I'll soon bee in the market to get a used, but running sbc for my project (most likely via CL). I see all price ranges, but it seems a decent running small block goes for around $500. I don't need anything special to begin with, just want to get the car on the road. So what should I ask the seller specifically and what do I look out for? Without hearing a motor run, it may be difficult to judge from the outside what condition a motor is in. I want to be as thorough as possible and know what I'm getting.
Not sure about Phoenix, but there is a police/tow lot auction here occasionally, and you can usually buy a running car for $500 or less. It's a good way to get a drivetrain plus other bits and pieces. When you're done stripping it, haul the skeleton off to the scrapyard and recoup half your investment. If buying off of Craigslist, I'd at least want to pull the valve covers to have a look for sludge, or lack of it, and also do a compression check. Those two items will give you a pretty good idea as to the condition of the engine. Of course it won't reveal spun bearings, but if you are able to drain the USED oil out of it and have a look make sure it doesn't glitter in the sunlight. Spark plugs should all look very similar. If some are very clean or very dirty, it might have a coolant leak or bad oil rings.
Make sure that sucker spins freely!! I'd want to see the oil out of the pan as well but I might be shut down on that. What else? Oh look for missing paint, I bought an engine that was a RUNNER, missing a lot of paint off the block.....that sucker got SO hot it burnt the paint off. Pull a plug or 8 and see if when you roll the engine over, that air blows out the missing plug hole. Then you'll know you have compression. What else? *scratches head*
Things I would watch for are: * Recent rebuild, but no papers * Ran great when pulled 8 years ago * Paid a lot but selling for 1/2 price to get rid of it... All of the above may be in fact true, but don't bet on it with your hard earned cash. This is assuming you do not know the seller, and can't get any references about him. Pay for what it appears you are getting, and if you don't hear it run, consider that you are buying an engine that needs an overhaul.. JMHO...and good luck! Cheers,
I'm entertaining the idea of a donor pickup. Most can be had cheap and, like you said, have all accessories and can be driven. Plus I could always keep it for a future project. But I don't have space for another vehicle nor the resources to haul it away afterward. It seems like more work dealing with an entire car/truck. I like the idea but don't want to lose focus or get in too deep. Just yet.
If you can't drive it, don't pay more than core value (like $100) Running it with no exhaust on it, etc, will not tell you a lot, it's hard to hear the bad noises.
Yep unless you can hear it run or the seller will back it up in writing it is basically a rebuildable core engine in my book and worth core price. I'm one for buying a running and driving doner vehicle that you can drive home and pull the engine or one that runs good and has a blown transmission. That gives you all the accessory brackets and starter and alternator that you otherwise have to go out and hunt down and buy. Pull the engine and pieces and either put it on Craigslist for cheap or call the junkyard to come and get it. The yards around here are buying dead cars with clear titles right and left right now so that should be the same there. Years ago we used to find a lot of decent doner cars on the back rows of used car lots or in the back trade in lot of dealerships. That crusty looking two wheel drive 70 something burb probably has an interesting engine/trans combo in it and the whole thing may be cheaper than a craigslist engine.
I've always figured that if I can't hear it run, it'll need a full rebuild or worst case scenario, the block is cracked and is scrap. How much money can you afford to gamble?
A lot of good advice here. Squirrel gave you my general rule of thumb on anything used. Not a problem for me (or him) but could be of major concern for someone with limited funds and/or mechanical ability. Look for leaking oil everywhere. Sounds goofy I know but crusty leaky engines as a rule are running engines. On overhauled engines aside from paperwork (at the very least parts receipts) Look along the gasket lines for paint, Kansas City is the Capitol of the Kingdome of the Rattle Can Overhaul. Get an old engine, give it a quick cleaning, a serious rattle can squirting and call it a fresh engine. You can't mask well enough to cover the edges of the gaskets. On an up note I spent afternoons the last week getting an old small block running. The last time the vehicle was tagged was '83, its a '68 model small block and the receipts for parts like fuel pump starter that sort of thing are from 2003. Wired it properly, got it to pic up fuel, replaced the dizzy etc. It lit on the third turn and runs like a top. Makes about 60 psi oil pressure off idle on the old oil, doesn't clatter or rattle and idles right down. It was a ran when parked, an assumed 1983. So even though I am normally a little negative about an engine that I didn't open for inspection there is the exception to the rule and once in awhile you get a good one. Good luck.
