Need engine: Pull from PickNPull or Buy already pulled?

limequat

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Dec 8, 2011
520
Here's a fun question I'd like to open up for debate...
My Supra is upgrading from a 2006 engine (after spinning a bearing) to a 2008 or 2009. This gets me the better control system, which will make turbo life easier. I'm just about ready to get the engine, and I'd like your input on a couple options:

* easy way
Go to local yard, fork over $1000, haul motor home

* hard (fun?) way
Take a vacation day. Go to local pick-N-pull with every tool I own. Spend between 8 and 80 hours extracting I6. Where's my 3/8 swivel? Load cursed pile of junk into wheelbarrow. Spend more on dinner than I did on the new engine.

Has anyone actually attempted the junkyard extraction? Am I asking for trouble?
 

mrrsm

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It is NOT worth the time and effort to do this on site. Check out LKQ:

https://lkqonline.com/Engine-Compartment/?ref=b-ppc&msclkid=24f470bc37df1f84bc9a2b357e62d13f&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=(ROI) LKQ Brand - Categories&utm_term=used lkq engines&utm_content=Used Lkq Engines

If you decide to do this yourself... the most important Question to ask is; "Was this Engine pulled out of a Vehicle that was Running right up until an Accident occurred...or from some distant graveyard area of the Yard with Motor Troubles?" One last word of caution... Hide EVERYTHING ..every Last Nut, Bolt and Part you remove ...because as soon as you turn your back ...the Yard Workers will come along and snag those things when you are not looking and put them in stock on site. If you don't have a Twin Brother... you will need another person to watch your work area if you decide to leave and come back for "Lunch" and lend a much needed hand to get the engine out.

If you are bound and determined to endure this self-torture... these Youtube Videos on Salvage Yard Tips and Tricks will give you an idea of what to prepare for in advance:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=salvage+yard+tips+and+tricks
 
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littleblazer

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Jul 6, 2014
9,265
Generally an already pulled engine will have some sort of guarantee too. If you plan on going through it before installing then that really doesn't make a difference. I just can't believe they got that expensive. I was looking into low mileage junk engines a year or two ago and they were tops 800$ for like 110k. Now it's like 1500 for the same crap.:weird:
 
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I_Shoot_Back

Member
Feb 18, 2018
116
Ponoka
Dare to live,pull one yourself but bring a friend. Done that lots,it's fun. Bit of judgement to pick the donor car as to guess engine good or not. Does it look washed recently,interior clean or messy. That sort of thing will give a good impression on how truck got treated. I had good luck with engines from pick and pull.
I always pull spark plugs before i decide if i want that engine,they tell a great story on how it runs.

p.s.: Got ECM back,runs great :smile:
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Go for one that was hit in the rear or something like that also. One that is just "there" is probably a bad candidate as something is likely broken, but one that looks like it was taken care of but got nailed by someone else in the behind or side is usually pretty good.
 

djthumper

Administrator
Nov 20, 2011
14,950
North Las Vegas
You forgot the 8+ hours of re-installation. I vote for already pulled, my time is valuable.
 

I_Shoot_Back

Member
Feb 18, 2018
116
Ponoka
I don't make $100/hr so for me 8 hrs spend to save approx $850 is worth it to me. And can't put a price on the adventure :smile:
And in the event of it being a bad motor you swear at it a bit and do it again. You get that too on a pulled motor,had that happen. I could jump up and down as much as I wanted,they certainly didn't reimburse me for lost time :sadcry:
 

gpking

Member
Dec 27, 2013
534
Berkeley Springs, WV
Appreciate the help guys. I'll probably at least stroll through to see what's available.
FYI - LKQ Pick Your Part does a 40% off Labor Day sale tomorrow through Monday.
If you've got one in your area, those deals can't be beat!
 
