1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Bought a 2012 For $700

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Cosmo Tigato, Dec 2, 2019.

Page 4 of 12
  1. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    1,992
    676
    0
    Location:
    Null, NL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    How did you source an engine?
     
    #61 douglasjre, Dec 23, 2019
    Mendel Leisk likes this.
  2. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I bought it from B&R Auto Wreckers.
    They shipped it right to me.
     
    #62 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 25, 2019
  3. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    So I put about 5 miles on the new to me engine and guess what... White Smoke started blowing out the tail pipe.
    They sold me a engine with a bad head gasket!!!:mad:

    Look at the Milkshake that came out.
    upload_2019-12-30_17-35-14.jpeg
    YUMMY!!!


    So after draining the OIL/COOLANT mix, I popped of the valve cover.
    upload_2019-12-30_17-37-59.jpeg

    upload_2019-12-30_17-38-29.jpeg

    The Yard that sold me the engine said they have another one with 143,000 miles on it. (and Who knows if it will fail soon)
    No thanks because this one has 93,005 miles :rolleyes:

    upload_2019-12-30_17-45-48.jpeg

    So I popped of the Head.

    upload_2019-12-30_17-47-55.jpeg
    I have some cleaning to do.
    upload_2019-12-30_17-48-15.jpeg

    Took of the gasket and the engine block looks clean
    upload_2019-12-30_17-49-28.jpeg

    upload_2019-12-30_17-50-24.jpeg





    --------Where did the Head Gasket Fail???---------
    upload_2019-12-30_17-50-54.jpeg

    upload_2019-12-30_17-51-12.jpeg

    So Today at work, I ordered myself a NEW head gasket and head bolts.
    Good thing I love working on cars!!! :D:ROFLMAO::D
     
    #63 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2019
    rbdigital, dig4dirt, J1050 and 7 others like this.
  4. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2018
    1,422
    1,532
    38
    Location:
    Evansville, IN
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three

    Did they offer any money back? Years ago when my former employer(a major parts store chain) sold salvage engines thru a now out of business supplier, they would refund a percentage of the cost under certain conditions. I got a customer refunded 50% and they got to keep the engine.
     
    #64 cnc97, Dec 30, 2019
  5. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    I checked the heads with a strait edge and it's Perfectly FLAT (y):D;)

    upload_2019-12-30_18-33-44.jpeg
     
    #65 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
    Bay Stater and mikey_t like this.
  6. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    They asked me for pictures of all the receipts and video of the car running.
    Have not heard back after the initial call where they said they have another engine.
     
    #66 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
  7. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    6,424
    3,413
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    I think it would be much easier just to replace the head gasket. And cheaper.
    This is the chance you take getting a used engine. Maybe the head is cracked.
    I had a 1990 Probe with a cracked head. Took 2 head gasket replacements to find it.
    I sealed it with JB Weld! As long as I kept it at 60mph and below, no problem.

    I hope you can get it up and running soon.
     
    #67 ASRDogman, Dec 30, 2019
    Bay Stater and Cosmo Tigato like this.
  8. cnc97

    cnc97 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 13, 2018
    1,422
    1,532
    38
    Location:
    Evansville, IN
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Looks like a cleanup and reassemble. I zoomed in on the gasket pics and I can’t see anything that looks like an obvious failure point.
     
    #68 cnc97, Dec 30, 2019
    PriusGuy32, The Critic, Bay Stater and 1 other person like this.
  9. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Just looks like a old flat gasket, the ridges are flattened and lots of carbon on the cylinder edges of the gasket.
     
    #69 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2019
  10. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    Just inspected the Head again, this time for cracks, there are none. :D
     
    #70 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
    Bay Stater likes this.
  11. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    What is the best way to clean out all that carbon?
    Brake Clean and a Wire brush? or Brass Brush?
    or just scrape it off with a blade at 90 degrees? (Like the same way I clean the matting surfaces)
     
    #71 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
  12. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    There was No Oil in the coolant.
    There was No Oil in the cylinders.
    There was Coolant in the Oil.
    There was coolant coming out as White vapor from the exhaust.

