Thank you so much for being so detailed with the explanation. I've been looking for this video for two weeks now and every video I watched before they left out a lot of important information. Great job.
I followed Gasket Masters how to replace Gen 3 Prius Head Gasket and ended up with a timing issue on start up... Your tips on tying up the timing chain was what allowed me to get my car running perfectly! Made installing the tensioner so much easier. would like to donate to your channel somehow!
Thats very kind of you and I appreciate you offering. But its absolutely not necessary at all man. But if you wanted to contribute anything man I just purchased my own shop 3 months ago. Its called Riviera Auto. Check us out at rivieraauto.com and leave us a Review on google man. Thanks a bunch for watching and Im very glad it helped out!
Just got mine done, the hardest part was dealing with the removal and installation of the EGR set up. Everything else was easy peasy. Numerous wiring tabs and where it clips onto which no one ever mentions about on their videos can be troublesome to remove, take your time with those. I left the entire exhaust manifold on while removing the head, just unbolt the 2 downpipe bolts and the 1 14mm nut from the bracket.
youtube read my mind and recommended me this video and im glad it did. this is the part that all the other prius head install videos flew through without any details. you broke it all down and walked us through it. thank you i needed this video.
I thank you, your the first person to mention that screen and that it needs to be pulled out and cleaned if necessary of all the RU-vid videos I have watched. The one big thing I hate still is setting the tensioner.
This was a great video sir! My 2013 is all torn apart currently and this video gave a lot of good tips that I wasn't positive about for reinstalling! A+
Thanks brother. I am about to replace the head gasket on my '12 Prius Three. The mechanic's wire tip is a stroke of genius. Also, the other videos just glossed over how to engage the timing chain tensionor and don't cover how to disengage the latch. That would have tripped up anyone that tries this repair on their own. Also, I was going to use the high oil resistant Permatex RTV. Now I know to use FIPG instead. Lastly, I know you'll get better at this, but sometimes a stationary camera works better than a Go Pro. Stationary lighting is better than flash lighting. Use flash lighting only when necessary as it doesn't show up well on video. Please take that as constructive criticism. Video liked and you have a new subscriber. Please keep up the good work and these videos coming!
I appreciate the feedback and the tips.... I am currently at a pause on videos at the moment because im actually in escrow on my own repair shop..... after that closes I am pleased to say I plan on getting some better equipment and will be producing more videos as I did find this quite fun and really like passing on tips that help people out like this... im glad you enjoyed. Dont hesitate to ask if you have any questions 👍
@@rivieraauto8540 Question for you, should I expect upon initial start-up for the engine to rattle rather violently as in Gasket Masters' Baltimore video?
@@acblunden2063 the early morning violent rattle is typically a symptom of the dreaded head gasket leak. I have seen them rattle pretty bad after repair as well and clear up almost immediately. It sould not rattle again after the first start up post relair though. If it does you could have something else going on which is why I always recommend doing the pressure test and borescope inspection before replacing the headgasket. These cars also have a common problem with the EGR systems carbonizing as well.
instead of turning the crank forward and backwards to set the tensioner release , I use a long skinny flat head screw driver to release it from the top down the cam gear to release it. Sometimes it does not release and it messes up the timing when you turn the cran, ask me how I learned the hard way. That wire trick is a great idea too. It gets in the way of the cover going over those 2 O rings areas though, so have to be creative.
Out of the hundreds I have done I have not had an issue with the cams jumping time from turning the crank back and forth. This is actually how the manual recommends releasing the tensioner…. Not saying it cannot happen as things happen but definitely have to be aware of the o rings with the wire trick. It’s easy to cut them if you don’t push them to the side a lil bit.
That wire trick is a must do. Next time I will do it that way , great idea 👍The slop in the chain is what caused mine to slip when I did the tensioner release. By just popping the tensioner with the screwdriver that did the trick@@rivieraauto8540
@@brucewayne2773 you can certainly do with a screwdriver just fine I know guys that use a long pick tool to do it as well….. me I just dont rotate the crank back and forth not very far at all. I actually just use my hand to do it…. No tool. You basically just need to load the plunger a hair to get the pawl to release.
@@brucewayne2773 I used the wire trick. Once wired up, I rotated the crank counterclockwise and this caused the tensioner to pop into place. I tested the tensioner by shoving a screw driver down to test to see if the tensioner was engaged and it was.