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Reprise

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I vote for the pre-pull...'cos my PCM is about to be sent out to you while I do the lower ball joints on my Sierra. :hahano:

j/k, of course... $1000 is a lot of scratch, and cheap bastidge that I am, I'd be looking to save the dough, if I could.

Working alone, I'd probably bite the bullet (especially if they gave out a warranty.)
With a helper...I'd do the pull, especially if said helper was experienced. Great learning oppo.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
Lets not forget how much fun it is to pull one of these out. If it's 2WD, it's not as bad, but 95% of them are 4x4 so more junk to deal with.

Although I have never tried this, you could sneak in one of those lithium booster packs and hook it up to the starter to spin it. If it has a weak cylinder, it should be evident with the uneven cranking. This could get you kicked out of the yard if you get caught. If you just want to power up the cluster to find out the mileage, you could use a battery pack from a cordless tool to power it up. Our yards are pretty good and put the mileage on the windshield along with the year.

The '08/'09's are rarer though, especially in the yards here. There is an '08 here with a pretty good body but at 362k km (225k miles), it probably suffered from a major failure, either the engine or tranny. It was even an LT1.
 

limequat

Original poster
Member
Dec 8, 2011
520
Well, I found a middle ground.

There was a local yard that got in a 2009 9-7x that was hit HARD in the front to the point that the oil pan shattered. There was also damage to the intake manifold, mounts, and probably other stuff. I have all those things from my other engine, so not *too* concerned. Of course I may find something later on which changes my mind.

Anyway, they gave me a good deal - much less than the $1000-$1500 you'd expect to pay, but I'm accepting a little more risk and a little more work.
 

Sparky

Member
Dec 4, 2011
12,927
That sounds sketchy to me. What kind of damage could a hard front hit do to the in-motion pistons and crank I wonder...?
 

limequat

Original poster
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Dec 8, 2011
520
Yes definitely sketchy, that's my wheelhouse :smile:


But I don't foresee any internal damage. Consider the strength of a 100 lb slab of cast iron (crank) versus the tin can that is the body structure. It is possible that I might find a block fracture. That would suck, but it wouldn't be the end of the world either, as I have a perfectly fine 06 block sitting in my basement.
 

mrrsm

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@Sparky has considered and asked the Most Important Question here... And I say this with a fervent prayer to the Gods of the Mechanical Universe that it is not so... but if the impact force was transmitted through the Harmonic Balancer enough to fracture the Crankcase... then a complete engine dis-assembly would be required to ensure that the All Aluminum Engine Block Buttresses for the Main Journals have not been fractured. With an average RPM on impact of say 1,500 RPM... many bad things can occur in short order because the Internal Rotating Assembly components are not in a solid state with the Engine Block ...and their forward momentum may have induced an unbelievable amount of stress to the Block itself.

The almost 100 lbs of the weight of the Crankshaft plus the Rotating Rods moving suddenly forward as the front end moves in the opposite direction would almost guarantee this. Your problem will not be caused by a sturdy, weighty Nodular Cast Iron Crankshaft and its companions...but what they can do under these circumstances to the soft Aluminum "Baby Carriage" they reside within.

If you cannot rotate the engine easily by using the HB Bolt to turn this engine over at least two or three times... Please consider shining this one on. Please indulge Page #5 of my "Flickr-Bucket" GM 4.2L LL8 Engine Tear Down Photo Album to get a better close up view of these "Notre Dame" Cathedral Like inner Constructions to see that almost all of the Block Strength is designed to handle Vertical Stress Forces...but little in the way of Horizontal Strength:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/126111508@N07/albums/72157698744569624/page5

...and if you decide to get this engine... if you want to confirm that the Crankshaft has not been bent... you can view this video I made on How To Use The Engine Cradle from your Motor as the inverted support platform while checking the journals with a Dial Indicator for any out-of-roundness... starting with the outer one that holds the Harmonic Balancer:

 
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mrrsm

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The Very BEST information ...besides the images I have all over that Flickr.com Link AND also from my Photobucket Albums here for New Parts and Part Numbers ...

http://s557.photobucket.com/user/60dgrzbelow0/library/0000TRAILBLAZERENGINEREPAIR?sort=3&page=1

...will come from @m.mcmillen via his Complete Re-Build Thread and from @Mooseman. Those guys will keep you out of trouble and make your life much easier, Brother!

