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I remember when every small town had an engine rebuild shop. Starter winding shop. Etc.

I’ll speak for my own salvage yard… we sell used engines and transmissions and most often there’s not much issues on what we sell. The problem becomes customers buying engines/transmissions that are known to be junk from the factory. Yes, we’ll sell you a used 5.4 Triton, a 2.7 Chrysler V6, a Nissan CVT, but don’t be surprised if it becomes a problem. We warranty engine/transmission replacement up to 3 times before we start investigating ourselves. There are junkyards that know they sell junk, we also have customers who actively try and scam us returning items that aren’t ours as “defective” units. I will say things are going to get worse unfortunately, a lot of us mom and pop junkyards are getting bought out of business, big corporations like LKQ and Fenix are turning what we’re once good salvage yards into a corporate chains with questionable quality control.

"Why not have an honest business and operate with good principles?" preach brother!

You're not physically too far from the salvage yard owner with a KZfaq channel called "I Do Cars." This topic seems like it would be a great collaboration idea.

After more than 20 years in the automotive repair business. When people would ask for a used transmission or engine I would tell them you already have a used one.

One of the issues is that so many cars that will need an engine can’t get good ones because so many others of the same model need one, too.

I used to deal with a local salvage yard back in the early 90's that would provide a video (as in, filmed on an old-school VHS tape-style camera and then played on a TV set for you in the yard's office) of the engine running, usually still in the vehicle, but sometimes on an engine stand with water & gas connected. During the filming the dude would write a stock number on the block with a yellow paint pen (which you could then match-up with the actual engine you were buying later) and zoom-in on the stamped engine number if it was accessible. All his used engines were filmed and tested running and they had a very good reputation (most of the stock he bought were low-mileage, late model vehicles that had been in wrecks or written-off due to hail damage etc); he charged a fair bit more for these used engines than his competition, but he always had difficulty keeping up with demand for them regardless. He would also sell you a junk engine if you really wanted one for a core, parts or for rebuilding purposes, but these were always clearly labelled as such and priced accordingly.

I sometimes think that some businesses have the philosophy of “bleep” the customer one time real good. And if they never come back, who cares.

1995 to 2005 was the sweet spot for cars, reliable electronics and engines.

Here in the UK we pulled a 1963 engine from a scrap Mini. It purrs like a kitten. Old-school simple build quality.

I bought a used engine from local "reputable" salvage yard that does a lot of business. The business claimed it was inspected and ran prior to removal. It shows up promptly and I decide to change the timing belt prior to install as it's easy to do. Pulled the timing belt cover to find a broken belt that had obviously been broken years prior, the engine had valve damage and obviously never ran by the salvage yard.

Car wizard I work on tractors and have had brand new engines come truck freight and be no good. It's not just the junkyard, the freight companies can destroy a brand new engine with carelessness.

I'd buy an engine from the guy who runs the I Do Cars KZfaq channel. He seems honest and thorough.

Small block Chevy, looking better everyday.

Years back when I was in my 20's and broke. I needed a new transmission for my Subaru so I could get to work. After installing 3 bad junkyard transmissions supposedly inspected before they put them on the shelf, I was ready for therapy, for sure. The 4th trans. Came from a pic-n- pull where I removed the transmission myself from a low mile car I could see for myself. I wouldn't bother with all that today... I should have junked it the first time, haha.

I was told a while back. the number one complaint at the State attorney generals office is crooked car mechanics.

Finally someone said it "Today's engines are not meant to be rebuilt" thanks to these big manufacturers in the next decade we may be looking for a mule and a cart.

Motorcycle engines are the same. I got my Harley bored out and new heads and cams put on it by a retired Harley mechanic. He told me that what makes for alot of problems is there's lots of shops, especially dealers that will just pick parts off the shelf and put them together without measuring any tolerances. He said he's personally seen lots of engines that are already way out of spec. With literally brand new! There's a huge difference between an actual experienced mechanic and a parts changer!

Don't give better help your money. It is a scam service. They do not even hire licensed professionals, they will hire anyone who says they are a therapist.

