NEVER ASSUME ANY ONE WHO SELLS USED PARTS Is TELLING YOU THE TRUTH! ASSUME EVERYONE YOU DON,T KNOW AND A FEW OF THOSE GUYS YOU DO KNOW are SCAM ARTISTS LOOKING TO RE-COUPE MONEY ON JUNK PARTS, THAT THEY CAN,T UNLOAD LOCALLY,....... BEST ADVICE, BUY from your local machine shop, BUT ONLY after checking around at the local tracks with a bunch of the guys running in the 11-12 second or faster brackets about which machine shops are trustworthy or you should buy NEW or REFURBISHED components from NATIONALLY KNOWN SOURCEs individuals can give you some super deals, but they can and do occasionally try to scam you., so be aware of the risk.
buying a complete running car is frequently a better deal on parts than single components, ask around for references!
IVE DEALT WITH THESE GUYS AND TRUST THEM
http://www.vette2vette.com/
http://store.summitracing.com/
http://www.jegs.com/
http://www.dougherbert.com/
http://www.ohiocrank.com/home.html
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb100145.htm
heres more info
http://www.gotengines.com/freereport.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2265330_buy-used-engines.html
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Tips_to_B ... eid=480718
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=3183&p=9403#p9403
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5998
1) First decide what engine you require. Different brands require different engine, so you need determine the model and year of your car. You can consult to your owner's manual to find the specifications of your car. You can also contact your car dealer with your vehicle identifications number and they can tell you what engine you have.
2) Notice the mileage of your current engine. Always look for a used engine that has fewer miles than the one you are swapping.
3) If you are unable to find reputed and good engine dealer for your used engine needs then go for online shopping. There are thousands of online vendors dealing in used engines. These companies buy used engines, dismantle them and sell the parts. They have adequate staff that remanufactures used auto parts for the purpose of reselling. They can send you the engine through ship in case you are in some other country. The engines come with warranty and they are ready to install.
4) Search local salvage yards for the engine that you require. May be you get a reputed dealer and find the engine that you are searching. Be attentive that you will most likely have to remove and prep it for install it yourself.
Now here comes some tips and warranty:
*You should always try to upgrade the warranty while purchasing used engine. Usually, vendors offer 6 month warranty on used engines, but it is advisable you should try to upgrade warranty period for 1 to 2 year if you can.
*Finding a local vendor can be time consuming and probably you may not find what you exactly require. It is wise to use online used engines vendors who can run a search for the engine and you can exactly find that you need.
*Before purchasing a used engine from local dealer, make sure to VIN check on that car to find out the history. It will help you to avoid purchasing a used engine that has been flood damaged or rebuilt.
*Ignore purchasing used engine from individual seller, because you are not familiar with the history of engine nor you will have any recourse if it doesn't work.
.
cams are simple,
youll more than likely NEVER BUY A USED FLAT TAPPET CAM, because minor differances in lifter bore angles between differant blocks will make it almost impossiable to duplicate the wear pattern in a new block with new lifters,and an old cam, making the chance of problems higher than I feel is acceptable, in fact, just swapping out to new lifters on an old cam in the same block is on occasion enought to cause problems.
On roller cams the lobes need to be very carefully inspected, before reuse, the chances are much lower of failure , but Id suggest never paying over about 1/2 price for a used cam, your better off buying NEW past that point.
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=282
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=181
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=11053
HEADS
these require close inspection, in many cases you can ge a screaming deal, on low mileage aftermarket performance heads ,(ESPECIALLY ALUMINUM HEADS) but on older cast iron heads its almost always best to start out with new heads,unless your getting a great deal, again, used price of under 1/2 the new price, is usually a safe bet IF they pass a visual inspection, the reason is that aluminum heads are easy to modify and repair thru tig welding, even rather massive damage like a broken valve stuck into a combustion chamber roof can be repaired in many cases, at a decent head repair shop, but its best to have a good local head repair shop give a written estimate BEFORE you purchase them if possiable.
things like craks in the spring seats and over cut seats are best detected thru a dissasembly in inspection, visual clues are larger than standard springs and shims, or other valve train mods., those can be good or bad, depending on the quality of components and care of assembly
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=181
blocks
BRING the correct calipers to meassure the bore size a magnifying glass and a strong flash light, to look for cracks and a small magnet, to check for bondo repairs,brinf a machinist strait edge to place diagonally both ways on each deck to check for warping, and be very.. very suspicious of fresh clean paint making the block look new, on all the outer and inner surfaces of the block as that can cover alot of cracks around freeze plugs, or oil passages,lifter gallery, etc. look closely at the lower edges of cylinders for cylinder sleeves that were replaced,look for cracks in the lifter bore area, and main caps that don,t have the hone marks perfectly match at the joint between the caps and block,
again,its best to have a good local auto engine machine shop give a written estimate on the bore condition, cylinder wall thickness and installing new freeze plugs and cam bearings and if necessary aline hone and decking the block, and checking all the threaded holes BEFORE you purchase them if possiable.
that killer deal on a near new 400 small block, will look a whole lot less appealing if its already bored .060 and needs the bore cut anouther .010, to clean the bore, and youve found a chipped /cracked lifter bore after you just paid $90 to ship it from an e-bay scam artist.
good luck getting your money back, after the seller proves you took delivery!!
theres usually a local salvage yard that has basic components for sale like blocks (whole used engines ($150-$500) are fairly comon
http://www.larrysperformance.com/data/monthly.html
intakes
youll generally have few problems with used intakes. if they don,t appear to be ported, or corroded in the coolant contact areas,most guys that don,t port match, intakes also don,t do extensive enough mods to have the intake machined
IVE purchase a dozen or more intakes off EBAY and only got screwed once
buying a complete running car is frequently a better deal on parts than single components, ask around for references!