So Mahle makes the Toyota head gasket? Do you know if they make the head gasket kit as well? What are your thoughts about using the Mahle RTV that comes with the kit versus the Toyota FIPG? Great info and Thanks for sharing! That wire timing chain method looks like makes the timing tensioner setting fool proof.
Wow, I wish I knew that wire trick a month ago when I had to change out my head gasket. I am now doing a tear down because my timing chain had jumped a tooth
Kind of having a bit of a panic attack after rewatching the beginning of this video 🤣 I can't remember if I reinstalled that little filter! Cars running great though.
Thats usually a pretty bad sign..... I would absolutely recommend inspecting the bottom end for the possibility of a bent connecting rod if that is the case.
1) What is the advantage of using the Mahle kit as opposite to the factory kit? 2) Ive found that starter fluid (hexane) is more effective at removing any oily residue just before assembly. 3) You only need a 1 - 1.5 mm bead of silicone. 4) You got me interested in the denatured alcohol ban and I found a response from a chemical engineer: 'Nearly all denatured alcohol is used as a solvent/stripper. In these uses it simply evaporates into the air, contributing to ground-level ozone. While its use for camp stoves likely contributes little to VOC emissions overall, it isn’t feasible to try to sell a campstove-only formulation. The situation is different when it is added to motor fuel, simply because evaporative emissions in cars and trucks are already well controlled. Whatever alcohol goes through the engine is essentially 100 % destroyed. btw, the federal mandate that California reduce VOC emissions did not specify which sources of VOCs should be controlled. Denatured alcohol was put on the list because industry and stakeholders decided that it would be less disruptive and less expensive to eliminate than some of the other candidates.'
The benefits to using the Mahle Kit is I found out that Mahle is the company who actually makes the factory head gaskets for toyota you can get them cheaper. You can use whatever solvent to clean and prep the mating surfaces so long as it does not leave a residue. Alchol is much cheaper in the long run when you do a lot of engine work than starter fluid that is why I use it. The residue part is key because that will actually effect the bonding properties of the FIPG. As for the ban on denatured alcohol it just makes no sense. If they were so worried about VOCs then they have a very long list of other chemical agents to ban as well. Including Isopropyl Alchol which is essentially the same product without additives to prevent people from trying to consume it by making the taste unbearable. 🤷♂️ who knows. Many ways to skin a cat I use and recommend alchol. Yea the bead size sounds about that..... keep in mind its not going to hurt anything if its not exactly 1-1.5mm exactly so you dont need to get out a ruler to measure the bead or anything. Placement is more critical when you are installing thw cam housings as there are very small oil passages that you do not want to plug.
@@rivieraauto85401) thanks I wasn't aware and I'll look more into the Mahler kits to same some money. 2) The reason ipa is a poor choice is because it contains water and will leave a slight residue behind unless it's given time to dry. Either way, I agree with you that it's probably no biggie and won't affect the bonding plus it's cheaper. 3) Excessive silicone is a big deal as it's can and will eventually break away and get caught in the oil pump pickup screen this reducing oil flow and pressure. I've seen it happen but repairs conducted by Toyota dealerships. 4) I'm not a chemical engineer and don't fully understand all the harm that vocs cause to our environment. I just follow the rules to avoid fines. But, because I hunt and fish, I really appreciate the work done to protect our environment.
I get it I live on clearlake in California which is nationally known for its bass fishing..... that being said..... Im an avid angler myself and do appreciate conservation efforts. Now on the flip side I also believe that we need to be careful with where we go banning certain products. I mean if we ban something as simple as denatured alchol just appease some environmental extremists.... what happens when we trade a lil alcohol for oil leaks that may develop because of a lack of denatured alcohol or something to properly prep our sealing surfaces. 🤷♂️..... I mean I would trade the alchol for oil any day of the week but thats just me. I have had issues finding the Mahle kits lately we are starting to see some supply chain interuptions so if I cannot buy any mahle or Victor reinz kits for these cars I will be using factory gaskets until the mahle kits are available again. I would not even waste my time with the felpro ones though they are trash
no silicone sealant on the head gasket right? and no sealant between the head and valve cover? only on top cover and side one? +Is grey RTV fine all around, or a red one (high temp) is needed? Thank you
Actually service info recommends placing sealant in the very edge under the head gasket where the front of the timing cover bolts to it only. Two halve inch sections roughly require silicone under the head gasket. I recommend toyota fipg or permatex ultra grey
Question, do you recommend buying a new one or reusing the timing chain for the 2010 Prius? My head gasket was leaking, hence I'm doing a gasket replacement. Thanks for your input!
