I need to buy myself a new engine for a project and I came across a local one but I don't know what to think of it. Here's a picture.
The guy claims it has under 20K miles.
I ran a carfax on the VIN and the car has been all its life up to when the engine was removed in Illinois.
In 1996 it got a salvage title and it had 16K miles at that point. Looks like it was sold at a few auctions in the same year, then retitled (here's the message carfax shows "JUNK TITLE/CERTIFICATE ISSUED
REBUILT TITLE ISSUED")
Then in late 2000 here's the record "12/31/2000 16,000 Licensed Auto Dealer
Automotive Recycler
Elgin, IL
Major component removed from
vehicle and sold as parts
POTENTIAL ODOMETER ROLLBACK"

So the odometer seems to have been rolled back. The engine looks ok though. What do you think?

PS. The guy never heard it run and was keeping it for a project too. I am not sure how much time it has been sitting like that..


EDIT: a few more pictures:

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Honestly, I would pass on it. Anything that seems like it doesnt add up, usually doesn't. If you want the real story, contact F-parts Salvage, www.fparts.us they can get you engines with varying milage on them, they might charge a little more, but they wont give you the run around.

 

I think the Odo has to be programmed back doesn't it ? There isn't any real way to physically turn it back i don't believe.

That engine looks damn good. Just judging from the lack of oil and dirt, etc. Ask him if you can pop the oil pan off. That will be your awnser right there.
For that complete of an engine, i would say go for it if the price is good

-Shannon

 

Yes, it does look good. I like the fact that the car had 2.73 gears and an 118 MPH speed limiter too.

But to answer your question about the ODO, yes, you can roll it back if you really want to (it has rotors on the 95, not digital). And if one can't, the cluster could always be swapped from another car.

The guy says he'll take $1.3K for it. I'm looking to spend a grand.... (he'll probably meet me in between though)

 

Well, ask him to yank the pan for ya and let you look inside. Then offer him 1k even and see what happens if things look good

-Shannon

 

Thanks for the advice Shannon.
What should I look for? Wear on the crank/bearings, dark internals?....

 

With that little mileage, the rods and caps should only be slightly tan/brown. Tap around on the rod caps, try and turn the crank a small bit. Look for discoloration of the caps/ mains. Check for any stress cracks (not likely, but still). Any discoloration will be indication of low oil pressure/ over heating. Look hard at the oil pump pickup and see if there are any shavings at all. Check for any metal "dust" in the bottom of the pan. Copper shavings are very bad. Mainly the color of the caps since thats whats first to go on the low oil pressure problem.

If you do get it, go ahead and pull the heads and put on new head gaskets. Then put in a new oil pump and oil pump drive shaft. Your looking at like $75 to do that, but it will be well worth the insurance

-Shannon

 

Would be good to have a leak down test or get some compression testing in there too. But for $1000, that's pretty good.

 

Hmmmm sounds tempting..... "OK... so I pulled the heads.. might as well....... "

Thanks for the advice guys. I don't know if he'll let me take off the pan. We'll see.