Re: Pull a part parts....

[Ken Ames <amesk@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I once pulled a good looking 360 from a Jeep only to find a hole in the oil 
pan that had been hidden by the motor mount. Afetr having spent the time 
hauling it out of the vehicle I took it home anyway in case it was an easy 
rebuild but no such luck.  

Rats. They did take it back. 

Ken Ames


Quoting Jeff Reeves <jeffr@xxxxxxxxxxx>:

> Aside from conducting a thorough visual inspection of the engine or
> transmission, you're taking a gamble that the part works. Most Pull A Part
> type places will drain all fluids from the vehicle and remove the batteries,
> so it would be impossible to hear one run. On the good side, however---most
> places like that will allow you to buy at least a 30-day warranty in the
> event the part you buy turns out to be defective. 
> Here's what I'd recommend as far as buying an engine from the Pull A Part:
> If you are intending to use the engine "as-is" with no major rebuilding or
> overhauling, I'd at least pull the oil pan and check a few of the bearings
> for wear. Also check to see that the oil pickup screen hasn't been blocked
> at some point which could cause oil starvation. You would likely want to
> regasket the engine anyway since if it's used, it probably leaks. Another
> good thing to check would be to make sure it will even turn over freely. If
> it turns with no hang-ups or strange sounds, the rotating assembly might be
> OK. Take the top off the distributor and watch the rotor turn as you turn
> the engine back and forth to check for timing chain wear. If you buy the
> engine and get it home, see if you can attach a starter to it and do a
> compression test on it before installation. If you get an engine with a bad
> cylinder or something you can then return it under warranty before you've
> gone through all the trouble of installing it. All the engines I've ever
> bought from Pull A Part have been bought with the intention of doing a
> rebuild, so all I was really concerned with was making sure the rotating
> assembly worked freely and that there weren't major chunks missing or breaks
> in the block. 
> 
> Another thing to look at when considering a Pull A Part engine is the car
> itself. Take a look at the overall car--was it in relatively good shape? Was
> it wrecked? Was it a car that some college frat boys spray painted and cut
> the top off of before laying a brick on the accelerator? All these can be
> visual clues as to what condition the engine might be in. Check the
> odometer. I have seen some really low-mileage grandma cars in the Pull A
> Part that were there simply because someone didn't want them. Heartbreaking!
> 
> Look at the engine itself. Is it clean? Has it been painted some other color
> besides what it would have been painted from the factory? That might be a
> good indication that the engine has been overhauled or rebuilt. Can you see
> evidence that parts have been removed and/or replaced (i.e. blue Permatex
> around an intake manifold, etc)? 
> 
> A lot of these same questions apply to transmissions as well. I needed an
> automatic transmission for my Spirit a few years ago and went to Pull A
> Part. They had about 3 Concords that had suitable trannies, so I get under
> the cars and pull the pans to check for clutch matter and debris. One of the
> Concords was a sad looking specimen that obviously hadn't been on the road
> in several years and in actuality had been an Alaska car (dealer emblem and
> license plate). This Concord's tranny had the cleanest looking pan and
> showed some evidence of having been rebuilt at some point in time. Three
> years and 35,000+ miles later that tranny is still running strong and has
> given me zero problems. Not bad for a $65 transmission, huh? 
> 
> There are good deals and nightmares to be had at Pull A Part. Use your head,
> choose carefully, and you'll likely be rewarded with miles and years of good
> service. 
> 
> Jeff Reeves
> Auburn, GA 
> 79 Spirit GT
> 72 Javelin SST
> 69 Ambassador DPL
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Message-ID: <007701c4a12d$acb5eaa0$72303d42@mike>
> From: "AMC of Memphis" <amcofmemphis@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> To: <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Pull a part parts...
> Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 00:25:00 -0500
> 
> I was just wondering for those of you that pull engines and trannies out of
> a pull a part, how you can tell if they are good or not.  I know that
> trannies are almost impossible to check, but how about engines?  Is there
> anyway to check to see if they are good before pulling it?
> 
> Mike Serpe
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 


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