questioning the junk yard

[stiches]

most of you know i don't have my k-5 anymore but i trust your guys oppions (sp) more then the guys at the local shop. I am debateing rather or not to go to the local pick-n-pull to get an engine for my 1.3l sammy untill i have enough money for a 1.6...my question is this..

what are the chances of getting a good engine from a junkyard?
150 a good price for a used engine?
what are somethings to look for?
just because the engine's fan moves back and forth does it mean its still good?

 

[dyeager535]

I've only bought one engine from the wrecking yard, I learned from that to make sure you know what you are looking at for one thing. (came out ahead, bigger engine than we thought lol) Casting numbers, physical ID, etc.

Other thing is that the wrecking yards around here give a 30 day guarantee. So you have to be ready to stab the thing in quickly and get a couple of miles on it right away so you find out if there are any problems right away.

$150 sounds like a steal for a used good engine to me. (especially from a business)

 

[Brocky]

We went the junkyard method of getting a engine before and it turned out fine in the end. But when we went there we replaced a few missing parts on the engine donor from other wrecks so we could start the sucker up and get an idea of how good the engine was. See if you can spend a bit of time to fire it up before you commit to it.

 

[jays68yak]

dude let me check with my buddy. hes got 3 sammi motors chillin in his garage. They all came out of sammis that he parted so he will know the history on them, ie if they ran or how well.

 

[diesel4me]

If there is a lot of "end play" in the crank,I'd pass on it..unless you plan to rebuild it first before putting it in..I have had a few motors with excessive end play that ran great,never knew it until I pulled them!..a few others spun bearings and seized in short order..

If the "fan" is only attached to the water pump,its probably just the water pump bearing thats shot..pull in and out on the lower pulleys bolted to the crank,it should move only a few thousandths,anything over 1/6" is too much end play ..hearing it run and watching for smoke is another plus,I'd do that if possible,even if it takes some doing to get it to run..better than finding out AFTER its in your truck!..

 

[gravdigr]

I've gotten a couple salvage yard engines. I have the equipment to pull an engine myself and the yard owner knows me so I get to pick any common engines myself for $100. $150 for an engine they pull is a pretty good deal. I have never been burnt on a salvage engine and in fact when I went looking for a I6 for our old jeep gladiator and the vehicle he pointed me to with the I6 I wanted actually had a buick 350 V8. When I pointed it out he asked me if I still wanted it. He wound up giving me the motor, tranny, Tcase, and driveshafts for $100.

In short I think it all depends on the yard owner but in my experience I have never gotten a bad part from a yard.

 

[diesel4me]

Buyer Beware!!

I've never been intentionally "screwed" by any of the junkyards I bought motors and other stuff from,but I did get a few "bad" parts ,like motors that sat for months with the hoods left open and they filled with water and froze,and the cracks were internal ,and not noted until it was all installed and running!..so I only buy "fresh" motors from wrecks or ones people just drove in recently to scrap that I can hear run..

Most yards owners are honest,but some will sell you anything too...its up to YOU to be sure its WORTH buying!..it might have run perfectly when it arrived there,that does not mean it will if it sits out in the weather too long,especially if a few parts are already removed,like the carb or intake..
many places only give "parts credit" and NO CASH REFUNDS!..so if you buy a "junk" motor,you will have to wait for them to find you another one if that was the only one like you needed..that might take a long time!..

 

[diesel4me]

Buyer Beware!!

I've never been intentionally "screwed" by any of the junkyards I bought motors and other stuff from,but I did get a few "bad" parts ,like motors that sat for months with the hoods left open and they filled with water and froze,and the cracks were internal ,and not noted until it was all installed and running!..so I only buy "fresh" motors from wrecks or ones people just drove in recently to scrap that I can hear run..

Most yards owners are honest,but some will sell you anything too...its up to YOU to be sure its WORTH buying!..it might have run perfectly when it arrived there,that does not mean it will if it sits out in the weather too long,especially if a few parts are already removed,like the carb or intake..
many places only give "parts credit" and NO CASH REFUNDS!..so if you buy a "junk" motor,you will have to wait for them to find you another one if that was the only one like you needed..that might take a long time!..

 

[diesel4me]

Buyer Beware!!

I've never been intentionally "screwed" by any of the junkyards I bought motors and other stuff from,but I did get a few "bad" parts ,like motors that sat for months with the hoods left open and they filled with water and froze,and the cracks were internal ,and not noted until it was all installed and running!..so I only buy "fresh" motors from wrecks or ones people just drove in recently to scrap that I can hear run..

Most yards owners are honest,but some will sell you anything too...its up to YOU to be sure its WORTH buying!..it might have run perfectly when it arrived there,that does not mean it will if it sits out in the weather too long,especially if a few parts are already removed,like the carb or intake..
many places only give "parts credit" and NO CASH REFUNDS!..so if you buy a "junk" motor,you will have to wait for them to find you another one if that was the only one like you needed..that might take a long time!..

 

[diesel4me]

Buyer Beware!!

I've never been intentionally "screwed" by any of the junkyards I bought motors and other stuff from,but I did get a few "bad" parts ,like motors that sat for months with the hoods left open and they filled with water and froze,and the cracks were internal ,and not noted until it was all installed and running!..so I only buy "fresh" motors from wrecks or ones people just drove in recently to scrap that I can hear run..

Most yards owners are honest,but some will sell you anything too...its up to YOU to be sure its WORTH buying!..it might have run perfectly when it arrived there,that does not mean it will if it sits out in the weather too long,especially if a few parts are already removed,like the carb or intake..
many places only give "parts credit" and NO CASH REFUNDS!..so if you buy a "junk" motor,you will have to wait for them to find you another one if that was the only one like you needed..that might take a long time!..

 

[Russell]

Wow! Quadruple post! lol

I've never pulled an engine from a junkyard myself, but I would do as the other guys say, ask to hear the engine run before you buy it.

 

[diesel4me]

yup..4 times????

My AOL connection must have had a hemmorage when I posted that last post!..first it said "Server Error"..then "Connection Timed Out"..after I finally got it to post,it came out 4 times!... it does that to me a lot,and I don't know why,if its my computer,AOL,or this website..it does it on a few other sites as well.... ..I'd have any IPS other than AOL if I had my choice..I think they suck....