So I'm offered a B18C1 at a great price. problem is that it's already pulled and sitting on his garage floor. Are there any tricks I can use to find internal mechanical problems he might not be telling me?

 

well always pull the spark plugs and inspect them for any oil deposits.
any oil leaks all around the exterior of the motor....
and if the starter is thier i would run a compression test on the motor....
and like ANY honda pull the valve cover and timing belt cover to ensure that the timing belt isnt snaped!
might as well turn the motor over by hand as well just to ensure thiers no binding. tho thier will be drag.... try not to mistake the 2.

but like buying anymotor.... CROSS YOUR FINGERS and if it sounds to good to be true... it probably is!
ive seen alot of motors where people rebuilt them and they said for some unknown reason 1 cylinder only has like 30psi compresion. but they say the motors still brand new.LOL that low the motors just a paper weight.LOL

also if its got oil in the motor, drain it to find any metal shavings, or contaminations from antifreeze or gas in it. that will tell ya if the headgaskets a problem or cracked block....

thiers so many things that you just HOPE its allright.... and thiers still no garentees. thats why i would spend more money at a junk yard for a garenteed motor....

 

if your buying from a private owner and can't hear the motor run i would walk away

 

Thanks Addiction, thats some great advice. Is there anything tricky involved in using the starter on a pulled engine? I assume you just jump it with another cars battery?

Peg, I know what you mean. I've passed on two Z6s because they were pulled already. I'm just so tortured about the though of getting a GSR swap for $650 I might turn EMO

 

ya just check it out to the best you can...

if the trany is bolted to the motor and the starters thier its a simple power wire from the starter to a battery and ground from the battery clamped onto the motor somwhere for a good conection. then its just a simple jumper wire from the battery wire to the starter activation terminal... on my 94 its a simple female spade terminal.... very simple... then ya just do a compresion test on the motor BUT be sure the motors got oil in it before doing the compresion test.... ya dont want to gald any bearings from the oil being drained already! as well as oil filter being on the motor


but if you cannt hear the motor run and check it out with it IN the car its a risk either way... thiers always something small that could be missed or hidding....

i paid 250 for my Z6 motor from a crapy stereo shop in town.... and from the looks of the place its a SHADY place so for all i know the motor could be stolen.... only thing i could tell from looking at it laying on the floor was it was in a wreck... the pulleys where bent up, and the motor mount was even oval shaped instead of perfect circle.LOL BUT internals under the valve cover looked good and belt looked good on the car and it freely turned over... and i lucked out it is a good motor! at least!

but i lucked out...... so just remember its ALWAYS A RISK unless you can hear the motor run then ya know exactly what your buying and can test it out ALOT easier with it in the car!

id say for your BEST BET is to look in the paper for a totaled car that still runs, like from any impact that did not get into the motor to bad that can still start up and some may even move. lol
you can find them preaty cheap at times! i search ebay for those types and hopefuly ya find something local that you can drive and check it all out before bidding! look under parts cars...

http://motors.search.ebay.com/search...trypage=search

search every few days! sometimes thiers some cheap cars that go for sale thier and go cheap! you could use the parts you need and then part the rest of the car out.... then take those scraps to the metal scrap yard and get paid for that scrap metal that you couldnt or cannt sell
sometimes its a WIN WIN!!!!!! ya get your parts cheap.... then you sell the extra parts to pay back what you spent for the whole car... then scrap metal it for even more profit
keep an eye out

THIERS ALWAYS DEALS out to be made! good luck