Guess it depends on the price and if you can do your own work

 

Depends on the asking price. If it's $1,000 - then yeah, totally worth buying and putting some effort into replacing and fixing the engine and gasket.

Anything more than the engine replacement cost then I would pass.

 

Head gasket does not equal blown motor. Unless it hydrolocked due to blown gasket.

 

ill buy if it you dont

 

If it truly is just a blown head gasket and not other, ie. piston, valve, rod etc damage.

 

i was quoted by the shop i had a blown head gasket. It bogged like a WRX and whistled and whined when i stepped on the gas. A buddy told me to pick up a $40 green bottle of head gasket repair and follow instructuons and it fixed it. Its been 2 months now and no issues and runs great.

 

PIctures.. I bought it. Tried to add to the first post. Paid $1500 for it, plus the tow.
It has the oil cooler on it. For some reason those engines are more pricey. Found one with 80k for $1700
and found one with out the oil cooler for $1000 with 65k miles on it. I was told I could use the none oil cooled one. I'd just have to
swap oil pans..

 

not sure how mechanically inclined you are. to really determine the issue of the motor. do a cylinder leak down test. if you see bubbles in the coolant (bad head gasket), air in the intake (bent intake valves), air in the exhaust (bent exhaust valves).

but the heads are not too hard to do. in short.
bring cylinder 2 to DTC,
remove windshield washer cowel
remove belts
remove motor mount
remove tbelt covers
remove tbelt tension er
remove intake plenum
remove heads

Things to check to see
piston heads
piston TDC on all pistons
valves to see if they are bent (you will need a valve compressor)

parts you would need
tbelt (optional - you are already there)
drive belts (optional - you are already there)
water pump (optional - you are already there)
head gasket replacement kit with head bolts. (somewhere under 200)



I would get Toyota OEM tbelt. it has marks on belt that line up with the pullies (makes doing tbelts almost idiot proff) As long as the alignment marks line up you are good to go. in the end. for under 400 you can do it yourself. or pay crate motor plus install.

 

You won't need a timing belt(TB), 2009 doesn't use a belt AFIK. Good luck and enjoy your new hobby, looks like fun!

 

looks very clean! Definitely look into repairing the engine. Shouldn't be hard to determine if it is a lost cause. Could be a $500 fix at the end of the day. Oil cooler I believe is part of towing package, though I could be wrong.

 

Thanks...
My best friend is a lexus tech. The lady who owned it explained it to me as a blown engine because of a possible head gasket issue. She said she took the car to Jiffy Lube for oil change, She left there to run errands around town and when she was done and on her way back home the car shut off and was steaming hot. She said when the checked under the hood there was no coolant in the reservoir.and the radiator was almost empty when they finally let it cool to check. They towed it back to jiffy Lube and was told by a tech there it was a blown head gasket. She then had it towed to her home where it sat for about 1 month before listing it for sale. They bought new car. This is a 1 owner car.The battery was dead so a new one or charged one is needed. I'll get one today.The timing belt had just been done/inspected about 15k miles according to the paper work in the car. by Lexus at that. Maybe the water pump failed... not sure.. but hopefully it will not end up with a lot of other issues...

 

Former Lexus tech here. i left about 2008. but based on the story. it could be the head gasket or even a failed water pump. either way cylinder leak down test would be the best way to determine if its a head gasket.

sounds like a fun project car.

 

>>>> The timing belt had just been done/inspected about 15k miles according to the paper work in the car

Are you sure it doesn't say "drive belt" or "timing chain", because 2009 RX350 uses a "timing chain", not a belt, assuming it is the original 3.5L motor that they come with.