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Someone I know is considering replacing his high mileage engine with an engine from a junkyard. They can't afford a new car right now. The engine needs too many expensive repairs. The junkyard engine has far fewer miles on it. It's much cheaper to just swap the engines. In a year or two, they will be able to buy a new car. It's not possible now. Good idea? or not?
What is the cost difference between a junkyard engine and rebuilding the current one?
Downside to a junkyard engine is, although it may come with a 30-day warranty, you will still have to pay for the labor to have the old engine pulled and the new one installed. If the junk yard engine has any issues, you will have to pay for the labor.
Do you mean new car or newer car? If they are going to get a new car certainly they would be able to afford a cheap used one? If you look enough you can pick up some really nice used cars cheap.
Whether it's worth it depends on the shape of the rest of the car. If it's all beat up it may be worth it to them if it's the only option but that's lot of work to put money into something that is junk. My old man swapped an engine on a truck he had because the truck was still in really good shape. He bought a crated one and the work was done by friend who has a garage.... 50K miles later it's still rolling a long fine.
Trouble with getting something from the junkyard if you can't start it you are rolling the dice. I'd strongly suggest picking one from smashed car, preferably one that wasn't hit near the engine compartment in particular near the battery.
The difference is roughly $2300! They do have someone to install it for $500 plus any issues. That puts the difference at around $1800.
Is the car junk? what's it going to cost them? $1000, another $1000 and you can have the car I just linked too. If the body is in good shape it's going another 200K.
The vehicle has roughly 190,000 miles on it. The engine they're getting is from a smashed up vehicle.
What year and what condition is the car? What is it going to cost them total for engine? $1000?
You can find a decent running car for $1000, I sold a 92 Buick regal last year that had 68K on it for $1200, it did have R title but I had the pictures and it was all cosmetic damage. They stole it from me but that is what I could get for it.
a vehicle involved in a wreck most of the time is operating at that moment .. meaning the engine was running .. when I worked at a junkyard in the last century we made every effort to start a wrecked car engine before we pulled it out .I would not be concerned about buying a used engine .. I would give it a good looking over to check for fluid and oil leaks before purchasing it though ..
junkyard engines can be a good deal, but they can also be a nightmare to deal with. if you can check it over before you buy it, as best you can. pull the oil pan for instance and pull a couple of random rod caps and a main bearing cap and check the condition of the bearings. if you cant do that, then at least check the condition of the oil in the engine.
in the end the advice coalman gave is excellent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thecoalman
Do you mean new car or newer car? If they are going to get a new car certainly they would be able to afford a cheap used one? If you look enough you can pick up some really nice used cars cheap.
Whether it's worth it depends on the shape of the rest of the car. If it's all beat up it may be worth it to them if it's the only option but that's lot of work to put money into something that is junk. My old man swapped an engine on a truck he had because the truck was still in really good shape. He bought a crated one and the work was done by friend who has a garage.... 50K miles later it's still rolling a long fine.
Trouble with getting something from the junkyard if you can't start it you are rolling the dice. I'd strongly suggest picking one from smashed car, preferably one that wasn't hit near the engine compartment in particular near the battery.
Junkyard engines can be hit or miss, but I've typically seen them work without too many issues.
There was a Saab at our endurance race last weekend running on a 180k mile junkyard engine. They sorted out a couple of issues in the pits but otherwise raced 16 hours over the weekend.
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