During the Dis-Assembly ... with the Engine Inverted on the Engine Stand... Pay particular attention to the rear facing side of the #5 Main Journal... as this is the location of the Half Moon Thrust Bearing...and the Force of the Impact as the Rotating Assembly slammed forward like a Battering Ram moving from the rear to the front of the vehicle... and as a result over time... it would have received the Greatest Initial Impact Force and Wear on BOTH sides of the Thrust Bearing Surfaces. Look for that Main Support to be cracked or damaged more than any of the other 7 in the lower Block:


NUMBER5THRUSTBEARING.jpg
 
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limequat

Original poster
Member
Dec 8, 2011
520
Looks like I may have bought a stinker...

I removed the cradle and all bearing caps, then reinstalled bearing cap #4. Then I measured crank runout at the #1 journal and number 7 journal.
Number one looked great, the needle on the dial indicator barely moved. On number 7 however, the dial jumped back and forth about 0.005" Spec is 0.0002 or less then I can measure with my tools.
Also I'm getting a weird clicking once per crank rev.

N2uLBJE
 

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Sparky

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Dec 4, 2011
12,927
Any sort of guarantee on the thing, or was it as is?
 

mrrsm

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Calm down, Gentlemen... Read Post #18 again and study the image highlighted in Red... What you are measuring right now using your technique is the OLD WEAR ON THE ORIGINAL UPPER THRUST BEARING SURFACES ON CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL #5. But... after you completely remove the Crankshaft and clean that block down to bare Aluminum... with the careful installation of the New Bearing Set ...and in particular with the use of the Brand New GM Half Moon Upper Thrust Bearing that needs to be installed... this action should bring that measurement back down in accord within an acceptable Run-Out of 0.0002" when you do the follow up measurement.

Generally... Run-Out should only be measured... AFTER the New Bearings are installed-checked with Plasti-Gage and re-installed with proper torque and TTY actions...completed with Brand New Bolts on top of the Crankshaft Cradle. THEN you should take a small block of 2" X 4" wood and place it square on the end of the nose of the Crankshaft and give it a Rap Dead Center with a Ball Peen Hammer... Only Once. Then repeat this process on the flat face of the Tail of the Crankshaft Flex Plate attachment area...Just Once. This will ensure that the Bearings have seated and that your Run-Out measurements after doing this will be accurate. This action also helps when measuring Con-Rod to Crankshaft Journal play as well.

These Crankshaft Main Bearings are strictly made from a combination amalgam of Aluminum and Silicate. Although they are sold in two separate kits by Engine-Tech on Amazon.com; one for the Mains and one for the Con-Rods... I can only recommend that you use the GM OEM flavor for the Main Bearings, the Con-Rods and in particular...that Thrust bearing as an Upper and Lower Set available at RockAuto.com and choose them specifically for whatever Year/Make/Model SUV your Swap Motor came from:

https://www.rockauto.com/

As for possible source of "The Clicking Noise"... observe where the Sensor Notch is located on the Crankshaft Reluctor Wheel and if the CKP (Crank Shaft Sensor) check that it is still resident inside the Engine Block with the Cylinder portion poking into the Inner Block and aligning with that Reluctor Wheel. Next... See if that Clicking Noise only occurs as the Notch passes by the CKP Hall Effect Sensor Cylinder when looking down from the inverted block position and slowly rotating the Crankshaft.

