3rd Generation Toyota Prius JDM 1.8L Engine Swap - Removal and Installation (2010 - 2014)

In this video is a 2013 Toyota Prius with around 185,000 mile and the engine has a bad head gasket. It's loosing coolant, oil has a milky color, and starting to knock. The owner purchased a JDM Prius engine on eBay for around $1,700 that I will be swapping over.
www.happywrenching.com
Music in this video -
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[@preludethomas1061]

Tips from my engine swaps: Be very careful removing the wiper assembly. The windshield hangs over in such a way that it would be easy to chip it. If something is not coming out or going in properly, take a step back and figure out why, do not just force it. Using the correct tool, or combination of tools will save you a lot of frustration. Bungee chords are good for getting hoses and harnesses out of the way. Battery operated rechargeable lights/tools are your friends. If you do not have someone to bring you food and check on you, get some high energy/ high calorie food before starting to have on hand. Plenty of healthy fluids/electrolytes on hand as well. More food and liquids than you think you'll need. Rest if you notice you're fatigued and are starting to make mistakes or getting clumsy. Before you rest, make sure you get to a good stopping point. Don't halfway complete a step or multiple steps, especially during installation. Having a couple different types of gloves readily available is nice. Your skin is permeable and will absorb chemicals. A face covering for the dust. Quality non fogging eye protection! If you're going to drink beer, wait until you're done. Happy engine swapping. 🤓

[@bradrajchel1750]

Thank you so much for this! Just did my first ever engine swap and is going very well so far thanks to this video. Someone commented on turning the music down but after my first couple of busted knuckles I found it very calming! 😂

[@Redeemed52597]

Very grateful for you suggesting the use of maintenance mode when first starting the engine, and making a point to document the 2 differences in the JDM engine and the stock engine. Getting the fuel line apart was tough. I couldn't get the store bought tool you used to work for me, but I was able to "MacGyver" something using the stiff inner plastic lining of the old fuel line. It's a shame these JDM guys don't properly disconnect the fuel line at the plastic disconnect. And not only that, but they didn't even plug the fuel line! So now potentially moisture and debris has gotten down in there. A few suggestion for your video: Turn down the music and do more talking and explaining things. This is not a woodworking project where you are just sawing up a bunch of lumber and assembling it. Also, when reinstalling the engine, people need to know if the engine is refusing to go into the transmission it is likely because the splines of the engine are not lined up properly with the splines of the transmission and you may need to use a 19mm socket with a long arm wrench to turn the crankcase pully to line up the splines. I would also encourage people to drain out whatever old fuel they can from the fuel injector rail either by tilting the engine (prior to installation) or removing the fuel rail.

[@gyorgyzoltan369]

"Thank you so much for all the hard work you put into this video. I truly appreciate it. It meant so much for me.

[@troymorris1278]

Thank you for posting this. i just did my swap successfully because of your video.

[@Bigknuxholikz]

Awesome video....I'll use this method to replace my damper clutch.....Thanks big times.

[@fiteboss]

Easy job. Did mine last weekend. Just over 8 hours and I wasn't working particularly hard.

[@23droctopus]

Mines isn’t starting I did everything right Engines not turning on

[@fiteboss]

@@23droctopus make sure you have reconnected the HV battery properly. It's a very common mistake.

[@23droctopus]

@@fiteboss i wish that orange plug was the reason my car isn’t starting.. you didn’t do any reprogramming ?

[@dougie2631]

​@23droctopus what was it?

[@mr.selfdestruct1677]

I'm sure he left something unplugged

[@milosblagojevic4087]

Great video . Thanks .

[@enriquedelira2983]

Súper good video thank you so much 👍🤩

[@tmph1814]

Dang you made this job looks very easy! Anything else you want to point out besides the purge valve hose and the fuel line issues? Thank you very much!

[@everestinspections9088]

nice job

[@wkwmobile]

Thanks for doing the Gen 3 engine swap video. Since this was about a year ago, do you still have the car and is it still driving?

[@happywrenching]

This was a customers car and I haven’t heard from the customer so I assume all is good!