Words of wisdom. If you are a customer, one tip: never buy an engine yourself. Go to a trusted shop, and let them handle everything, from buying the engine to building it in. I made a big mistake by buying a refurbished engine from what I believed to be a reliable rebuilding company, Fraser Engines from Michigan. Big mistake. Engine was a dud, and they refused to honor their warranty. Lots of weird calls / emails / threats. Even got a call from the owner with his lawyer where they yelled at me. Being a lawyer myself I am not easily intimidated. After threatening with lawsuits and complaints to the BBB they finally shipped another engine to my shop. They never picked up the bad engine from my shop, and they never reimbursed my shop for the labor it took to put in a bad engine.

Integrity is severely lacking in the world today.

I'm turning 40 this year, and I refuse to buy newer than 2015 ...I hate all the electronics...I graduated 2002 ...a sweet spot...so many good cars on the road and shit was so much cheaper....

The junkyards in my area will not take back a used engine unless you can physically show them damage or if you installed it and then they send a person to hear it knock or tick. They actually spray paint the bellhousing flange and back of the flex plate to prove that you installed the engine. They say its because they are having trouble getting good engines and they dont want people refusing or returning and engine just because "it looks ugly" or"it has sluge in it". Its crazy plus for any warranty the junkyard makes you replace all the gaskets except for the head gaskets and all timing components. But on the otherhand i have seen some crate remanufactured engines that were of very poor quality too so no matter what option you choose, its all a gamble.

I worked in the wrecking yard business for 8 years. I quit a few months after the yard was sold to LKQ. We tested every engine we sold. Also finding information on engines is a lot easier with the internet now. Ask for the vin number to the engine they are selling. See if you can find the pics from copart. If the car was wrecked then 99% of the time the engine is good. Also ALWAYS pay with a credit card so you can do a charge back if they try and rip you off

When I have issues with a merchant and they don't want to honor their warranty, I turn to my credit card company for recourse. I've done this when a company did not complete the installation of windows as per their installation process. The credit card pull back the payment to the company until they completed the work as they stated it should have been done. They took me seriously when the credit card company pull back payment. Always Use a Credit Card just in case you need recourse with a merchant.

What I do when I need a replacement engine is go to Pull-a-part. Look for a car that's been hit as it was probably running. Then I can pull the plugs and look at the cylinders while it's still in the donor. If it looks good, I'll pull it and take it partially apart there in the yard - flip it and remove the pan and check the bottom end. Depending on the engine, i may even pull the heads off in the yard. I figure the cost of new gaskets is well worth it. I get it home, completely disassemble, clean and fix anything I find. It's not really a rebuild, but the extra time is worth it and with Pull-A-Part prices, I come out ahead, other than my time. With two engines, I end up not typically needing any extra parts besides consumables. It's just not worth the risk to me to install a used engine without first getting inside it. So much easier to fix any issues on the stand rather than in the car when it fails down the road. YMMV.

2:50 He stabbed the coolant passages with his steely screwdriver but he just can clear the beast! Last thing I remember, Hoovie's running for the door ...

It is truly an honor to express my admiration for your remarkable character and the invaluable contributions you have made as a friend. I hold immense respect for your work and sincerely wish that we had more individuals of your caliber in Europe.

Hoovie does not get screwed. He buys nightmares because it is good for his channel and for yours.

So many of us out here who don't have a million subscribers getting screwed and we can't do anything. It would be cool if there was a youtube account that would investigate regular peoples problems and call out bad companies.

As a fellow professional in automotive industry, I enjoy your channel, but your experience is nothing like ours. We don’t have many wealthy customers, so that means we have changed a lot of used engines from salvage yards. Very rarely have we had a problem with one, and on that rare occasion, we’ve had no trouble getting it warranty. Most salvage yards in our area give a 30 day warranty, which is all you need on a used engine, when you put it in you know if it’s good or not. And again on the occasion we have ever had a problem, the salvage yard always works with us on labor costs as well. Yes, there are risks and challenges with anything, but overall it has been lucrative for us. Not everybody can afford a brand new car. And a working person here in Central New York can’t always afford to throw away an eight or $10,000 car can afford a brand new/Reman engine. With all due respect, I think you’re exaggerating here. In almost 50 years, we have never had an occasion where we have put in three, four, five engines in and had one last 30 days. It just honestly does not ever happen. I think you slipped up here a little misleading people by scaring them with exaggeration.