The attached image shows a Yellow Circle where the CKP Sensor S/S Cylinder pokes through the Engine Block... while the Four Short Red Lines shows the thickness areas on both sides of that one-and-only Half Moon Thrust Bearing that wear down over time and loosens the End Play Run-Out of the Crankshaft:

THRUSTBEARINGANDCKP.jpeg
 
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limequat

Original poster
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Dec 8, 2011
520
Hi Sparky, yes they had a 30 day warranty on it, which is good until next Tuesday.

MRRSM, I'm not following..
You state: "OLD WEAR ON THE ORIGINAL UPPER THRUST BEARING SURFACES ON CRANKSHAFT JOURNAL #5 "
But what does thrust play have to do with crank runout?
Also I don't understand how worn bearings could affect a runout measurement.

The clicking -to my ear- is coming from the crank timing gear area. I didn't mention prior, but the effort to turn the engine builds and then releases slightly right before the click.

Honestly, when I bought the engine I thought there was no chance a collision could bend a crank, but now I'm pretty well convinced that's exactly what happened. I imagine a banana shaped crank and a matching banana shaped crank bore. When I turn it, it binds, binds, and releases - as the concentric bananas come in and out of phase. But that's my fruit addled mind...

So, if I'm right, both the block and the crank are junk. Worst case I could try to salvage some 09 specific parts that I would need anyway (throttle, sensors, cam actuators), but at this point I think I'd rather try again with a different engine.
 

mrrsm

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I think we had an issue of "Semantics" (Out of Round vs. Run Out) in that I was interpreting your Dial Indications to be on the nose of the Crankshaft checking for fore and aft motion. Unless you have applied an Angle Gauge (Small Carpenter's Square) against the uprights deep inside the upper block that form the Seven (7) Bearing Supports and found that they are not at a 90 Degree Angle to the Mating surface engine where the Crankcase meets the Smooth Bottom Edges of the Engine Block... you should not assume that anything is disastrously wrong just yet.

If you commit to keeping this engine... then you will have to tear it down a lot more so you can pull the Crankshaft out of the Block and examine it for any actual Bends or Out Of Round Journals. Using my video will to show you how to invert the Crankshaft Cradle on a level surface and use the same Main Caps and Bearings from the Original 1-4-7 positions as supports and then place your Dial Indicator on "0" Zero in the center of each Journal surface and slowly turn the Crankshaft by hand and watch for any eccentric movements.

THAT technique worked very well for me... and you could do this on your Bench after putting just a few drops of Assembly Lube on the Bearing surfaces and take your time looking at all three positions. In the Old Days... a Good Machinist could Heat and Straighten out the Crankshaft with correctly placed Hits from a Heavy Brass Hammer.

If you find nothing wrong in either examination... then there is probably nothing glaringly wrong. I would also suggest using a very bright Flashlight and looking very closely inside of the Engine Block for any cracks or separations where the Steel Sleeves meet up with the lower portion of the Block...and seek to find any Bent or Cracked support Buttresses.

Please understand that your Crankshaft... all Crankshafts for that matter... do more than merely Rotate Clockwise inside of the engine at the behest of the forces of Combustion Driven Pistons. Due to the forces of Torque and Angular Momentum created AS the Engine is Running ... the Crankshaft HUNTS very dynamically --> Forwards and <--- Backwards over and over again.

The only thing that keeps this action from ruining the engine by NOT keeping the Con-Rods as close to a Right Angle during their up and down actions upon the Pistons and having the Counter-Weights eventually getting jammed against the Inner Upper Block Engine Bearing Supports ...are those Two Side-Plates of the Thrust Bearing that prevent this damage from happening and destroying the engine.

Eric the Car Guy's Video is illustrative of this phenomena and while he is describing the forces that get applied against the outer Flywheel of a Clutch Pressure Plate... those same exact forces are applied by the Tri-Mounted Bolt-Up points on the Flex-Plate of a 4L60E Transmission by the Torque Converter as it HUNTS ---> Forwards and <--- Backwards. This is a very repetitive and very VIOLENT event that occurs every time the Engine RPM rises and Falls and is especially stressful as the Crankshaft moves from Nose to Tail innumerable times under extreme loads... during the life of the Engine.