[@mrvic92154]

Not sure if anybody mentioned this but does the 2014 engine have the head gasket issue like the 2012, you make it look very basic, thank you for a great job on the video,

[@AngryBob81]

yes all Gen 3 years

[@jimolson5018]

Excellent video. You make it look easy. What are the pros/cons of using a new Toyota short block ($1800) and retrofitting the old head to the new short block? Contrary to the comment below that replacing the motor is overkill to fix a blown head gasket, I think the core Gen 3 Prius problem that caused a blown gasket is piston blow-by.

[@happywrenching]

New short block is also an option but now you have to add the cost of resurfacing the head and purchasing all the gaskets and seals. Then there is the time (and labor cost if you are not doing it yourself) to clean and reassemble all of the parts and at the end of that you are still left with your older high mileage parts (minus the new short block). I'd much rather skip all that and just get a jdm engine for $1800 which is what the owner of the Prius in the video spent.

[@QuincyStick]

what makes you believe blow by is the cause?

[@dougie2631]

What makes you think that piston blow by is the cause of the head gasket problem?

[@nastytaco420]

doesnt the jdm have a used head in it anyway? not like it has that much life left on the head you put in with jdm engine?

[@misterfakeid]

Wow how do you remember to connect everything??? Gives me a headache thinking of doing all this.

[@redamohamed4759]

Hi Happywrenching, I admire your organised work, I am curious what is the name of the tool you used to lift the car in this video and does it give you a room to work under the car or just like a jack? Thanks

[@happywrenching]

The lift is called a QuickJack and this model is rated to lift 7000lbs and around 2.5 feet high. One of my favorite and most used tools in my garage!

[@user-qd2cl1ww6u]

Japenese version prius is in right drive but American prius is in left drive, are their engine the same?

[@giopirmisashvili5514]

Thanks

[@connorlearmonth665]

So in a nutshell, remove all wires, hoses, pipes and any accessory’s from the engine that are in the way. Then separate from transmission, put on hoist, and remove engine mounts? Once the transmission is unbolted, does the engine simply pull away from it, and is does the torque converter get in the way at all?

[@happywrenching]

There is no torque converter on a Prius. Its a similar setup to a manual transmission where the flywheel on the engine slips on to the input spline on the transmission. So yeah, simply pulls away.

[@andypeterson2126]

Seems easier then changing the head gasket

[@user-zh6nl6ug5s]

Is this similar to replacing the same motor on a Lexus ct200h?

[@QuincyStick]

compared to the head gasket, how much harder would you say this is? doesn't seem too difficult and my prius either needs a new head gasket or engine and I'm just trying to figure out which would be right for me. I haven't turned many wrenches in my life, but think I could figure it out.

[@happywrenching]

No doubt about it, this is easier and less chance for error. With head gasket you need to resurface the head and then mess with the timing chain. You do need an engine lift though, so there is that to consider.

[@PaulLebow]

Fantastic video! What would you estimate the total time for the project for you was? How do you keep track of the nuts and bolts?

[@happywrenching]

I think I had 16 hours into this. I had some experience with the 2nd gen prius so that def helped. I keep the nuts and bolts with each part I take off. Probably not the best method but it's worked for me.

[@PaulLebow]

@@happywrenching Thanks. Was going to go with a head gasket with 185K on my Prius but it seems that may even be more involved looking at some videos. Resale may be a bit better with just 50K on the engine.

[@mpmceo]

@@happywrenching what should be the average cost of having a local mechanic swap an engine for me? I have a 2012 with possible head gasket failure.

[@geraldhk1]

May I know how to unplug the ac Compres cable?

[@danielchitown9339]

Do i need to reset computer after replacing engine and transmission in 2010 pruis ?

[@soohwaseo8023]

As long as 2010 Prius can run another 100k miles with replacement, 3rd gen JDM engine swap under 2k cost is also doable. Thanks!

[@user-dj9qi9jt1b]

Thanks for sharing this footage, very motivated video for me to swap my 260k engine with coolant starting liking in cylinders. Luckily I found local guys who selling jdm engines. Got engine with 55k for $1400. Should I replace head gasket before swapping?

[@happywrenching]

Personally, I would not touch the head gasket at this point. 1,400 is a great price!

[@user-dj9qi9jt1b]

@@happywrenching Thanks for fast reply. I'm a bit nervous, will do it first time in my life).

