. Then I reached around and under the top-right of the valve cover, had it on in 2 seconds and we both looked at each other and shaked our heads.
     
    #16 Atari, Jul 18, 2019
    Ragingfit and mikey_t like this.
  17. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    Yeah there's some FIPG discrepancies in how they do it Vs. how Toyota Techinfo recommends. Although, if you do what Toyota recommends in terms of all of the tests and checks and everything, you might as well be building a new car. Or at least swapping in a 2016 engine. So much wrong with the 2010-2011 in terms of the IM, EGR, head, cylinder rings, emissions and cooling system.

    Btw, after replacing my headgasket I STILL get a P0401 code popping up -- still can't smog it.

    No more coolant loss and shaking though.
     
    #17 Atari, Jul 18, 2019
  18. schmuber

    schmuber Member

    Joined:
    Oct 9, 2018
    115
    84
    1
    Location:
    Georgia
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    What trips it? It's not like they have an airflow sensor in the EGR tract… My EGR cooler was totally clogged, pretty much zero flow – yet I've never seen a P0401.

    My 2010 made it to 240K miles before it blew the head gasket. None of my pre-Prius cars ever made it this far without a catastrophic failure.
     
    #18 schmuber, Jul 18, 2019
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2019
    mikey_t likes this.
  19. wheezyglider

    wheezyglider Active Member

    Joined:
    Mar 12, 2011
    247
    178
    0
    Location:
    SF Bay Area
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    I made a note from somewhere in the holy Repair Manual regarding the EGR Flow Insufficiency Monitor:
    The listed "trouble areas" are: EGR valve assembly, EGR passage, EGR with cooler pipe sub-assembly, Manifold absolute pressure sensor, ECM.

    They also have a test where you idle the engine and operate the EGR valve (Control the EGR Step Position Active Test). You open it bit by bit (less than 30), and the idle should roughen and there should be at least 10kPa (or 75 mmHg) increase in MAP value compared to when EGR valve is fully closed.

    And yeah it seems rare that anyone gets any warning about clogged EGR -- until they read the gen 3 forums that is.
     
    #19 wheezyglider, Jul 18, 2019
    Atari likes this.
  20. Atari

    Atari Member

    Joined:
    Feb 23, 2008
    84
    47
    0
    Location:
    Sacramento
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V

    One thing worth mentioning is that when I cleaned my already mostly clean EGR, I noticed that the plunger would seem to stick open sometimes for no reason. It doesn't have any debris in there anymore.
     
    #20 Atari, Jul 18, 2019
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 2