This next Video will demonstrate just exactly how Dynamic the Motions and Forces entering the Torque Converter really are...and how much movement that Crankshaft and Ballooning, Sliding TC have when moving In and Out:


When subjected to enough hard contact... those Thrust Bearing Flanges (Plates located at Right Angles to the Crankshaft) will burn up and wear down to the point where that Nose to Tail Motion of the Crankshaft becomes excessive. I hope this is an adequate explanation.

One last suggestion is for you to remove the Rear Cover Seal Plate and The Front Timing Cover and examine them both on a Flat Surface to see if they were warped, bent or damaged during the impact. Then try to rotate the Crankshaft again and see if that "Clicking" noise has subsided. Replacing the Front Cover also eliminates any damage and Crankshaft rotational interference that may have occurred inside of the Gerotor Oil Pump.

That Pump is attached to the Cover on the inside and may have been ruined during the accident if either the Gerotor Oil Pump Gears or the mate up it has with the Lower Cog-Sprocket on the Nose of the Crankshaft got FUBARed. If this turns out to be true.... those two components can easily be replaced if you find no actual cracks or damage to the block or the Crankshaft Nose is NOT dinged up or bent Once they are taken off of the engine.... you can once again check for any sketchy resistance when rotating the Crankshaft clockwise and feeling for any change in the problem.
 
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limequat

Original poster
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Dec 8, 2011
520
OK, I've had the week to think about it.
I will concede that my runout measurement was not ideal. For one, the rods and pistons were still connected, so they could be acting on the crank and throwing off the runout measurement. However, I did not want to completely remove the crank, as the goal is to NOT do a rebuild.

But, we're all overthinking it. Any layman will tell you that the rotating assembly should turn over easy by HAND once the plugs are out. I saw many old-timers saying they expected around 20 ft-lbs or less for a freshly built V8.

So I pulled the plugs. Yes I should have done this first. With just #4 main bolted down, I couldn't even move it with my 1/2" ratchet. Put the 3' extension on the ratchet and it broke free and started turning again. Same thing where it gets lighter, then harder to turn.

So I'm gonna try to warranty the engine out tomorrow. I don't care if it's runout or what, no engine should require a 3 foot breaker bar to turn over on zero compression.
 

limequat

Original poster
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Dec 8, 2011
520
Junkyard took the engine back. They said the clicking was the chain tensioner 'cause there's no oil pressure. I thought the tensioner locked in the out position?
I had them turn it over with a ratchet. At first they thought the crank was jamming on the crank sensor. They removed the crank sensor and it was still binding once per revolution. That's when they agreed to refund my money.

So, I'm back to square 1, but I learned a few things:
* It is possible to bend a crankshaft in collision
* The 4.2 has a crank runout spec of 0.0002" that's two ten-thousandths of an inch.
* Old timers tend to rely on rules of thumb when rebuilding engines. Consensus seems to be about 2 to 5 thousands of inch. Beyond that it is possible to have a crank straigthened.
* a 4.2 fits very nicely in the back of a Ford Edge, even with the rear seats up.
 

JayArr

Member
Sep 24, 2018
504
Mission BC Canada
I thought the tensioner locked in the out position?

It does if you take the chain off, wasn't your head/chain still on?

Not that it matters if they took it back .
 

limequat

Original poster
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Dec 8, 2011
520
Yeah the head was still on. So it seems feasible with no oil pressure, and only spring pressure, that it could be clicking in and out?
 