Thank you for your service as well as all the great information!

Poor quality parts has been an issue in many industries for a long time, and got worse after the red lung. So many knowledgeable people who took pride in their work are just gone now, and the new batch are grifters who will take you for everything you have. We see it in IT too, 3-4 year old laptops that we cant find motherboards or batteries for since everything on them is soldered and the manufacturer stopped making parts as soon as the warranty was up. And these are business class machines, not consumer slop.

A good friend of mine just went through this exact kind of garbage. The engine in his high-mileage Honda Ridgeline finally gave up, so, he bought a used engine. It died in less than a month. He ended up spending WAY more than the thing was worth on it.

Great job David, as usual...We love your content & send your our best greetings from Montreal, Canada

Every time I watch these videos I am so impressed with the integrity and honesty The Wizard brings. So many businesses could benefit from the "hamdshake" you, Rainman, Eric O. and others give to this world. Thanks and thank you for your service. God bless you and your family.

Hoovie is your best customer and now BetterHelp's top client 😅

I don't use used engines after I was going to make a 2002 Tundra an offroad toy. I got 4 engines from a yard and all 4 of them had problems with the back two cylinders. Credit to the yard, the owner would come out and look at the engine and refund or return the engines.

Wizard, your vids and presentation skills have gotten 1000% better. This one was very informative.

Back in 2020 my 2006 Chrysler Town and County had its engine go bad. I was looking at a new rebuilt engine. It had a three year guarantee. The cost of a rebuilt 3.3 liter Chrysler V6 was $3200. The cost to install it was an additional $1500. So $4700 to get a 14 year old car running?. Forget it. I used that as a down payment on a new car.

Friend of mine went through this with a 4r70w transmission for his Crown Vic. After the second used dead transmission, I rebuilt his original transmission and installed a refurbished torque converter. That was three years ago and that trans still works perfectly.

I have to say, I own a shop and we will only deal with LKQ on used parts. They are fantastic. Their customer service is great and they have always honored their warranties for us.

When I was a tech at a Toyota dealership with had this company that supplied us with used engines because customers preferred it over a rebuild . They always test them and they came with a warranty. Apart from giving me one with a crushed oil pan we luckily never had issues with them.

I know 2-3 mechanics who watch your videos. Thank you Sir

Every time I jump in my 1995 LS400 I feel so lucky because the engine in so excellent. Nearly 30 years on the engine is only now starting to weep oil..but no actual drops yet 400k kms (not miles). Cheers from sunny Australia.

Listen to this man folks I learned a hard lesson from not listening to him. Believe me he is doing us all a great service by educating us on how things are right now. Thank you Wizard for sharing the knowledge you have learned through the years.

Thank you for your service. Thank you for posting all these great videos.

We used to have a society….

This is the same thing I saw in compact construction equipment. Our shop made it a hard rule, new or manufacturer re-man only. Then if a re-man failed we could do it again for warranty instead of charging for labor again. Far fewer angry customers that way.

You're not wrong, "Mr Subaru" (along with you the only You Tuber bigger than Sasquatch) went through three engines from an extended warranty company (no compression) before he got a good one. That said I got a great tight and solid low mileage engine installed by my mechanic, still going strong years later.

LOVE the Car Wizard....I wish i lived close enough to utilize his services.

As a mechanic with over 50 yrs experience few people maintain the engine properly,the used engines I buy I go through before I install.bearings,oil pump,timing components, water pump and that is only after a bore and cam and lifter inspection shows no issues.

I'll share a though with you that entered my own head some time ago.. At this point with used cars and the markets being what they are, combined with the parts crisis, it won't be much longer until we as mechanics, out of necessity, will have to be able to perform at least the most perfunctory and basic machine work in-house, if we're to keep anything going. Much like the grandfathers before us who had to do a little bit of everything under one roof in a similar situation. Even on brand new stuff we're forced to make our own parts or doctor up the only ones available that still don't fit or work right. I see a HUGE cottage industry for engine/chassis management electronics on the horizon as well

It's not just you. Saran N Tuned sent an engine away to be rebuilt and came back unusable. The company responsible took it back and redid it. Donut had a brand new crate engine from G.M. that had cylinder scoring from a missing pin. Quality control doesn't seem a priority anymore.

