buying engine from junk yard Options

[celicaluva79]

How can i make sure im getting a good engine from a junkyard? All the ones i found is a good ways away. Just wanna make sure im getting a good engine. Any help is appreciated. Btw...i have a 96 st. I found some 97 corolla 7afes. Will they work? Will it be an exact swap?

[krom8]

Junk yards are a good place to get engines if it's all you can afford. Most will give you at least a 6 month warranty on parts (not labor). Most local junkyards are not what they once where, most of the time they remove engines and transmissions and keep them in warehouses. Usually if it's a good junkyard and they don't have the one you need they will have one shipped to their junkyard for you to pick up. Always ask for mileage but never expect an honest answer. It's really a crapshoot but in general, if it was running when it got to the junkyard then it will run once it's in your car. If you get one out of a Corolla you might have the engine mount brackets with the ones you have right now and I honestly can't think of anything else that would be different.

If you end up getting one from the junkyard and you don't want to void the warrenty, get the engine in the car and only change what's nessasary to make it run and don't forget to put oil in it, start the car and drive it for a few days the way you would normally drive. The warranty won't cover small things like plugs, wires, belts, hoses, etc... so you'll need to keep your old engine handy in the case problem is one of these. If it has a knock, burning huge amounts of oil or anything significant going wrong with it then you'll have to contact the junkyard and then pull the engine.

This post has been edited by krom8: Jun 19, 2012 - 10:06 PM