JayArr

Member
Sep 24, 2018
504
Mission BC Canada
Hi Limequat

The tensioner doesn't click in and out during normal operation of the engine, it extends as the chain stretches over it's lifetime. The ratchet is there to hold the tensioner out during startup when there is low oil pressure. GM had a lot of trouble with tensioners in the past that had no ratchet and on startup with no/low oil pressure on an ageing engine there would be enough slack for the chain to jump a tooth and ruin the engine. I helped a neighbor change an engine in his Cavalier that had done this. The dealer told him that there was a retrofit tensioner available for the engine but nobody had bothered to install one and then it was too late. (we tore the replacement engine apart and made sure it had a new style tensioner before we dropped it in)

I spun my "wrecker engine" on the weekend with the head on, no spark plugs and a normal 6" ratchet wrench on the crank bolt. No extra effort was required and it didn't make any "ratcheting" noises. The tensioner will make a ratcheting noise as it pops out when the chain comes off but not in normal operation.
 

limequat

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Dec 8, 2011
520
Thanks, JayArr!

So there was probably at least 2 things wrong with my engine then.

I looked at another engine. The guy at the yard said it was "low miles". Oh, how many miles does it have? 140,000. It also had grease down the entire timing cover and varnish on the cams. I just don't think an 10 year old engine should look like that.

I'm starting to think twice about just rebuilding what I have.
 

Mooseman

Moderator
Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
The majority of these engines are 10+ years old with the mileage to match. And US sales numbers were dropping from a high of 283k in 2004 to 119k and 22k in 2008 and 2009 respectively so these will be harder to find regardless of condition.

Although it will require more work and machining, a block with a spun bearing should be rebuildable unless you need some specially sized bearings that are not available for this engine.
 
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JayArr

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Sep 24, 2018
504
Mission BC Canada
What a shame that Limequat has a good head and a spun bearing and I've got a warped head and a good block/rotating assembly.

Where are you located Limequat?
 

mrrsm

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FWIW... Before you commit to performing a very expensive investment of Time, Energy and Money in rebuilding that engine... Consider a visit to eBay and scour the place for possible replacements like THIS one with a Price reduction to $675.00 and Free S&H with 177,000 Miles on it (Youthful by the LL8 Engine Lifetime standards of 250-400 K Miles) and a Warranty as well. At least you will have the chance to view and evaluate the vehicles that such engines came out of from the comfort of your EZ Chair and determine whether they were running ... or hit Head On in collisions that finally brought them all to the yard(s). You cannot get your engine completely and properly rebuilt for less than $2,000.00 ...so perhaps there is yet another solution path available via eBay:

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5338077216&icep_item=332825357983
 
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Mooseman

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Dec 4, 2011
25,257
Ottawa, ON
If going the Internet shopping route, I would ask the seller to pull the valve cover off and take pics of the valvetrain. When I bought mine at a local yard, it ran but later on after I installed it, it wound up with problems with the CPAS, cam phaser and chain tensioner due to neglected oil changes evidenced by the coked oil all over the inside of the valve cover and valvetrain.

$675 shipping included is not a bad deal. But if you have your mind set on an '08, there seems to be quite a selection:
https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_fr...esc=0&_osacat=0&_odkw=2008+trailblazer+engine

And have you tried car-part.com?
 

limequat

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Dec 8, 2011
520
Yep have (had?) my heart set on a 2008 or 2009 so I can run the newer control system. Starting to rethink that.
I've been cruising local yards, ebay, and car-part.com. Cornchip, I haven't used Hollander before, I'll give that a shot too! That one in Toronto might be worth the drive...
 
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mrrsm

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Small h/j... but still useful for @limequat ... Regardless of which LL8 you wind up getting:

@JayArr... While you have the Donor Engine out of the Vehicle.... This might be a very good time to pour-spray some ACDelco TEC (Top Engine Cleaner) into all of those Cylinders to De-Carbonize the Top End. If you have the Engine Stand Mounted... you could spray the Foam Version of this stuff down inside each Cylinder and after it sits for a few hours.... Repeat the procedure... but this time, reinstall the Spark Plugs and invert the engine on the stand. Let it sit upside down for a few hours with plenty of TEC soaking the Combustion Chambers. Then ...undo the Spark Plugs and allow all of that 'Carbon Black Mung' to drain out before re-installing them to avoid Hydro-Locking the Motor.

