I have a question, hoping to get some help.

[Jonathonmb357]

Most of the salvage yards I have ever dealt with, will have run a compression test on each engine and usually have a 90 day guarantee. When you buy an engine from a private party there are usually NO guarantees expressed even if you know that person very well. Just my experience and .02 cents worth.

I appreciate the time and experience you're relaying to me! That's cool, I definitely hope to be car savvy as I learn.

 

[bucket]

Without getting into a whole discussion about various salvage yard policies, my main point was this:

(And this assuming that contact has been made with the seller, the engine is supposed to be good, and the valve covers and intake were pulled for a look-see)

If I were selling a known good running 454 and some dude came up and said they would only pay core value because they didn't hear it run... I'd probably tell them to go hug a root.

As far as the transmission goes, I'd consider that to be just an added bonus. I'd look at that as more of a core, but that has nothing to due with my trust in others and everything to do with my lack of trust in automatic transmissions.

 

[Grit dog]

There's always the possibility that a used engine could be junk, but normally a better chance that it is not.

I've bought a lot of used engines over the years, not a single one have I heard run first. Leaving it in the vehicle is usually not economical for the seller or the buyer. In this case, I'm sure the seller did not want the rotted motor home sitting around while they found a buyer that would come see the engine running, then come back a second time with cash, once the owner found time in their potentially busy schedule to remove the engine. Realistically, very few engines are sold in "I saw it run for myself" condition. Just like buying one from a salvage yard. Nobody buys an engine from a salvage yard after saying that they will only pay core value because they didn't hear it run. Why would a private sale be any different?

The difference is you can actually get another engine from the salvage yard for free if the first one is no good.
I agree with most everything else said and the likelihood that it is a runner.
But none of that negates or even reduces the fact that the add for that engine is full of red flags.

Edit, sorry the junkyard warranty thing was already discussed.

 

[Jonathonmb357]

Without getting into a whole discussion about various salvage yard policies, my main point was this:

(And this assuming that contact has been made with the seller, the engine is supposed to be good, and the valve covers and intake were pulled for a look-see)

If I were selling a known good running 454 and some dude came up and said they would only pay core value because they didn't hear it run... I'd probably tell them to go hug a root.

As far as the transmission goes, I'd consider that to be just an added bonus. I'd look at that as more of a core, but that has nothing to due with my trust in others and everything to do with my lack of trust in automatic transmissions.

Okay! Thank you for the time you put into your advice. I gotta write this stuff down