Buying Engines on Ebay...

[Bruno Molly]

Has anyone ever bought an engine, or know the kat on Ebay as "Japanese Performance Engines"?
I've been in the forum fora couple of years, on and off depending on where I am in my Automobile maze of problems and have met some really kool peeple... Was just wondering tho. I think this is prolly my last boxing match with the 7M series. Going to be directing my attention towards newer stuff. By the time I get all my old 7m stuff machined and back to usable standards I could have bought a used 1 or 2JZ/with manual tranny and ECM. 1UZFE isn't out the picture either.
This is the reason for this thread. Was wondering if anyone has ever dealt with these people before and if so how was the transaction. I was also curious as I have heard that in Japan they have to pull the engine once they reach 30k Miles?? Is this true? Geeze! That's barely broke in. I also thought that those engines didn't meet USA Emissions req's. Someone enlighten me.
Thnx
-=BM

 

[ms07s]

Like most all import used motors, call and make sure what the motor set comes with. Treat ANY used motor like a junk yard motor. Replace parts accordingly. I would get my import motor from a local vendor.

 

[mkiiichip]

I recently bid on and paid for this engine, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...LVI&its=I&otn=1&category=33615#ht_1170wt_1165

After paying for the motor i was told that it would take two weeks to ship the motor. Two weeks later i contacted the seller and was informed that he was waiting on a shipment from japan. then i got pissed and demanded my money back. Amazingly a week and a half later i actually got every penny back.

Note nowhere in the for sale add (this is the exact same add i bid on) does it note that these are not the pics of the motor you will receive. Also note the custom DP to lure you in.

Next i found a 1jz and contacted the seller to verify the pictures on the add were the actual pics. The motor was ready to ship etc. three weeks later i received the motor. its not running yet but the bottom end looked brand new. i had a great buying experience with (dont laugh) VTEC_MOTORS ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/VTEC-MOTORS-Quality-JDM-Engines?_rdc=1

Hope this helps.

 

[Jayhall]

I wouldnt buy any motor I couldnt look at, touch and inspect myself. Even some of the motors that I have looked at in person turned out to be not so hot

 

[Bruno Molly]

I wouldnt buy any motor I couldnt look at, touch and inspect myself. Even some of the motors that I have looked at in person turned out to be not so hot

When you guys buy motors do you pull the oil pan and check the bearings? I have noticed some engines come with a 30 day warranty. So this means you have to install your engine within 30 days to know if it will run unless you rig up some things i.e. Fuel pump, ignitors to get the coils power to crank the engine correct? What do you guys do before buying an engine?

Like most all import used motors, call and make sure what the motor set comes with. Treat ANY used motor like a junk yard motor. Replace parts accordingly. I would get my import motor from a local vendor.

around here, I have to pick my days when dealing with one particular yard....they are waaaaaay higher than Ebay. They tried to charge me $550 for a set of Xenon ballasts and projectors which were hanging out of the busted Smacked up front end of a BMW 545i hanging down like old bowling pin breasts. Don't think I'd buy an engine from them.
I have found a good source from which I can get an engine and tranny from some of the desired drive-trains from the lexus line... SC300-400 or ls400-GS300. But it's a 6 hour drive.

I recently bid on and paid for this engine, http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ht_1170wt_1165

After paying for the motor i was told that it would take two weeks to ship the motor. Two weeks later i contacted the seller and was informed that he was waiting on a shipment from japan. then i got pissed and demanded my money back. Amazingly a week and a half later i actually got every penny back.

Note nowhere in the for sale add (this is the exact same add i bid on) does it note that these are not the pics of the motor you will receive. Also note the custom DP to lure you in.

Next i found a 1jz and contacted the seller to verify the pictures on the add were the actual pics. The motor was ready to ship etc. three weeks later i received the motor. its not running yet but the bottom end looked brand new. i had a great buying experience with (dont laugh) VTEC_MOTORS ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/VTEC-MOTORS-Q...Engines?_rdc=1

Hope this helps.

