Things to consider when buying a used engine

Looking for a used engine can be more of a challenge than looking for a whole car.  Engines are an investment, and spending money on an engine that does not run or has major problems negates all the money you saved. The first thing you want to do is know exactly what engine you are looking for, then be able to find a comparable engine that may have been in a similar car, or a different year of the same car.  There are a few reasons for this. The first being that you obviously want to find an engine identical to the one that you are replacing, just in good working order. It makes installing the new engine much easier as it is just switching one for the other.

Once you have all the specifics on the engines you want, as well as a list of comparable motors of different model years or manufacturers. You can search online anywhere from salvage yards to engine shops to private sellers.

If it is a common size engine, you may want to stick to a salvage yard or engine shop, as most will come with some type of information as to the vehicle they came out of, so you will have mileage and some guarantee that it is a running motor. If you do not plan to install the engine yourself, an engine shop can take care of that as well. A good salvage yard will also be able to steer you in the right direction if you are going to rely on someone else to install the engine.

You may only want to resort to a private seller when you are looking for an older engine that is not as easy to find in salvage yards. If you do choose a private seller, if you are not able to see the engine run, and there are broke down cars all over their yard, chances are you need to spend the little bit you might have saved on a better source of a used engine. If a private seller is selling a whole vehicle with the engine you want, and it runs you are better off paying a little bit more to have the whole car and know you have an engine that runs, then paying good money for a paperweight.