This video not only describes with utmost fidelity the state of affairs of modern IC engines, but the car industry as a whole. Thank you Sir!!!❤❤❤

LOVE that intro… “welcome to hoovies nightmare”… 😂 love the kick!

Last two engine swaps I did I got extremely lucky. Found one from a rusted out, low mileage Grand Pa's relic, the other from a totaled wreck junked by a insurance company. Too find them both within months of each other was amazing.

The used engine market always amazes me. No compression report or anything - its a total crap shoot.

I had an employer in Emeryville California who not disclose shipping charges, core charges and if the transmission or motor was bad the end user bore the shipping costs. The tendency to send the worst product first seemed to be intentional. If you purchased a rebuilt there the quality control was just as bad. Most of these engines were not made to be repaired. The problem is getting worse. There are a few that offer a good warranty and stand behind it. Buyer beware.

We still have great luck with used engines at our shop. It’s usually Chevy or ford stuff. We absolutely inspect everything before install though

Storys like this is why I mostly only do used rotary engine rebuilds. With those, you're gonna have to disassemble the bought used engjne anyways to gather up all the good used parts so you can put together an engine that will start and actually run. Throwing any used engine in blind is just asking for trouble these days.

It's been said that if the vehicle is wrecked, it's very likely it was running at the time. Now, it's not always practical to visit the donor vehicle, but if you can, do it and take a good mechanic to advise you. Otherwise, you're playing pin-the-tail, not just in the dark, but in another room.

Back in the 90's, I bought a complete IROC 5.7 to put in my truck. Only problem is that I should have gotten one with all the brackets. Had to chase down a few when I didn't have the exact year of the car it came out of. Engine ran flawlessly though.

The car and motorcycle industry is going down the tube after 25 years its just not getting better

Last year, actually around this day, my the engine in my Ram 1500 3.6L exploded. Because of the economy and the truck being paid off and yearly rust proofed (I live in Ontario, Canada), a engine replacement was the more cost efficient option then a new truck. The only seller I trusted was a local salvage yard.

Thank You Wizard. Very Good Information 👍

I buy a running salvage vehicle to source used engines and transmissions. You can usually sell the good parts that are left and scrap the rest and get your money back

The guys at Donut just bought a new crate motor and the crank bearings were trash.

If you're in a position of needing a replacement engine or transmission in your only vehicle, you need another vehicle. It's just that simple. If you rely on it to get to work and feed your family, it's over between you and that vehicle. Either trade it in, sell for parts, let the bank have it, whatever. Get something else and move on. If you have time to wait on repairs, used engines can be okay PROVIDED you hear them run prior to purchase. Find a wrecked car at auction with the same engine code, inspect it, see if it runs, and buy that and do the swap. Or buy a car with title issues and yank the engine. Yes, you'll be responsible for paying for removal of two engines and installation of one, so 1.5X labor. However, you'll have the confidence of knowing your replacement engine will work AND once you sell/part out the rest of the donor car, you'll probably save money in the long run vs buying an engine that's already removed (which you're paying for the labor of anyway, just not on your mechanic's bill.)

I appreciate that sponsor! Glad to see it.

I broke a bicycle frame and the shop griped,but did resolve the situation. Afterwards I said glad you did because I would leave it in the rack in my pickup with a sign about what happened. I rode trails all over DFW and knew a lot of riders. He looked shocked, I said no worries you did good.

Trying to find a good machinist is getting harder too. Young people just aren’t going into that profession like they used to and guys are retiring that have decades of know how.

The problem is the seller, whether a wholesaler or retailer. I assume most used engines are not fresh and have been sitting in the weather for days, weeks, maybe years. I ordered a part off ebay from a large national part supplier and in the picture it looked clean and in great shape and was also still in the car. The part showed up covered in red dusty dirt and with a unremovable mark on it. They knew about the dirt because they attempted to wipe it off and scratched the part all over. There lies the issue, there is no accountability and the seller knows it. Leave a review and read the reviews.