Very big Help!!! Thanks for the heads up..

 

[hvyman]

Is like buying used underwear off ebay.

 

[Bruno Molly]

Is like buying used underwear off ebay.

:rofl:

 

[supra0022]

Has anyone ever bought an engine, or know the kat on Ebay as "Japanese Performance Engines"?
I was also curious as I have heard that in Japan they have to pull the engine once they reach 30k Miles?? Is this true? Geeze! That's barely broke in. I also thought that those engines didn't meet USA Emissions req's. Someone enlighten me.
Thnx
-=BM

Japan's laws actually almost force them to either, have the engine rebuilt, swapped out or the car junked once they reach 100k kilometers (about 60k miles). The reason they do that is because japan is so over populated (Think half U.S. population all living in FLorida) so they can't really afford to have people keeping even an extra car parked at there residence that doesn't run. Which is why we get them so cheap. Also, the emissions in japan will give California a run for thier money. Japan has to be so strict due to the over population, granted neither one of the cars I owned over there did not come with a CAT stock. Besides, most of the emissions stuff really only deals with everything from the exhaust manifold to the muffler.

 

[Bruno Molly]

Japan's laws actually almost force them to either, have the engine rebuilt, swapped out or the car junked once they reach 100k kilometers (about 60k miles). The reason they do that is because japan is so over populated (Think half U.S. population all living in FLorida) so they can't really afford to have people keeping even an extra car parked at there residence that doesn't run. Which is why we get them so cheap. Also, the emissions in japan will give California a run for thier money. Japan has to be so strict due to the over population, granted neither one of the cars I owned over there did not come with a CAT stock. Besides, most of the emissions stuff really only deals with everything from the exhaust manifold to the muffler.

Wow!... That's amazing. Seems like the only place that's going "Green" is the US..Prolly some other countries but Geeze man.. I guess it would cost so much for Japan to go by our standards since they have so many manufacturing facilities, Oil burning Scooters and Mopeds.... I wonder if they still burn leaded gasoline. Acid rain... I'd hate to live under those conditions. Oh well...guess we get the good engines huh? It still amazes me that people advertise and sell 7M motors with 30-60k on the clock...19 year old engines with 30k? I find that a farce. Never driven much perhaps...what gives..

 

[Jayhall]

When you guys buy motors do you pull the oil pan and check the bearings? I have noticed some engines come with a 30 day warranty. So this means you have to install your engine within 30 days to know if it will run unless you rig up some things i.e. Fuel pump, ignitors to get the coils power to crank the engine correct? What do you guys do before buying an engine?

Pulling the pan definatly isnt a bad idea. Ive never gone that far, although it might not have been a bad idea. Compression test bare at the least. A friend got a motor once and he fired it up only to find that the #1 piston was absolutly demolished, not even there infact. Id check for signs of poor shipping too, make sure the oil pan isnt dented 6 inches into the pick up, obvious. You might want to make that 6 hour drive, it could end up saving you alot of time, and headaches. God the stress of getting a shitty motor will drive you up the walls and make you want to pull all your hair out one by one

 

[Spoolin]

Buying a used engine is going to be a gamble.

Especially with these importers. You might have 5 people who had good luck with a certain company, and then when you get your engine.. you get the one bad engine out of the batch. And it can go the other way around. Its a 50/50 chance.

Those engine are only good for rebuilding once you get them.

 

[Bruno Molly]

Pulling the pan definatly isnt a bad idea. Ive never gone that far, although it might not have been a bad idea. Compression test bare at the least. A friend got a motor once and he fired it up only to find that the #1 piston was absolutly demolished, not even there infact. Id check for signs of poor shipping too, make sure the oil pan isnt dented 6 inches into the pick up, obvious. You might want to make that 6 hour drive, it could end up saving you alot of time, and headaches. God the stress of getting a shitty motor will drive you up the walls and make you want to pull all your hair out one by one

Oh Snap! .. Dawg, Missing Piston = Missing Teeth! Holly Crap Batman!. Yeah... THis is why I asked this question. Russian Roulette was meant to be played with a revolver, not a full clip semi. Ebay can be the full clip semi.

