Head gasket replacement reasonable price/worth it?

Welcome to Prius Chat.

Have you tried @Gasket masters ?

They actually perform the work on your Prius as a mobile mechanic service.

They are probably on Craigslist too.

I'd look to have your egr circuit cleaned to ensure you don't have additional issues with that going forward.

 

And the intake manifold.

Info in the following link. You CAN do this virtually for free, if you’ve got the ways and means to DIY.

Bad Flywheel | PriusChat

And a little head gasket info in this thread, though sadly @Gasket masters has taken down the two main videos

New head gasket replacement video from Gasket Masters | PriusChat

 

I consider that part of the egr circuit .

But good to ensure understanding.

 

If you have $3k worth of insurance Gasketmasters is a good option for you.

However, most quality mechanics, dealerships and I all agree just changing a head gasket on a Prius is a gamble, especially on a 2010-14 model. The head can be warped, a connecting rod can be bent, the rings on these years were bad from the factory, etc. The engine is worn even before the gasket failed. So the higher priced quotes usually mean a different, lower mile engine, rebuilt with new rings, machined head, all new gaskets, cleaned egr, intake manifold, etc etc. A rebuilt lower mile engine that you can count on for 100k-200k more miles. They don't want a disappointed customer. They want to do work they can warranty.

Some will say jump in and do it yourself or find the neighborhood guy. Might work, might end up blowing a head gasket again. We have a current thread with a guy who is on his third head gasket in 20k miles.

In your case, I might trust the experience and warranty of Gasketmasters (San Jose area) to fix the head gasket and install a replacement head. I understand their pricing should stay within your $3k coverage. Gasketmasters will let you know if it needs more and can change the engine if they find a bent rod.

By the way, you need to make five posts before we can see your responses in a timely manner.

 

One thing: his Exhaust Gas Recirculation circuit had never been dealt with and (not surprisingly) was near-totally clogged. This time around (assuming he does take the plunge again), he is cleaning the Exhaust Gas Recirculation with the head gasket replacement.

 

I sold my mechanic my 2012 Prius for $400 because it had front end damage and a seized motor.

I had read in the past about people putting gen 4 (2017+) Prius engines in and told my mechanic about it. At first it didn't click for him.

Then I reiterated: The price is hundreds cheaper, it's a 3 year old motor, it's upgraded with no oil burning issues, and they come with like 40-50k miles on them vs. 140-160k on the gen 3 motors.

Anyways, he got one on car-part.com for $800 with 40k miles on it and said it's a very easy swap (he's not done yet tho).

If your mechanic charges any more than $1000 (well, I'll say $1500) then he'd be ripping you off. It's a very easy swap.

So for about $2000 you could have a 2017 Prius Engine inside your 2010. Just something to think about.

(I sent my mechanic this PDF: https://attachments.priuschat.com/attachment-files/2020/02/182535_Gen_4_Engine_into_Gen_3_Prius_Partial_Guide_-_by_PriusChat_member_Alexander_D.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2y86ZiQSHG833VptlT89MQ2e1Ar8BkKxXvCxVQDOoFpRAKxVM4-81uiXg )

He's not done yet cause he has about 10k other jobs going on....Just constantly doing motor/trans swaps and mechanical work. He'd probably charge me $400 or maybe $500 to do a prius motor...Said very easy. Now that 5.3L engine rebuild on the suburban is a much more difficult job.

 

nope

 

My personal experience with Gasket Masters has been exactly the same as most of the other reviews online.
They replaced the head gasket on my vehicle last month, and in about two weeks I started having issues way worse than before. Misfires became more frequent, and the car started going through coolant so quickly that I have to now keep a can of it in the trunk all the time. Walt, the guy from most of the YouTube videos, was initially very communicative, but stopped responding the minute I mentioned there was a problem. I have not heard back from him or his business since.

 

Gasket Masters in northern California worked on a Texas car?

 

They have evidently expanded operations. They will work on your car at your residence.

 

If you paid by credit card you can call the bank from the card and explain the problem.
They will put a hold of the funds until the problem is resolved.

 

Sounds like they are franchising their business model. There is no way they are driving that far for a one off head gasket repair. I know Texas is rather lax on consumer protection and the contractors know it.

 

I wish I'd paid by card, but I didn't. I'm going to replace the HG myself once it gets a little warmer outside and get the head inspected for cracks this time.

If I were to believe what they said, they are currently operating out of locations in CA, KS and one other state.

 

I finally got the time to work on my failed head gasket. While preparing to remove the head bolts, I discovered one of them took no torque at all to get off. On closer inspection, it had been installed without a washer, and at some point had sheared off inside the cylinder block. I had to drill out the other piece using a left-handed bit. The HG was scuffed near that bolt, and the accumulated coolant in cylinder 4 (closest to the broken bolt) had caused the connecting rod to bend.
A few other "design changes" Gasket Masters made:

1. ripped out all the little plastic mounts for the wiring harness just under the cowl
2. threw away the little nut under the EGR cooler
3. eliminated the EGR cooler-exhaust manifold gasket

Everything else pales in comparison to the missed washer, but it is still an annoyance that they would reassemble things so shabbily. To anybody reading this: Strongly consider replacing the head gasket by yourself or by a very trusted mechanic instead of by these fly-by-night operators. The parts don't cost much, and neither do the tools. The most valuable investment will be your time, but it go towards ensuring everything is done just right.

For a clue as to why so many of their customers require somebody else to redo the repairs, listen carefully to their own video at the 1:39:58 mark:

 

Sadly, most "quicky" places skip a lot of things because time is money. Who cares if the leave a fews things off?
It's good enough and the customer won't know....

 

Awesome! Is that a blind hole in the block? I wonder if, with the height of the washer missing, the bolt bottomed in the block and then twisted off.