[@Cardell15]

@@user-dj9qi9jt1b I did it today totally worth it takes about 2 days.

[@user-dj9qi9jt1b]

@@Cardell15 congrats! Finally I swapped, took me 3 days. Got check engine light with jdm throttle body, put mine old one and check is disappeared. My prius now drives like new.

[@josegarcia-th3pj]

so there a 9 screw for the transmission engine

[@kristiantorres6793]

I recently swap my 2011 Prius motor.However, I’m having issues starting the motor. The dash is displaying “check hybrid system”. Have you had this issue or know how to resolve this. Any help would be helpful.

[@happywrenching]

Most common cause is incorrectly installing the orange safety switch on the hybrid battery. Can't count how many times people don't push that connector all the way in when reinstalling it. Prius uses the hybrid battery to turn the engine over during starting. If the safety switch is not reinstalled correctly the hybrid battery won't work.

[@gn3ricc]

Engine turns on , but I can’t put it into gear. Anybody have any tips? Did anybody have to program?

[@castillo8129]

Did you do the timing chain timing before installing the new engine?

[@happywrenching]

Not needed, this engine had around 50k miles on it.

[@castillo8129]

@@happywrenching Thanks

[@MrAvlandrew]

nicely done, were you happy with the new engine?

[@happywrenching]

It was for a customer and I haven't heard any complaints yet!

[@geraldhk1]

May I know how much time did you do from start to hang the engine up? Thanks My engine is dead because of the head gasket I think need to replace engine…..T_T I wanna calculate the whole process time

[@happywrenching]

I think I had 16 hours into this. I had some experience with the 2nd gen prius so that def helped.

[@geraldhk1]

Thanks a lot. 🤣I hope that I can complete it. Thanks for your reply;)

[@soohwaseo8023]

Thank you so much for your wonderful video. I bought my son a 2010 Prius 2 years ago with almost 300k miles on it. My son used it well until recently when the engine showed some trouble and diagnosed as leaking and recommended to replace or rebuild after I cleaned the intake manifold with WD-40. WD-40 messed up whole engine. I replaced front and rear studs with my son, which gave better ride quality while ago. I want to replace the engine with a JDM engine which is only viable option simply because of the cost. I asked one shop to replace it but they gave up. So here are my questions. 1) Can a non-mechanic & unexperienced person like me do this engine replacement? If it is doable project, I can either buy a lift or rent it if possible along with a JDM engine. 2) I saw a KZbin video about replacing 3rd gen engine with 4th gen engine. As I remember correctly, 2010 Prius engine can be replaced with 2017 Prius engine. Do you know anything about it? Thanks!

[@happywrenching]

If you don't have any kind of experience working on cars then I would not recommend this as your first project. However, if you have all of the right tools I believe its possible - will just take you extra time. I have also seen people using 4th gen engines but do not have first hand experience with that.

[@limkisoo]

@@happywrenching Thank you for your kind reply! I have a little bit of experience such as oil change, front & rear strut assembly replacement. I really want to do it either by myself or by a mechanic. I tried several shops around my place (Rockville, Maryland), but all of them didn't want to do it. I found an online JDM engine store located in NJ, but they only ship to residential address with liftgate. I have basic tools such as impact driver and sockets which used to do strut replacement, oil change, intake manifold cleaning. Which tools do I have to get to complete this project? Thank you so much! I posted above comment using my wife's account. So, same person^^

[@happywrenching]

@@limkisoo you'll want to have a few different socket extensions, swivel socket adapters, fuel line disconnect tool, pliers for removing coolant hoses, and spanner wrenches for reaching into hard to reach places. Those are just some of the tools that jump out at me.

[@soohwaseo8023]

@@happywrenching I saw you using long extensions. I only have medium long extensions though I have swivel socket adapters. I remember that I read something about torque. Is it about how much force you use to fasten the bolts, right? I lack many basic knowledge. I will watch your video several more times to get accustomed to it before I actually start working. As far as I remember there is no electronics involved, right? Only disconnecting all connectors and hoses and connect them all again. Thanks!

[@happywrenching]

@@soohwaseo8023 yes having a torque wrench will help you tighten all of the nuts and bolts to the correct factory torque. No electronics involved but again, you will need the fuel line disconnect tool.

