Head gasket Repair. Need shop suggestions?

Most if not all engines have donor vehicle pictures, and gen 4 wont have really old engine compare to gen 3’s. They have 6 month warranty on the block and not the bolton stuff like air intake, water pump,egr assembly

 

But if you've already gone to all the trouble of installing and firing up the replacement engine before you discover there's a major problem...?

 

If this was my car or one of my customers’ cars, I would still recommend going with a new Gen 3 short block from Toyota ($2k) instead of a Gen4 swap. With a new short block it becomes a true “plug and play” repair with no known compatibility issues. To a potential buyer, the new Gen3 short block adds real value (imo) and does not generate concerns about the quality of the repair.

 

The engines are literally identical. The return hose is just angeled different. Third gen comes out straight where 4th gen is 90 degree. But your route would break the bank even more. Some of this cars have more than 300,000 miles and filled with carbon in egr and intake ports.

 

Looking at the short block, say on McGeorge Toyota, it's confusing. Do you get a complete sub-assembly, everything below the head gasket, or is it just the main casting, and then you've got to buy the pistons rings, crankshaft, oil pan upper, oil pan lower, and on and on?

Here's the link, if I enter info as a 2015 prius (which seems most prudent, to ensure the updated pistons/rings), and then search for "short block":

Short Block - Toyota (11400-37140) | Toyota Parts

And the price is $1724

Then, here's the link to "engine" category, and item #1 is "short block", and the same price, but it's just pointing at that single casting. For example, item #31, the casting below, is distinct:

Engine for 2015 Toyota Prius | Toyota Parts

They're certainly not spelling out, what a "short block" includes. I'd like to think you're right, but that seems like a really good price (hopefully true), when you start added up the component prices.

Googling a bit more, what a "short block" is, you must be right.

 

A "short block" includes the crank, bearings, pistons and rings. And it is fully assembled. You simply provide the oil pump, oil pan(s), cylinder head (and everything north of it).

This diagram provides a better visualization:

SHORT BLOCK ASSEMBLY. For Prius v | Village Toyota Parts

Everytime I see an engine that has been retrofitted in a car to make it work, there are usually issues. Whether it was an install issue (due to an incompetent installer) or a true compatibility issue. Those are usually cars that I avoid, and most customers that I've talked to are not crazy about the idea. If you plan to keep the car and you make the minor changes, it is probably fine. But the car will be difficult to resell, at least to an informed consumer.

 

New oil pans, upper and lower, item 31, would push the price up about $360. But yeah, you can very likely swap over from the old engine, no problem.

 

Toyota Prius Hybrid 1.8L 2ZRFXE New Short Block Genuine OE OEM 11400-37140 | eBay

$1979 sounds like a smoking deal to me. Plus it was assembled in Japan. Just add the overhaul gasket kit and machine shop work (for the existing cylinder head) and you should have a very reliable engine for around $2500.

 

The only thing that gives mine away that the Gen 4 block has been retrofitted into mine is the unplugged oil level sensor. The stealership even pointed that out in the inspection when they did my hybrid system update. When I picked it up, I let them know what I did. The technician didn’t even know it was possible. The service writer was blown away.

 

So there is no place for the oil level sensor on the Gen4 engine? We should have a sticky thread on the differences between the two engines. If the car is scanned with Techstream does it show any oem-specific dtc's for the oil level sensor?

 

The sensor is on the Gen 4 block. It’s not on a Gen 3 wiring harness to plug it in.

 

This thread just reminded me, it’s been more then 24 hours since I checked my oil and antifreeze. LoL

 

Ok, so both gen 3 and 4 have oil pressure sensor, only gen 4 has oil level sensor?

 

Yes that’s correct. The Gen 3 has no provision for monitoring the level.