So Far I have re used every timing chain I have ever done a prius head gasket on and have had no issues doing so...so I would recommend saving the money and re using those timing components unless you identify some sort of obvious visual damage during dissassembly. 👍
Excellent video. Very thorough with some great tips. I watched the Gasket Masters video and just changed my gasket two days ago on my 2013 Prius with 285K miles. I was not aware that the head bolt washers had a proper orientation and paid no attention this detail when I put them in. I've been soaking my clogged EGR cooler the the past few days so haven't started the engine yet. Is the washer orientation critical? Should I tear it down again and confirm the washer orientation? And, if I should do that can I use the same head gasket? I installed the FEL-PRO 26515 PT BTW and used new FEL-PRO head bolts.
Personally I would not use the felpro head gasket set for this vehicle. They are not a good quality product and theres a significant difference between the firing rings on the dealer head gasket set and the fel pro set. As for head bolts….. they are actually perfectly re usable on this car….. the washer orientation is an important detail as well and should be properly installed as they are beveled that way to spread torque a certain way and lock in place….. the design is similar to what a crush washer is.
@@rivieraauto8540Thanks for responding. Do you recommend the Mahle head gasket kit over the Victor Reinz kit? I can get the Victor Reinz kit at Rock Auto but they don't carry the Mahle ket. Do you know the Mahle kit number? Both my block and head surfaces were within .001 inches indicating no warping. Do you still recommend taking to the shop to pressure test? Also, did you clean the carbon off the pistons and head? If so, what cleaner do you use for that? What is the spec on the head bolt length? I bought new Felpro head bolts also but will now use the originals if they're within spec. Again, great job on presenting this. Looking forward to more content....
@@garyaderhold1653 you would have to reference alldata on head bolt stretch length as I do not know what the spec is off the top of my head…… but to be perfectly honest….. I have done hundreds of these jobs and have not come across a set of head bolts that were not re usable yet….. now I also made this video during the height of Covid….. I can no longer source the mahle sets anymore either. The victer reinz sets are coming packaged with felpro gaskets now….. therefore I actually stopped using that kit….to be honest your best head gasket set option is from the dealer if quality is what you are looking for you will need to get 2 orings for oil filter housing as the dealer kit is short those o rings but it otherwise comes with everything you need…… as far as decarbonizing It does really help a lot in terms of performance and it is very beneficial to send the head to a good machine shop to have the valve stem seals replaced, head cleaned and pressure checked….. while you’re in there its just cheap insurance. Where I am in california its about 400 bucks to have all that done. But it also includes a light resurface if needed. @.001 in warpage you definitely dont need it resurfaced. But pressure checking the head and vacuum testing the valves and replacing valve stem seals is well worth it.
Hi frank I was using a cheap go pro when I filmed this almost 3 yrs ago. Unfortunately I have not been able to source any of the mahle kits anymore personally….. not sure why but unfortunately they are just unavailable anymore. I have just been buying the valve grind kits from the dealership anymore these days
Head bolts are re usable for the most part but should be inspected. Service information recommends measuring them and replacing if they are out of tolerance. I have yet to come across a set of head bolts for these vehicles that were unable to be re used.
Hello I just did my head gasket and for the timing I did all 3 points on the markers but on the bottom one for the crank I had to adjust it by using my wrench to move it, the balancer has a yellow and a pink markers, I saw other videos that it needs to be aligned with the 0 on the timing cover. Any thoughts on it?
Yeah when installing the timing chain don't worry about the 0 mark on the timing cover so much. Setting the colored links to the correct marks onthe cams and crank is key. You may have to move the crank a hair to get the mark to line up once you have them all lined you want to wire it in place using mechanics wire as demonstrated in the video. Then install the T cover. Once you install the the cover and the timing chain tensionor you are gunna roll the crank pully counter clockwise a lil and then back clockwise to disengage the tensionor. Then set the crank to 0 degrees lined up on the T cover and you should be aligned.
So the head bolts are re useable.... toyota actually has a specification that I recommend looking in the service manual for head gasket replacement. As for the bi hexigon tool you can actually get it on amazon.... the one I have is from mac tools. Which ran me 18 bucks at the time not sure what the cost of that is now.