---------- Post added at 12:32 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:31 AM ----------

Buying a used engine is going to be a gamble.

Especially with these importers. You might have 5 people who had good luck with a certain company, and then when you get your engine.. you get the one bad engine out of the batch. And it can go the other way around. Its a 50/50 chance.

Those engine are only good for rebuilding once you get them.

yeah...I'm feeling it now.. We decided to keep going with this 7MGTE. Just got the 7M crank back today from being polished. Std. Cranks still in spec for STD. will begin building bottom end this weekend hopefully. I have a Major bike job to paint and my son has Final exams this week and Monday. Sooooooo...may not get much engine work done. THe head is my Achilles heel right now. Still looking for decent Camshafts. I have read the recommendations on what to do...and may end up doing the shaven cap deal as a last resort. But this is the Best schooling for my son since this is the best way to learn. I have had my engine building days from back in high school. Back when the small block chevy was the tweaker.. those and Carburetor'd Vegas, Pintos, Celicas GT's and ST's, and the Toyota Corolla's (SR5). Thats what I had. OMG...I will post a pic of mine from 1977. Red SR-5. I took 2 Glass Pack cherry bomb mufflers and welded them side by side with this Bullshit welding kit called Solid Ox. You had these pellets you had to light, them put them inside of a can and let them burn. This produced enough oxygen to Braze with. Brazed 2 mufflers together...but only 1 was hooked up cause I didn't have enough pellets to make a "Y"! Tell me that aint pimpin! :biglaugh:

 

[hvyman]

Buying a used engine is going to be a gamble.

Especially with these importers. You might have 5 people who had good luck with a certain company, and then when you get your engine.. you get the one bad engine out of the batch. And it can go the other way around. Its a 50/50 chance.

Those engine are only good for rebuilding once you get them.

Exactly. I got a clean jdm ge a few years ago for cheap and the hg went in 20k but was happy with that, But i wouldn't buy another.

 

[kelson]

Buying a used engine is going to be a gamble.

Especially with these importers. You might have 5 people who had good luck with a certain company, and then when you get your engine.. you get the one bad engine out of the batch. And it can go the other way around. Its a 50/50 chance.

Those engine are only good for rebuilding once you get them.

Ooh! thats me!! I bought a 1j off ebay, but I would say this^^^^ +1. my 1j has been nothing but problems for me, but I'm pretty sure almost all of that was my fault. when I got my engine it had great compression which is all that most of these companies that import the motors can test, but thats not to say that the whole motor is good at all. basically its a gamble anywhere you buy it. I hope that helps.

Kelson

 

[Vrank!!!]

In hindsight I've realized the next time I buy a motor off ebay I will ask the vendor to send me pics of the exact motor, inside the exhaust pipe, and pics of the ecu and other harness plugs just to make sure. I got a smokin deal on a motorset recently and found out that it was probably because of the oil in the turbo outlet. If you take the gamble ask every question that comes to your mind beforehand about what you're getting into.

 

[IJ.]

Pulling the pan will void any warranty offered...

 

[supra_man87]

when i ordered my jdm engine 4 years ago when i had my n/a, the coolant passages were clogged with rust really bad. and on their site, they said this was a supra engine. when i got it, saw that it was a cressida engine. since i couldnt use my oil pan (put a hole threw it with a rod) i had to order a new one along with a pump and swap out my interior so my vacuum lines would end up correct. ordered the engine day after christmas, got the car back week after valentine's day. it was a major headache. HG lasted 2 years, then blew. would i do it again? yeah, i guess depending on what warranty they would give me, but i would rebuild it after i found out that it would run ok.