[@hendrickrosemond1342]

Where did you get your engine torque specs? I’m looking for some on Nissan Sentra 2010

[@happywrenching]

If a google search doesn't get me the info then I either turn to alldata diy or get a day subscription to all service manuals from the manufacturer. Usually runs me around $30 and well worth it.

[@danielchitown9339]

After installing the engine do i need to take it to the dealer to reprogram everything or no ?

[@allisonspringer8152]

No

[@MrAvlandrew]

question, my JDM salesman told me that intake and outake manifolds will not connect with the usa wiring harness. thoughts?

[@happywrenching]

I had absolutely no issues using usa harness with the jdm engine. All the connections were the same.

[@mjuhanil]

Is there only the one engine mount? Does the JDM come with clutch

[@happywrenching]

Only one engine mount, the rest of the mounts hold the transmission. The JDM engine we purchased for this video came with the clutch. Can't say that all of them do.

[@mjuhanil]

@@happywrenching Does the fan an radiator need to come out too

[@happywrenching]

@@mjuhanil no

[@dee651]

Do you need a jdm Ecu with a jdm motor?

[@happywrenching]

No, you do not need to change ecu.

[@user-oz3dq7dd2l]

Better to remove intake manifold , to get much space

[@ronaldo77782]

No torque converter bolts?

[@happywrenching]

No torque converter in a prius and no bolts to mess with

[@mouawangtzullc6316]

can u replace my engine for the 2013 toyota prius? I need it to replace a new engine?

[@happywrenching]

Hi there, normally I would but this year is super busy - I do not have time to take on additional work. Good luck though!

[@jessegarcia731]

So there's no bolt inside the tranny to motor? Just the outside ones??

[@happywrenching]

That is correct

[@kevinnguyen951]

Is the JDM motor better than US motor?

[@happywrenching]

Functionally, they are the exact same engine. The advantage to getting a JDM motor is that it has significantly lower miles than motors found in the US.

[@kevinnguyen951]

@@happywrenching Thank you for your reply. Where is the best company to get a JDM motor from

[@happywrenching]

@@kevinnguyen951 My goto for jdm engines is eBay. There are plenty of good sellers on there. The engine in this video was bought on ebay - sunshinestatejdm was the seller. As long as you find a seller with good feedback you should be in fine.

[@L7Fx]

@@happywrenchingwhy do they seem so much more affordable? how do they get imported without without having to charge way more

[@onefromfuture6913]

Where you get your engine?

[@happywrenching]

bought from eBay

[@onefromfuture6913]

@@happywrenching do you have heater issues after installing this engine?

[@happywrenching]

@@onefromfuture6913 nope, no issues with heater. If you have no heat then most likely there is air trapped in the coolant lines. There are many videos on how to bleed the cooling system

[@mouawangtzullc6316]

i live MN

[@sergeyt8514]

Where can I buy an engine?

[@happywrenching]

My go-to place for buying jdm engines in the US is eBay.

[@sergeyt8514]

@@happywrenching is it true that 2009 and 2010 Toyota corollas have the same exact blocks? I wonder if I can find a Corolla block and put it all together

[@happywrenching]

@@sergeyt8514 I'm sure they are similar but have no idea what is all involved in the swap and whether it will work or not.

[@davidkoszka]

Is a Prius C similar?

[@happywrenching]

Overall process is similar but there are some different steps because the Prius C has a different 1.5L engine.

[@BogdanBogdan-um9zi]

You swap an engine for a blown head gasket? It's like purchasing a new car because of a flat tire...

[@happywrenching]

The swap was a customer's request. The jdm engine was in mint condition - everything pretty much new. Some people like having that peace of mind of not having to worry about fixing more issues that may pop up with high mileage engines.

[@truth4reel]

@@happywrenching don't bother replying.

[@rondhole]

@@happywrenching The problem is the old head gasket design that has shallower bumps around the cylinder. Toyota updated the head gasket design in 2014.

[@johnmartinez8799]

We have to do this every 300k miles. A Blowed head gasket means water pump damage and inside engine damage.

[@Cardell15]

I had a prius with blown head gasket and would burn coolant so I changed the head gasket and it still misfired so changing the engine fixed all my issues.

[@windows95pro48]

is there a difference between usdm and jdm 3rd gen prius motors?