IVE DEALT WITH THESE GUYS AND TRUST THEM
http://www.vette2vette.com/
http://store.summitracing.com/
http://www.jegs.com/
http://www.dougherbert.com/
http://www.ohiocrank.com/home.html
http://www.babcox.com/editorial/ar/eb100145.htm
heres more info
http://www.gotengines.com/freereport.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_2265330_buy-used-engines.html
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Tips_to_B ... eid=480718
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=3183&p=9403#p9403
viewtopic.php?f=35&t=5998
1) First decide what engine you require. Different brands require different engine, so you need determine the model and year of your car. You can consult to your owner's manual to find the specifications of your car. You can also contact your car dealer with your vehicle identifications number and they can tell you what engine you have.
2) Notice the mileage of your current engine. Always look for a used engine that has fewer miles than the one you are swapping.
3) If you are unable to find reputed and good engine dealer for your used engine needs then go for online shopping. There are thousands of online vendors dealing in used engines. These companies buy used engines, dismantle them and sell the parts. They have adequate staff that remanufactures used auto parts for the purpose of reselling. They can send you the engine through ship in case you are in some other country. The engines come with warranty and they are ready to install.
4) Search local salvage yards for the engine that you require. May be you get a reputed dealer and find the engine that you are searching. Be attentive that you will most likely have to remove and prep it for install it yourself.
Now here comes some tips and warranty:
*You should always try to upgrade the warranty while purchasing used engine. Usually, vendors offer 6 month warranty on used engines, but it is advisable you should try to upgrade warranty period for 1 to 2 year if you can.
*Finding a local vendor can be time consuming and probably you may not find what you exactly require. It is wise to use online used engines vendors who can run a search for the engine and you can exactly find that you need.
*Before purchasing a used engine from local dealer, make sure to VIN check on that car to find out the history. It will help you to avoid purchasing a used engine that has been flood damaged or rebuilt.
*Ignore purchasing used engine from individual seller, because you are not familiar with the history of engine nor you will have any recourse if it doesn't work.
.
cams are simple,
youll more than likely NEVER BUY A USED FLAT TAPPET CAM, because minor differances in lifter bore angles between differant blocks will make it almost impossiable to duplicate the wear pattern in a new block with new lifters,and an old cam, making the chance of problems higher than I feel is acceptable, in fact, just swapping out to new lifters on an old cam in the same block is on occasion enought to cause problems.
On roller cams the lobes need to be very carefully inspected, before reuse, the chances are much lower of failure , but Id suggest never paying over about 1/2 price for a used cam, your better off buying NEW past that point.
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=282
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=181
viewtopic.php?f=87&t=11053
HEADS
these require close inspection, in many cases you can ge a screaming deal, on low mileage aftermarket performance heads ,(ESPECIALLY ALUMINUM HEADS) but on older cast iron heads its almost always best to start out with new heads,unless your getting a great deal, again, used price of under 1/2 the new price, is usually a safe bet IF they pass a visual inspection, the reason is that aluminum heads are easy to modify and repair thru tig welding, even rather massive damage like a broken valve stuck into a combustion chamber roof can be repaired in many cases, at a decent head repair shop, but its best to have a good local head repair shop give a written estimate BEFORE you purchase them if possiable.
things like craks in the spring seats and over cut seats are best detected thru a dissasembly in inspection, visual clues are larger than standard springs and shims, or other valve train mods., those can be good or bad, depending on the quality of components and care of assembly
viewtopic.php?f=52&t=181
blocks
BRING the correct calipers to meassure the bore size a magnifying glass and a strong flash light, to look for cracks and a small magnet, to check for bondo repairs,brinf a machinist strait edge to place diagonally both ways on each deck to check for warping, and be very.. very suspicious of fresh clean paint making the block look new, on all the outer and inner surfaces of the block as that can cover alot of cracks around freeze plugs, or oil passages,lifter gallery, etc. look closely at the lower edges of cylinders for cylinder sleeves that were replaced,look for cracks in the lifter bore area, and main caps that don,t have the hone marks perfectly match at the joint between the caps and block,
again,its best to have a good local auto engine machine shop give a written estimate on the bore condition, cylinder wall thickness and installing new freeze plugs and cam bearings and if necessary aline hone and decking the block, and checking all the threaded holes BEFORE you purchase them if possiable.
that killer deal on a near new 400 small block, will look a whole lot less appealing if its already bored .060 and needs the bore cut anouther .010, to clean the bore, and youve found a chipped /cracked lifter bore after you just paid $90 to ship it from an e-bay scam artist.
good luck getting your money back, after the seller proves you took delivery!!
theres usually a local salvage yard that has basic components for sale like blocks (whole used engines ($150-$500) are fairly comon
http://www.larrysperformance.com/data/monthly.html
intakes
youll generally have few problems with used intakes. if they don,t appear to be ported, or corroded in the coolant contact areas,most guys that don,t port match, intakes also don,t do extensive enough mods to have the intake machined
IVE purchase a dozen or more intakes off EBAY and only got screwed once