2012 Prius (215,000) Engine rebuild cost? worth it?

I can't argue with that

 

Just wanted to say thanks to PriusChat and those that recommended the engine swap by Drew @skimmilkhybrid. I had an engine go bad on my 3rd gen Prius and received a quote from a local shop to do an engine swap for almost $10k (ridiculous). I contacted Drew based on the recommendations found here and he showed up and did a swap right in my garage and got me back on the road for hopefully another 100-200k miles. Saved me a lot of money also. Thanks all!

 

Just got a call from a job I did couple years back. Used engine lasted a guy 40k. Guess it wasn't a 65k mi engine after all. I feel bad for him because I def didn't lie but I think the yard did. Never again . Short-block from now on

 

That came from a United States salvage yard correct? That's why I tend to buy from the importers I started doing that with ATK way back in the early to mid '80s they were the premier Toyota importer for engines and what have you back in the old days if we're going to call the '80s the old days this is all before TRD had stickers and Tundra trucks didn't exist etc. It's funny how this is I've been with Toyota about 46 years or so . Never had an engine failure until a generation 3 Prius 2ZZ Atkinson cycle engine and I've owned almost every type of Toyota engine You could possibly have from the 1.1 l KE series engine used in some hydrofoil boats but came from a Corolla. All the way up to 3S GTE beams engines through the 1G GTE straight 6 turbo siblings to the J Z engine. Never a failure all those years treating those engines like Pure hell if you will. Not till I'm 70 semi-retired and in a Prius does the crap show start that is to me so hysterically funny.

 

Am I missing something, fixing the gasket and it will fail again but rebuilding the engine which incidentally means replacing the head gasket as well is the best option... So why wouldn't the rebuilt engine not have gasket fail again.

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Reason for a rebuild- high miles and severe fail

Argument for a stopgap.

Argument against stopgap.

My view is do it right and get real value and reliability. I argue new battery cells and master cylinders. Not stopgaps that may fail quickly and rarely provide reliability. Engine? Replace with rebuilt. Quality local engine shop? Rebuild a used low mile engine using new rings and pistons. Ideally with the revised intake and complete carbon cleanup. Not to say a hg alone might work. It’s just a risk and comes with little hope of another 100k.

People come here looking for a silver bullet and get talked into diy. Rarely hear the reasons for the dealer methods or options to save but get the same reliability and warranty.

Most will jump on the lowest cost option or will punt. The op has not been back since he asked the question back in Feb. He probably bought a new car.

 

Does that revised intake manifold do anything?

 

Improved egr passages and no carbon for a couple hundred.

 

Debatable.

 

I’m not sure I totally understand the rebuild crowd, but it’s certainly an option if the price is good. I just didn’t have that near me. I paid $4000 to a shop and Cincinnati who let me borrow their Prius while they were doing it. And they stand by their work for three years on a head gasket repair. That price was worth it to me for perspective. I had about 250k on my 2014.

 

I’m not sure I totally understand the rebuild crowd, but it’s certainly an option if the price is good. I just didn’t have that near me. I paid $4000 to a shop and Cincinnati who let me borrow their Prius while they were doing it. And they stand by their work for three years on a head gasket repair. That price was worth it to me for perspective. I had about 250k on my 2014.

 

Where can I get a JDM Engine. I work in North Hollywood CA and I live close to Lancaster CA... Can I get the info for the JDM Engine

 

Can I get the info to where I can get the JDM ENGINE.. I work in North Hollywood and live close to Lancaster CA

 

Your best bet from your chair or your telephone is to Google JDM engines in my area I don't know all the suppliers they have contacts out your way I used to buy Japanese engines from a company called ATK in the '80s that was Toyota's supplier a few years later there were all kinds of JDM importers that were bringing engines front clips things that we couldn't get in the States that we needed for swaps and I was buying that stuff out of California for years because nothing was happening on the east coast took about another 4 years and then the same companies that were doing the importing in California this is when TRD was a little hole in the wall with three employees I'm talking 82 85 at best. Those companies came to New Jersey opened up shop on the East Coast from the west and now they're in New Jersey there's one down in Atlanta Florida somewhere in the Virginia and DC Metro area and they all talk to each other more or less But I'm on the East Coast so I can't really tell you where the JDM importers are physically sitting today and any given part of California but they're there and they advertise ask any kid with a big wing on his Honda and he'll start rattling off places pretty quickly they're in the K swaps

 

The reasons you do a rebuild over a head gasket on a 2010-14 Prius:

1. At minimum the rebuilt engine is as good as the one that lasted 100k-250k miles. Includes a rebuilt head.

2. A decent rebuilder will make it better than original, using revised pistons, rings and head gaskets.

3. A even better rebuilder or installer will use the revised egr valve and software. Toyota kit 04004-58137 which includes revised valve 25620-37120 at a much lower price than the valve itself.

4. Optionally a revised intake manifold that will be spotless from a carbon standpoint.

5. With the right engine rebuilder and a cost effective independent installer, total costs can be very similar to a head gasket with rebuilt head alternative sometimes quoted at $4,000. Assuming a pro shop will even offer the simpler head gasket job with a warranty due to repeat failures.

 

For rebuilt engine: Check with Hybrid Pit Stop in LA.

 

As usual THTR....

Saying the words:
Comma
Period
New Paragraph
Etc,
Are free for you to use.
It would make this 'Stream of Conscience' readable to normal people .
Thank you for considering those that attempt to read your posts

 

Can you share some details on these items?
3. If I buy this kit and install it, how do I get the SW load? Would I have to have the kit installed by a dealer?

I recently had my Gen3 in for the the latest and greatest SW TSB. I was hoping it was the one that changed the water pump duty to help with the head gasket at high loads/RPM. Did it possibly have some components of revised EGR?

4. I'm aware of the later Intake Manifold. Is that what you're talking about?
I have a spare 1st ver. intake that I plan on cleaning and have waiting for when I swap it out while installing a catch can.
I may swap out the EGR valve and clean the 90° pipe. I may tackle the EGR cooler if it looks bad.

But a slightly clogged cooler doesn't effect the uneven flow of EGR to the cylinders the way a clogged intake manifold does, correct?
And that is the theoretical boogey man for head gasket failures, correct?

I may try a 'fire sleeve' insulation wrap on the 90° pipe and on the intake above the internal EGR passages to try to keep the heat in so the particles don't condense out and clog those little passages.
Other engines insulate the EGR path from exhaust to intake.

 

You would need Techstream and access to the TIS online system to update the ecm software. You may already have it.

Techstream and Bluetooth based scanners like “Car Scanner” can read the current software calibration id.

Improving water pump control logic is speculation based on an European tsb that suggested their new software would improve hg failure rates. However the software is different than current US ids which can be expected for reasons other than “water pump” logic.

Regardless some here believe our latest versions would incorporate any useful logic improvements. In the US the latest software is recommended with egr or intake manifold upgrades.

For 2010 Prius it is 34715700

I would not change the manifold if it was clean. However I would if it were full of carbon.

 

Thank you everyone for all the info I will look into this more... I appreciate all you guys for the help.. thank you again