Feels like back when I did automotive work it was 10% at most that you'd get a bad used part, people weren't as dishonest. Now like you said it's like 10% of the time you get a good part... Hell, even brand new parts come out of spec.

The problem is that a lot of us dont have the money to just scrap a car due to a bad engine. We need to go with the cheapest option

Last time I heard “, bro you’re about to get blasted hard” was at a truck stop at three in the morning

I've installed 4 used engines before, and all 4 were good. I purchased from my local junkyards with a good reputation. They were more expensive than what I could find online, but I don't want to risk buying online and not knowing what I'm getting.

glad you finally got a good engine and now you know a little more who to trust.thanks for sharing

Good info. You have to watch the big box store rebuilt engines too

Not surprised that more modern engines are hard to find as rebuilds given how complicated engines have gotten since i was a kid. ( child of the 1970s).

I purchased a remanufactured 4.3L chevy from Summit and it was defective with a bad head gasket, the same reason I needed a new one. They did not honor their warranty. THEY SCREWED ME AND GHOSTED ME! DO NOT ORDER ONE FROM THEM!

Great video! Thanks!

The last time I bought a “used engine” was in 1999 and it was in a running vehicle that had severe body damage. It was a 302 V8 from a t-boned mustang. We pulled the motor and transmission, then took the rest to the junkyard. That motor ran great for years until we sold our vehicle.

I've got good junkyard motors. Look for clean under the valve covers , look for metal in the oil pan and play in the connecting rods. A hobby project can do this. It's no way to run a business, but after new gaskets and seals it can work for a project car

Looks like the 66 Chevelle has become lift art.

Even little things can be a horror story with the chain auto parts stores. Just like the Wizard's first story, I had Kragen / O'Reilly send me a rusty master cylinder core instead of a rebuilt one. THEN, they gave me the wrong one, Delco Moraine instead of Bendix. I didn't know that the one brand would fit on the booster of the other... until the brakes locked up on a corner and I blew two tires on the curb. 🤬

Even a “new” engine from the dealer is remanufactured.

A second question. "Why can't we get good quality parts?" Ex. Plastic water pump impellers and thermostat housings are just two I ran into recently. Car has 54k miles and needed a pump (with no more fins on impeller) and a housing which had a hairline crack. I am sure it will need a new (plastic) radiator since the pump fins are somewhere inside. Really enjoy you and Hoovies channels.

I rewinded that 5 second intro so many times lmao dude you are hilarious.

I have went through 3 Briggs/Murray Push Mowers in 3 years-all bought from Walmart, I change Oil Often and keep them clean and out of weather, all of them start Knocking and may Lock up before one year is on them. A Lawn Mower Mechanic said just throw them away. It is sad, I have a Lawn Mower that is maybe 35 years old that I paid $39 at a Gibson store years ago that will still run and cut grass, yes it has had several Carb. Kits installed and has Sheared several Crank Pins but it will still run and cut grass and does not smoke or burn oil...

A good credit card company will refund a bad purchase. Let your CC company do all the fighting

J&J Auto Wrecking is superb. Have done business with them for several years. They keep no iffy parts.

Seems like all this reinforces the fact that proper maintenance, oil and filter changes, coolant changes, etc., is worth the money you spend so you don't end up needing to replace your engine.

Car wizard from one vet to another thank you for your service both in the military and under the hood!

I miss the 90s and early 2000s. Blew your RB26 Skyline? $2600 inspected and warrantied replacement engine, pick from like 60 available always on shelf. Gearboxes? $700. Engine for my mum's Mazda Familia, $600. Nowadays you can't even get a fuse. It's either special order, not available anywhere, part of an entire assembly or vehicle no longer supported.....only 7 years old.

I cant even find a shop that will do a good rebuild. Years ago you knew you were getting an engine that would last just as long as the original.

10:30 The Delorean in the back always elevates the show....Wish i could just walk-thought the shop to see whats in there. I bet the wizard could sell tickets....

What a stark contrast. I was just watching a resto channel where he took a 60 year old Ford tractor that had been sitting for decades and with some simple mechanical work and a few parts got to work properly.

Thank you for your service