I'm leaning more and more towards a donor vehicle. Aside from brackets, pulleys, and bolt-ons, I can diagnose the motor properly (that seems to be the biggest perk). My ideal candidate is a 67-72 Chevy pickup, or a 4dr muscle car.
I took my SBC Casting number cheat sheet with me to see if it was what the guy said it was.... then I also told him I wasn't going to just take the motor, but I wanted to pull the heads and the oil pan to check it out... good thing was it was supposed to be a 10K on a rebuild, when we pulled the heads and pan, it looked like it had just been rebuilt! so I took it! I wouldn't buy any motor that you can't see the inside of much less hear it run in a car.
I bought a used 327/350 horse short block that APPEARED to be very nice from the visual. I decided to pull a piston to check it out.........it came out in three large pieces. I took it back within 2 hours of the purchase and they accused me of putting a pan, heads, intake and distributor in it and 'blowing it up'! All in the span of a few hours. The engine was stone cold. What a crock! I was smart though......I took 'Bubba' my 6'4" 235 lb nephew on the cash retrieval. So I did get my money back.
I am in the process of buying a 73 250/AT I6 out of a very original low mileage Camaro. It's still in the car and in a guy's garage, so I got to check out whatever I wanted. I'm not even going to rebuild it, it runs too well; even cold. I hate buying engines out of a car; it's just plain risky unless it comes from a business with a warranty. Recent wrecks are usually better odds, because cars generally don't get into crashes when they don't run. There is a lot of good advice here; more than I could offer.
As said earlier if you can"t hear it run move on,and never fall for normal it ran when I parked it bullshit. If its sitting in the back of the shed covered in dust its a core only.
In my area you can buy a rebuilt SBC for $900 dollars all day long with a warranty. I can't see spending 500 for a "runner" I'd buy a complete junk motor for all the accessories for $100 bucks and get a rebuilt long block.
If it was a short block then you should have noticed if a piston was broke when you bought it. Either he beat the snot out of the piston to get it in or you did getting it out. Once someone buys something from me its a done deal. This aint walmart with a return policy.
i personally prefer "tow impound vehicles" because around here that is where the local wreckers get their used engines and they get way more than the auction vehicle goes for. take somebody with you that can steer you away from potential junk/core engines.
Actually, it looked very good visually. I was young and didn't notice anything when viewing it. The pieces were a surprise. We took three more out in front of him during the return and found another one broken. All I was gonna do was re-ring it, throw in some bearings and drop it in my 62. If he didn't want to stand behind the deal he wouldn't have said he would when he sold it to me. My bond is my word. He tried to weasel out at first but we proved the issue in front of him. There was no way I could have run the engine in the few hours he claimed (my heads were at the machine shop). There had been no fresh motor oil in it. He finally refunded my money. He did right by me. We parted on a friendly note.
Unless i can hear it run i wont pay over $200 bucks for it. I paid $200 for a complete running chevy 305 about 12 yrs ago and first thing i did was a compression check then i rebuilt the whole top end. Put on new heads, intake, oil pump, cam. pretty much everything except rings, bearings and freeze plugs. cost about $1800 when i was finnished.
Hear it run. Even then you dont know what you're getting. Ive done some pretty scroungy rebuilds, mostly for stock car claimer classes. turn the one bad journal, bore the one bad cylinder and weight balance the pistons. buy 1/2 sets of pistons from stock car guys, either put together 2 1/2 sets or pull one for a rebuild. drill honing and "file to fit" non file to fit rings. pin the studs in heads, umbrella seals on shot guides. get the clearances right and it surprising what you can get by with. scary how good some of them ran. Built a lot of quality too, sometimes the scroungy builds were more fun
First thing I look at when buying a used motor is if it is single phase or 3 phase,then just wire it up and see if it works.
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