In this manner, the Foam will be able to run down from each Piston Head and reach the "semi-hemi" combustion chambers and dissolve an awful lot of Carbon Build-Up from around the Pistons, Rings Valves and Seats. Naturally, with the Intake and Exhaust Camshafts still installed on the Engine Head... some of the Valves will be open and the stuff may leak out. However most of the other Valves will get a good dousing and help with "Tidying Up The Top End" even B4 the Engine gets installed, Oil Primed via few 15 second turnovers with the Fuel Pump Relay removed...and then with the FPR re-installed, started for the first time within its New Home:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B007Q102AE/?tag=gmtnation-20

ACDELCOTEC.jpg
 
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limequat

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Dec 8, 2011
520
MRRSM, can you elaborate on this comment:
"You cannot get your engine completely and properly rebuilt for less than $2,000.00 "
Does that include labor?

I feel like in my case, I'm looking main/rod bearings, crank polish or replace, rings, and fluids.
 

mrrsm

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That is the amount of money that you realistically could wind up spending when you factor in all of the NEW OEM Parts, Gaskets, Sealant, Lubricants and many of the Specialty Tools that might become a requirement to say... have to pull and replace some or all of the Worn, Cracked or Scored Cast Iron Factory Cylinder Sleeves if they are determined to be out of ordinary wear specs and replacing them with Melling NEW Cylinder Sleeve(s) for around $30.00 per cylinder. The K&M Tool Kit necessary to do that job will run you anywhere from $450 to $750 to obtain on eBay.

Another example would be the sheer numbers of required TTY Fasteners and their cost alone is proof of the need to spend another Pot of Money that MUST be invested in, since using any of the Old Fasteners could end in a disaster with the motor coming apart at 6,000 RPM during a power shift. Nothing about this engine is in any way the Standard, Cheap... or by any means ... the Off the Shelf style, Good Ol' General Motors Engine Rebuild Parts that most people would imagine can be used to re-make and renew this I-6 Aluminum Motor.

The labor costs you are asking about have NOT been factored into this equation. I am speaking about this Two Grand with the idea that YOU will be doing all of the Critical Engine Assembly and Build yourself. Only a fool or an incompetent would take anything less that $750 to $1,000 in labor to perform that task for you. You really need to get some input from @m.mcmillen on this topic, as he has done a Complete Engine Re-Build of an LL8 and he can counsel you much better than I can about everything that will become involved.

If you were going to have to purchase a fully re-manufactured engine ...it would run you on the order of around $4,000.00...with NO Accessories. If you visit my "2004 Engine Swap..." (Now a Re-Build Thread) and also look at my other dreadful, lengthy tome titled, "The $85,000.00 GM 4.2L Engine Head Repair", you will be able to see the Complete List of Required Components on the first and second pages covering everything that must be installed as NEW to qualify this work as a Truly Complete Re-Build... and then you will come to understand where all of the expense is coming from.

You could of course avoid having to do all of this if you purchase the Later Model version of the LL8 that you desire (courtesy @cornchip 's suggestion from the GWN) ...and then you'll just have the problem of wrangling out the Old Engine and getting the New One dropped in WITH the Proper Later Model PCM as well installed to make it "GO" again. That problem resolution path comes with the LEAST amount of possible cost, grief and trouble if you decide to Pull The Purchase Pin and drive up to Canada and get that Engine. As long as the price mentioned is in Canadian Cash... you should do very nicely...but I would NOT leave the yard without at least pulling all (6) Spark Plugs and manually turning that Engine over to see if it will make 3-5 complete revolutions without anything hanging up inside.
 

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