2010 Valve Cover Gasket Replacement

In addition to your instructions, there are two o-rings/gaskets for the VVT system that need to be replaced whenever the valve cover is removed. They are usually rock hard. You will see in your photo that the old gaskets were still stuck to your cover.

Also, two small dabs of RTV are required on the timing cover-to-camshaft housing seams. This is after you carefully remove the old rtv.

 

I seem to recall someone having trouble with those spark plug gaskets, tapping in the new ones. How'd that go?

 

Not a lot of stuff in the attached, some:

 

That's astoundingly nasty.

The dubious pleasures of acquiring a long-on-the-tooth used car. I suspect it was driven hard and owner rarely if ever popped the hood, relied on quickly-lube type service.

 

I am missing one of the bolts from the engine valve cover gasket. I bought my 2010 Prius used, so I have no clue what the missing bolt dimensions are.
- I looked at the repair manual pages that your provided above and it mentions the torque specs on the 13 bolts, but I'm not sure if the all are the same size. Do you know if they are?

@Prius_Angie since you did this work fairly recently, can you tell me if the 13 bolts from the cover are all the same size?

Below are pics of the bolt I'm missing. It's the one spot between the spark plug connections on the engine valve cover. And, information would be great, so i can replace this bolt. Thanks

 

There's a Toyota parts website that goes into detail. I've drilled down to 2010 valve cover, here, hopefully works:


CYLINDER HEAD. 2010 Toyota Prius Hatchback HYBRID | Toyota

(View "extra images")

That can give you the part number.

That said, I would try swapping around one or two of the adjacent bolts, see if they fit at missing bolt location. Then go to dealership parts dept, taking along a few clear pics of the valve cover, show them which one bolt is missing, and a bolt that fit, just to verify. More than likely they'll have to order it, might take a few days. Bring along the part no(s) you researched too, see if parts guy agrees.

Or wing it, take the compatible swapped in bolt to hardware store, check out their metric bolt section. If possible, check thread fit with a metric nut as well, make sure both your's and the store's bolt fit the nut.

 

Should add: Toyota seems pretty good about using the same bolts whenever practical, especially on single components. Sometimes not possible, but when they can.