    I had 4 Quarts of oil in the engine before start up.
    And when I drained the oil, there was just a tad under 4 quarts. (Update: I found the missing Oil when I turned the now removed head on it's side, :D)
    Strange, how much coolant does it take to make the oil look like coffee?
    a teaspoon of coolant to 4 quarts of oil? or a cup of coolant?

    HOW ELSE CAN YOU GET COOLANT IN THE OIL BESIDES A BAD HEAD GASKET???
    There are no cracks in the head nor the block.

    I am sure its a bad gasket, because of the white vapor from exhaust and coolant in the oil, just can't find a fail point on it.
     
    #72 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 30, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
    mikey_t likes this.
  13. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 13, 2008
    1,992
    676
    0
    Location:
    Null, NL
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    ----USA----
    Cracked cylinder? Cold weather straight water from prior owner?
     
    #73 douglasjre, Dec 31, 2019
    Mendel Leisk and Cosmo Tigato like this.
  14. Tim Jones

    Tim Jones Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2018
    1,728
    560
    3
    Location:
    SE Texas
    Vehicle:
    2011 Nissan LEAF
    Model:
    ----USA----
    TOTAL BUMMER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
    #74 Tim Jones, Dec 31, 2019
  15. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    6,424
    3,413
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    You may not SEE the crack. You have to have the head pressure tested.
    That's how I found mine. I couldn't see it. They marked it for me.
    It is when the head gets hot it opens up. If it's cracked by an exhaust valve it's blowing out
    the exhaust.
    Maybe the egr cooler is cracked and leaking? Cylinders don't look like coolant is getting into them.
    It usually cleans out the carbon.

    Maybe there was water sitting in the exhaust system and it just got hot and blew out?
    How did the engine run?
     
    #75 ASRDogman, Dec 31, 2019
    PriusGuy32, Johnny Cakes, The Critic and 2 others like this.
  16. Cosmo Tigato

    Cosmo Tigato Active Member

    Joined:
    Apr 6, 2018
    198
    362
    0
    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius Plug-in
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    That makes sense, that you can't see a hair line crack and that there could be water in the exhaust. but.........
    The engine was running bad (felt like misfires and loss of power)
    Plus there was Coolant in the oil.
    I don't think I ran the engine long enough for the coolant to clean out the pistons. (After the engine lost power and some white smoke was visible from the rear view mirror, that was a mile from home, where I turned around and put it back in my garage)

    How would a bad EGR put coolant in the oil? (Unless the PCV was bad and some how sucking in and the EGR was letting coolant in to the manifold, two failures that are highly unlikely)

    but......

    A EGR leaking coolant into the manifold could cause white smoke but not put coolant into the oil.
    Could a bad PCV valve pull coolant (if present in the manifold) into the crankcase?
     
    #76 Cosmo Tigato, Dec 31, 2019
    mikey_t and Tim Jones like this.
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
    56,693
    39,237
    80
    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    #77 Mendel Leisk, Dec 31, 2019
    Last edited: Dec 31, 2019
    Tim Jones likes this.
  18. 2012 Prius v wagon 3

    2012 Prius v wagon 3 Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 12, 2019
    281
    277
    0
    Location:
    Redwood City, California
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    Three
    If the gasket is good and the head is not warped, the next suspect is a crack. Sometimes those are very difficult to find, requiring specialized techniques as discussed here:
    Crack Detection and Correction - Engine Builder Magazine

    Those techniques were developed because the crack(s) are not always detectable with careful visual inspection.
     
    #78 2012 Prius v wagon 3, Dec 31, 2019
    The Critic, mikey_t and Tim Jones like this.
  19. bettergolf

    bettergolf Active Member

    Joined:
    Jan 8, 2019
    448
    343
    0
    Location:
    Sanford NC
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    If it was run hot before you got it, a cracked block is another possibility.
     
    #79 bettergolf, Dec 31, 2019
  20. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

    Joined:
    May 29, 2018
    6,424
    3,413
    0
    Location:
    Florida
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Two
    "There was No Oil in the coolant."
    That is why I suggested egr cooler.
    Perhaps you meant to say there IS water in the coolant?
     
    #80 ASRDogman, Dec 31, 2019
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 4 of 12