Asking for advice on finding and installing an engine...

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Isaac Zachary, Oct 6, 2023.

  1. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    My 2006 Prius has galled cylinders. I know, I scoped them and they are grooved and galled. It also chugs oil. I'm also looking for the most economic engine without getting another galled up oil chugger. In other words, I'm willing to travel quite far to get one to save on shipping, if that makes sense.

    What would be the best option for an engine? What's a good price? How do I make sure it's not another galled up mess?

    $2,000 just for the engine at a dealer seems a bit much.

    I see a JDM low mileage engine in California for $1,000, but I suspect that doesn't include shipping.

    Looking around on ebay there are some engines for around $1,000 with free shipping. But there are some for half that if they don't have to ship it. The problem is they are usually several days away and have little to no information on the condition of the engine.

    I was thinking of throwing in a wanted ad here on Prius Chat to see if someone near me, within a few hours or so, would sell me an engine. Or maybe I just need to look at the ads regularly instead?

    Anything special that I need to know about changing out a Prius engine?

    Help!
     
    #1 Isaac Zachary, Oct 6, 2023
  2. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    #2 Isaac Zachary, Oct 6, 2023
  3. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    I did throw in an ad here on Prius Chat. I also am looking at some engines on Facebook Market Place. As far as I understand I'm looking for an engine without cylinder galling. Is there anything else to be weary of? Maybe the crank needs to turn full turns? Any other suggestions?
     
    #3 Isaac Zachary, Oct 7, 2023
  4. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    Pull the valve cover off and see how the top end looks. Ideally you'd see fairly clean metal, maybe some varnish. Dark varnish - ehhh. Visible sludge build up is a no-go.

    Definitely look inside the cylinders. Scoring as you know - ng. No rust either. Some carbon on the pistons is normal. Typically I expect such carbon to look "dry" - but I haven't checked a Prius to know if that's normal for them. If one piston is "clean" vs the others - that would suggest a head gasket problem.

    Doing a compression test isn't possible out of the car. Most people don't have a portable compressor and air tank (or gauge set) to do cylinder leak down test. So it comes down to trusting the seller.

    As far as swapping - do a full system scan of the car beforehand using a capable scantool. Take lots of pictures. Esp all electrical connectors (label or write down what you unplug - it may look "obvious" coming apart, but not so much a few days or weeks later). I like to write down each step as I do it (or print out the manual procedure and check each step off) makes it much easier to go back together (without having to backtrack).

    Bag - box - store & label hardware for each part as it comes off. Less guessing and leftover bits later.

    I have read that removing the crank balancer and water pump lets you pull the engine out the top while leaving the trans in place.

    If the used engine has been sitting awhile, then the injectors could get sticky or clogged by old gas.

    Double check oil and coolant, 12V battery, and do another system scan before trying fire up the "new" engine.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #4 mr_guy_mann, Oct 7, 2023
    Isaac Zachary and chuckiechan like this.
  5. Isaac Zachary

    Isaac Zachary Senior Member

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    You're awesom! I'll keep that in mind. Maybe I'll post pics, hopefully before deciding on a purchase.
     
    #5 Isaac Zachary, Oct 8, 2023
  6. ColoradoCrow

    ColoradoCrow Senior Member

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    Take lots of photos and use old cardboard as a place holder for bolts. There is no such thing as over documentation in my mind. I have never swapped out an engine but have watched a lot of videos and it seems the Gen 2 would not be that bad compared to others. I would definitely attempt it on a Gen 2 for my first time.
     
    #6 ColoradoCrow, Oct 8, 2023
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