A full rebuild generally does not happen on these engines, and the reason being is because say theres some cylinder wall damage..... well the block is toast because these engines cannot be bored out or rehones due to the special coating the cylinder walls of these engines have.... however I have seen severe enough head gasket leaks cause connecting rods to bend. Those rods can be replaced if theres no cylimder wall damage. Plus they can be replaced with the engine and trans still in the car. Of I come by one I will definately be making a video of that repair. 👍
I am having issues with the timing chain tensioner on same Engine matrix. The plunger contacts the rail upon install and doesn't extend out at all. It's like there is too much pressure against the plunger and no clicks heard when rotating crank. I've changed to a new tensioner/chain/sprocket and same problem the plunger doesn't extend and I lose timing when I hand crank the engine. Why is this happening? Even my mechanic friends don't understand
In my experience when that occurs its because the timing setup is incorrect..... when the cams are installed correctly they will be a relaxed state when set to tdc compression stroke. Try removing the camshafts again. Re install them but pay close attention to the keyways on the back of the cam gears. Make sure they are in the 12 oclock position before torquing the cams. Then try installing the timing chain. Keep in mind too torquing the cams down in the wrong position may possibly result in bent valves too so its very imperative to position those cams correctly when before you torque them down. There are also additional marks on those cams that may be decieving too. My trick to lastly verify is both the exhaust and intake no.1 cam lobes should sort of be up and pointing toward eachother slightly. For example no.1 exhaust cam lobe pointing toward 1 oclock and no.1 in cam lobe pointing toward 11 oclock position.
@@rivieraauto8540 thanks for the tip I'll try that. I installed the camshaft assembly with the cams locked in same position as when I removed with paper between one of the caps. Are there TDC marks on the cams?
@@dleef911 there are no TDC marks on the camshafts themselves however there is a keyway that is cast i to the face of the came where the cam gear is..... that cam gear needs to be unlocked before installing it on the cam and then when you time the engine by installing timing chain you need to ensure that the cams are locked before installing the tensioner. If im not mistaken the the Matrix also has two vvt cam controllers and I know you mentioned that you had new cam sprockets....do you think its possible that you may have installed the exhaust sprocket on the intake and the exhaust on the intake cam? Or perhaps have the cams backward? That could throw your timing off as well.
@@rivieraauto8540 on recollection, I locked one can bearing plate with paper towel, slightly off TDC, and remove the camshaft entire assembly holder w/cams as a single locked unit. When I reinstalled, the camshafts were slightly off TDC, but that shouldn't have mattered because you can just rotate each camshaft to align TDC right? Did not remove cam sprocket or mix up intake/exhaust camshafts. Tried 3 different timing tensioners and a new chain and every time plunger doesnt extend when hand rotate crank. Had a Honda Tech friend look at it and he doesn't know why either.
@@dleef911 thats gunna be a hard one for me to give any advice on unless I can physically see whats going on to be honest man.what I can say is there is actually multiple marks on each cam sprocket. You have to align them to the correct one.... in my experience most of the time.... the cam sprockets have a paint mark on them from the factory..... thats only helpful though if that paint mark is still visible after however many miles of use the engine u are working on has on it.
I have a lot of success doing headgaskets on these cars in the higher mileage range. Normally on non hybrids I would absolutely suggest an engine replacement because of what you are saying. But I have a rod out of a 250k mile prius engine I can show you that is pretty amazing. The rod bearing looks as if theres not an ounce of wear on it
I have the chain on and timing set. While rotating the engine clockwise at one point the chain has slop between both cam gears and then it snaps tight and it hits the very top guide......is this normal ????
It will do that normally yes as long as the sprockets are not jumping time I also would not recommend rotating it without the timing cover installed and the tensionor in place. However two complete rotations after those things are in place is a necessary check 👍
I have a 2010 Prius, I Already pull the motor head apart I have few questions 1.How to know if the heads are good? 2.if its necessary clean or sand where the gasket goes?
