What to look for when buying a Used Engine online

The heart and soul of every vehicle is the engine.  Without that, your vehicle is useless.  It can seem like such a difficult task to buy a used engine online, and you may be tempted to trust a “professional”, who often doesn’t have your pocket book in mind. But if you know what to look for then the whole thing can be easier than you ever imagined.  Here I am going to go over the basics of what you need to know during your journey of buying a used engine online.

Know what to expect

First and foremost, make sure you need one.  If possible, check with a certified mechanic so that they can assess the damage and confirm you need a new engine. Sometimes there are other options, such as replacing head gaskets or rebuilding your existing engine, but in my experience it is almost always more cost efficient to just replace your existing engine with a good used engine, as a head gasket job often costs more than the entire used engine replacement, so shop around and weigh the costs and benefits.  Find a shop which specializes in your type of vehicle.  For example, some shops specialize in foreign cars, while some do better with domestic.  Also, shop around a bit for install prices.  One place may charge $750 while another charges $2000 for the exact same job.  Look the company up online to find out if there are reviews, you can even go to the Better Business Bureau website and get their rating in most cases.  Make sure you ask the mechanic if there will be additional charges besides the install price.  For example, my installer charges a flat install price, plus fluids, plus any extra parts needed.  Make sure they have experience with engine installs.  You and they should be aware that they need to put in a new timing belt (if the vehicle has one) and a new water pump, as well as new gaskets, as those things will greatly improve the life of the engine.

Where to locate your engine

Now that you’ve determined you need an engine, and hopefully located a shop to do the install at a fair price, it’s time to find one.  There is a huge advantage to buying online over buying local in most cases.  Let’s say you have a 2005 Subaru Outback and you need a used engine.  How many of those do you think there are at salvage yards within a 100 mile radius of your home?  Even if you find one, the chances of getting a good quality engine at a fair price near your home are slim.  When you contact an online engine locator (such as my company which is First Class Engines www.firstclassengines.com) we have a distinct advantage which is what makes us successful.  Instead of only local inventory to choose from, we are tied in to a nationwide network of inventory, as we work with trusted partners all across the USA.  This is crucial because we may have hundreds of your engine type to choose from and that’s why we can find such a competitive price. A local dealer may be the way to go under certain circumstance, if you know the dealer and trust them then that is the way to go, but even then their inventory is limited, they can only sell you what they have which is a limited inventory. Buying online gives you access to a much broader inventory. This is especially true if your car is not a common car. Your local dealer may have access to a lot of Ford, Dodge, Chevy, Toyota GMC, Acura, BMW, Lincoln, or Jeep used engines, but what if you have a less common car like a Plymouth, Oldsmobile, Land Rover, Isuzu, Daewoo or Saturn.  They may not have any or only one or two used engines to choose from.

At First Class Engines even though we may not have it in stock we have access to dealers all over the country who we work with on a regular basis. Because we work with them we know who has quality engines and who has junk and you can benefit from our experience. Online companies like First Class Engines have access to used engines for most all makes and models.

Make sure the Engine Company is reputable.  Are they family owned, or are they just a building full of hired salesman saying anything to get an order?  Again, just as with the installer, you should look up the company to see if they have a lot of negative reviews and/or a bad rating. Online companies are often harder to investigate, take the time to call a number of them, and get to know them. At First Class Engines we are small and family owned and operated, which means we have a low overhead and can often offer better prices than the larger companies who have hundreds of employees to pay and $1,000s in advertising to pay for.

Freight Cost

This is where folks get things confused.  They think that if the engine ships from 1,000 miles away, it’s going to cost an arm and a leg.  Not true.  Since we are using freight carriers, there’s not a big difference between shipping 200 miles and shipping across the country.  For example, it may cost me $150 to ship a 2003 Mazda 6 engine 200 miles away, while it might cost $200 to ship a 2004 Mazda 3 engine 1000 miles away!  The shipping rates are very reasonable.  The big thing you want to do to reduce shipping cost is to make sure you find a delivery location which is a business address where they can unload the engine.  The shipping company charges extra for residential (home) deliveries, and they also charge extra for lift gate service.  Lift gate service is where the delivery truck has a power lift gate to lower the engine down to the ground.  So find a business address that can unload it, such as a shop or a shipping terminal, or a school, a Post Office – any business place where they will allow you to have your engine delivered and where they have unloading capabilities such as a fork lift or a truck ramp. Whenever possible have the used engine shipped to shop which will be doing the work.

How to search

Okay, now it’s time to search.  Go to your favorite search engine on your computer and enter your search terms.  It’s best to search by year, make & model because that will yield more specific results.  So for example, “2004 BMW 325i engine” or “2006 Hyundai Sonata Engine” or “2004 Kia Sorento Engine” – you get the picture.  Now just look for a company selling your engines and click on their website.  Make sure their website is legit.  If it pops up with an error message when you click their site, you know something is wrong. If the site is full of pop ups and ads be leery. Don’t worry if they don’t put the prices on their website! Most can’t put costs on their site as the inventory changes so frequently. It’s always best to call them and get the latest quote because engine inventory changes every day.  Before calling, check their policy page to make sure they have warranty policies there.  You want to make sure you’re covered in case there is a problem. Again it is a good idea to call and talk to them to get a feel for the seller. Small family owned companies like to get to know their customers so that they can provide them with the best product to fit their needs.  They are not just trying to sell you an engine and get you off the phone so they can sell another one. At First ClassEngines when you call you are talking with the owners not a salesman working on commission.

What to ask when you call

Besides the obvious one which is to see if they have your engine in stock, ask a few key questions.  Ask if they test their engines.  This is a key point.  You want an engine that is tested and has been found to be running good.  Beware of companies offering 3 year part and LABOR warranties on used engines!!  They are usually just using another sales tactic.  They are known for not honoring those warranties and that’s why some of them have hundreds of complaints!  A 3 year parts & labor warranty makes sense for a new Reman engine with zero miles, but not for a used engine.  Many companies get their used engines from scrap yards and never test them.  They are sold “as is”. Ask if they handle shipping.  You don’t want to deal with a company that’s not set up to ship to you.  Ask about transit time.  Normal transit time is 5 to 14 business days from the time you pay to the time the engine arrives.  Anything faster is probably ‘too good to be true’ and they are just trying to say anything to get the order.  Anything slower is too slow.  Ask if it is complete.  Normally, used engines are sold as a complete long block with manifolds, fuel system, etc intact.  You will most likely need to use your existing accessories, such as alternator, starter, A/C compressor, turbo and power steering pump.  Also, the used engine will probably not come with Engine computer or wiring harness, but most likely you can use your existing parts, or ask them to price out any extra part you may need. Educate yourself before you call, some companies will try to take advantage of uninformed customers so the best defense is knowledge and dealing with a reputable company.  

What to expect when your engine arrives

Keep in mind this is a used part!  It’s not likely to be pretty and shining like a new engine, it may have oil stains & it may be dirty.  That does not affect performance so it should not be a big concern.  If you like it clean, then you may need to clean it up before it is installed.  We’ve even had people paint their engines before installing them.  If there is some water on it/in it, don’t be alarmed – many places do a quick power wash of the engine to clean it up a bit and that is perfectly safe.  If you have questions about your engine when it arrives, simply call the business you got it from right away and ask your questions.   If all looks good then go ahead and have it installed, fire it up & get that thing back on the road where it belongs! 

Terry

First Class Engines

www.firstclassengines.com