Beware the average user trying to clean EGR pipe and cooler....

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by cdherman, Dec 20, 2021.

  1. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    I've seen some of this guy's videos before He doesn't seem like he's not intelligent I understand what he's talking about the rings and engine bills that I used to build old T engines and whatnot 3TGTE etc I've always used Deves swedish rings. I guess they would be considered high tension rings that's what they talk about in their manufacturing specifications always had really good luck with them maybe I see a 2ZZ with Deves rings . I find that hard to believe that good spring steel rings will fix my problem I don't even care if I lose a few miles to the gallon I can live with that but using up all this oil to have a little bit less drag seems to me kind of foolish

    SM-A715F ?
     
  3. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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  4. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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  5. cdherman

    cdherman Junior Member

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    Well, looks I gave folks something to talk about at least!

    -- I've only been doing 12k OCI since Mobil 1 starting putting it on their jug as allowable. Previously was 7.5k for much of the 2011 life. Since its up in the air and the bottom shroud is off, I'll be doing a 9k change tomorrow. And the plan for a 15k change never materialized, as that was the oil that is in there now (Mobil now has 15k on the jug, at least some of them).

    -- I did NOT do the intake manifold. My EGR cooler was coated in a light layer of browning soot. No oil. I could see light through it, and a farm boy test of blowing through it did not reveal a lot of resistance compared to the clean one.

    --The clean one, off ebay, was truly clogged on arrival. I used stoppers and Drano to clean it out. I highly recommend good old sodium hydroxide. Get a generic. Put a stopper in. Fill it and walk away for a day. Couple repeat, paired with some piano wire, and it was spotless.

    -- I did get it back together this AM. Including the blasted lower stud. The flanged nut happens to be the same diameter as my deep well socket. So I taped the nut in place with masking tape. Taped a short extension in place too. Then using the really narrow view you can get of the stud (requires a good light and some contortion tricks) I was able to guide my socket with taped nut to the stud, get it started, slip in a ratchet and tighten up. Remainder of re-assembly was reasonable. Rear gasket stays in place pinched between the exhaust manifold pipe and the cooler. Align the holes with small drift punch (tapered punch).

    -- Waterpump was easy compared. Several youtube vids show removal of the bottom bolt only from below. IMHO, one should take the bottom 3 bolts out from below. Was easier. But as noted, I have large hands and from above, was not easy to get in. Put in a new Aisin/Toyo waterpump. Life is too short for cheap parts.

    -- I bought no new tools, except for finally a magnetic 9/16" spark plug socket (did those too). Used some that have gathered dust lately. For the rear EGR cooler studs, I have a threaded rod ratchet. Its got a hole through it, so you can deal with infinite length of bolt.

    I'll have to see if my scan software will measure the EGR flow. I own two gen 3 prius and neither has given trouble. Family wants both to run for a long time. I remain somewhat skeptical that all this trouble is needed, especially in a vehicle with no problems and no history of problems. My old water pump looks so good, I 'm tempted to sell it on ebay. Probably a 10 year old Aisin/Toyota pump that looks find and has never been run dry, is still better than a new chinese knockoff.......
     
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  6. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    I too used liquid drain opener on a rubber stoppered EGR cooler, after overnight soaking, followed up by hot water flushes. Repeat many times, as the eBay cooler was really plugged with oily, sooty gunk. Probably from a Prius that had a blown head gasket or threw a rod through the crankcase.

    Hot water is important, as lye turns oil and grease into soap, which dissolves in the hot water.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  7. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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  8. Georgina Rudkus

    Georgina Rudkus Senior Member

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  9. wsalopek

    wsalopek Junior Member

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    How does a person "ask the ECM"? I have a Carista OBD-II reader. What do I look for? And what is a good number as opposed to bad/clogged? Thanks...
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    What's the miles on it, and roughly what percent of your miles are EV?
     
  11. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    The link in the bit you quoted goes to a thread where that's all discussed.
     
  12. wsalopek

    wsalopek Junior Member

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    Oops - OK - thanks very much.
     
  13. wsalopek

    wsalopek Junior Member

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    Hi Mendel, 173k miles, maybe 5% on EV.
     
  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    It’s overdue. Easy first step is to check condition of the pipe between EGR valve and intake manifold. Video #16 here:

    Nutz About Bolts Prius Maintenance Videos | PriusChat

    see first couple of links in my signature too, for EGR cleaning tips.
     
  15. Motleyseawolf

    Motleyseawolf New Member

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    What kind of deep discharge battery did you go with? I'm looking at some but there seems to be battery life issues
     
  16. rjparker

    rjparker Tu Humilde Sirviente

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    The Toyota oem 12v battery is better than most and is capable of eight or more years in a hybrid with a few deep discharges due to the hatch light left on.
     
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  17. Andy Pants

    Andy Pants New Member

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    I had the opposite experience. I'm 5'11" and 290lbs with large hands and my 2015 Prius is probably the easiest car I've ever worked on. Did everything (water pump, egr cleaning, updated intake manifold, spark plugs, pcv valve, cleaned intake ports) in one swoop and also leak tested the head gasket while I had everything off. I did cut off the bracket for that lower egr stud though to make future jobs even easier.
     
  18. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Oing this for ones Daughter ensures you will be up they're where she is attempting to keep the love of her life on the road . She is the child remember. Difficult lessons letting go is . Boys. Cars vacuum cleaners etc . Ten more on Gen3 . Review needs Wants Desires as appropriate. Good luck .
     
  19. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    Cut the lower bracket off the egr cooler
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Witness Leader

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    I just backed out the stud, left the bracket intact. Either mod allows you to leave the two studs in the EGR cooler’s exhaust manifold connection as-is, which both saves work/complexity, and gives the rear gasket something to hang on while pulling the cooler forward and out.

    When extracting the cooler (after lower bracket stud removal) it was bumping a pipe directly above (gas tank vapor return?), and I needed to remove its mounting bolt, shift it up for clearance. Maybe cutting the bracket would negate that need, not sure.

    still, I like to keep things “return to stockable”, as much as practical. Mostly cargo cult, I know.

    @Tombukt2 , holy smoke, your missive above is new high water mark.
     
    #40 Mendel Leisk, Dec 16, 2024
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2024