You absolutely need to clean the deck surfaces of both the block and head. Dont use sand paper or any rolo discs as that may remove material to rapidly and then you are screwed if that happens. Get yourself some red scotchbrite pads to clean them by hand. The best way to check the head is going to send it to the machine shop to be pressure checked, you also need to inspect the head for warpage using a feeler guage and machinest straight edge. If the heads warped its toast. Toyota does not recommend a resurface on those heads. There is a spec but its close to something like .020 mm and thats hardly anything. 👍
I always recommend checking service info for torquing procedures when doing this repair no matter which youtube video you watch…… but I did just double check myself and yes it is 22 ft lbs
maybe I should be using new bolts? maybe this is the 2nd head gasket repair on same bolts...I have a new harbor freight torque wrench and it broke...wrench was set at 22lbs
I cannot say here nor there what happened….. but my service info when you read it specifies 22 ft lbs… a difference of 2 ft lbs is not the end of the world when torquing down the cam caps cause these are not torque to yield bolts and thats within the margin of error on most cheaper torque wrenches anyway. on a 2010 prius hb…… What I can tell you is theres a specific procedure you must follow as well. Perhaps its also possible that maybe the cams were not clocked properly during installation or the cam housing may not have been fully seated properly when torquing? …… if you did everything correctly and torqued torqued it to 22 ft lbs and it snapped the bolts…… I would question the torque calibration or quality of your torque wrench….. I do this professionally and I own 3 torque wrenches that cost about 2k dollars…… they are digital snapon techwrenches in 1/4, 3/8/ and 1/2 in drive and they are calibrated…… I have yet to break one out of the 100’s of head gasket jobs I have done on these cars.
Hi everyone, im going to change my head gasket this weekend, had to buy a lot of equipments and all, i want your opinion befor opening the engine, should i do the the job or to go with another engine that’s $$$ but i use my car for work, your opinions is so important and thank you
I have done many of these repairs and have not had an issue..... the key is to absolutely inspect the pistons to ensure that they all come to the top of the bore. If they dont thats an indicator that you have a bent con rod..... I have even replaced those rods without even removing the engine so its absolutely repairable
You forgot to blow the bolt holes they coul be full of oil and when you torque them it will give you an not accurate reading and when they dry up the bolts will be loose.and you don't torque the bolts 36 all at one's first 18 pounds .28 ps 36ps 95 degrees and final 45 degrees. I like the wire tip to hold the chain .thanks good job
No I diddnt forget that, but it may not have wound up on the video cause my camera died at a few points. Thanks though had an old foreman at toyota teach me that trick its pretty slick huh. And the manual states three stages for those head bolts..... 36 ft lbs the 90 degrees and 45.
This video was made about 3 years ago and unfortunately some things have changed. The Mahle head gasket kit for this vehicle has become hard to come by post Covid unfortunately. Currently I have found that the best head gasket kit to buy for these cars are what they call a Valve Grind kit from the dealership
Head bolts, After going through the 36 FT LBS, then the 90 degree and then the 45 degree I found the final torque was 62 FT LBS for the head bolts. This is what I will do from now on, just sneak up 10 FT LBS at a time. Test this with your torque wrench after going through the degree sequence of tightening. At least this way you will know all head bolts are of the same torque and much easier to do. Years ago they did not have this B.S. degree tightening.
Would always recommend manufacture specifications and following manufacture recommendations for this procedure. This is a pretty critical torquing procedure and if not properly followed could lead to repeat repairs and or damaged components
What Riviera said. Head bolts are quite often, torque to yield bolts, made from materials designed to stretch, giving a specific clamp force based on the amount of stretch theyre giving. And this is the important idea here- Clamping force. Bolts torqued to the same torque spec, may not actually all provide the same *clamping* force. Any grit or corrosion on the threads, any oil or lubricant, how much of either, a lot of little things will begin to factor. When you use a torque wrench, sure- The bolts will all have the same *torque* applied to them- But this doesnt mean the bolts are all being *stretched* the same (as any of the previously mentioned factors will effect *when* the bolts see that much torque) and by relation: putting an equal amount of "clamp" force between the head and the block. This is why its becoming more common to torque to angle now. Its actually a more accurate way to reliably ensure you have equal *clamping force* between all the bolts. The initial low-torque setting is there to ensure the bolts "seat" properly in their threads- and then tightening the bolts by angle ensures the bolts all "Stretch" the same, thus providing very equal clamping force. It doesnt matter if theres a bit of extra grit or lube or whatever in the threads- When you rotate the bolt By X degrees, it will be stretching a specific amount, regardless of how much torque it takes to get there.
