Engine transplant issues

[NightKids]

Hi guys

You hear people talking about engine transplants & that, but there's some questions I was wondering before going ahead. Honda engines are quite expensive so it's a pretty big investment...

1) So you see the people posting the engines up in the traders/private sales but how the hell do you know the engine is good !?!?! Like can you do a compression test, etc. before buying it & how do you know that once you install it it's not gonna blow smoke/up? How do you know the kms are genuine and whether timing belts, water pumps, other belts, etc. need to be changed or not?

2) I saw an engine up for sale for cheap but then it said "cannot be registered because finance oweing on it" like WTF! I didn't know an engine can have finance on it! That's pretty dangerous man... what if you buy an engine & find out that there's money oweing? Like how can you protect urself?

3) A lot of private sellers offer to put the engine in for like $500 or whatever, so basically they chuck it in, you pay the money, it breaks down 100 metres down the road then it is not their responsibility isn't it? Guess that's the risk you take for not installing it at a workshop...

4) Registration/insurance - Is it as easy as just ringing up VicRoads or whatever & giving them the engine no. & that's it? Or is it a lot more complicated than that? Like engineers cert, etc. and will insurance companies still insure you now that the power is different?

These are a lot of questions/doubts about engine transplants, but I'm sure they are legit questions which may be on other people's mind as well... thanks in advance!

[minix33]

1) I am pretty sure you can just take the engine to a mechanic to get checked out before you decide on the purchase. Just make a deal with the seller that if it found to be faulty then he will give you a refund.

2)as for the finance, I'm guessing it is because it came out of a car that has been crashed so either the car's insurance hasn't been paid off or the car originally was bought on a loan so there is still money owing.

3) well according to the law, any item that is sold has to have a 30 day refund policy if the object is faulty in itself and wasn't due to the new owner regardless of any "no refund policy" the store has put in. Not too sure if it is the same for private sellers.

4) Registration I am not too sure about. However with your insurance, you should call them up and acknowledge that you have changed the engine so that if your car is totalled/crashed, they will take that into consideration when they pay you out. Also, you tell them in advanced so that if you do happen to be in an accident, they can't refuse to cover you because you have "modified the car without informing them". As long as you are legally able to drive that engine [ie. not a p plater driving a turbo] they will most likely insure you [according to your accident records that is] but if the power is different they may charge more for the insurance but that also generally means more for the pay out.

[Limbo]

ok here's the additional of what i learnt from my transplanting days
1) You can do a compression test if you can crank the engine over, not sure how you do them with bear motors (i don't think your can). A few wreckers i know have compressions done for their engines before they are brought over.
In relation to timin belts and stuff. It is always recommended to change timing belt + thermostat + other belts whilst the engine is out cos its easier and you don't know how long they have been in there.

2) Not sure about VIC but in NSW you can do a revs check with dept of fair trading

3) THere is no refund policy on secondhand engine parts, especially from private sellers. Depending on which state there are certain laws for sale of goods but they cannot be enforced on a private seller

4) I had a reciept for the motor + blueslip and got the engine registered at the RTA. Just told insurance COY i changed engine and they updated details. As it was still same capacity they did not even vary the policy

[TheSaint]

if you are worried about dodgey products and service from a private seller make them sign a contract and get a lawyer to verify it

you should be pretty ok than =)

Note: most of the ppl selling in the WTS threads actually own/work at a workshop and are reffering to installing it there, some will be garage jobs, these are things u will have to check out when your shopping for a motor
also ask around for rep etc, if u have like 5 cars/freinds that have been done at one place and they are all running good than they should be pretty reliable

good questions =)

'[ie. not a p plater driving a turbo]' - rofl not in WA, although they should, too may young tools on the road that think they are invincible

[NightKids]

Thanks for the help guys, really useful. If anyone has anything else to add feel free to do so...

[qikteg]

Its always good to have a statutory declaration drawn up before hand, just as a paper trail.

http://www.ag.gov.au/statdec

legally binding document ftw! dunno how well it can be applied, but its always good to have

[Limbo]

Stat dec is useless if its not witnessed by a JP or Solicitor.
Getting any solicitor to draft up a doc is going to be at least $300 for a basic agreement.

All you need to do is get a reciept from the owner(with all their details) and if issues arise you have to sue them. Not much else for it and its a costly matter.
It will still be the same if you get a stat dec or not.

[qikteg]

not true. if you look at the list on the 2nd page, it outlines who it can be made in front of. suffice to say, the list covers a variety of occupations.

you will still need to take it up as common law regardless, but its always good to have a signed paper trail. not only that, but if the person selling you an engine isn't sure that its good, then they won't sign a stat dec advising that it is good.

[azn_k3nt]

1, 2, 3 cant help u wif it because i have no experience in them

but no. 4

1. u need a certificate check by a mechanic to ensure everything is all good (but the 1st thing can u even get that newly-installed-engine on the mechanic b4 it breaks down lol!!! jks)

2. the car might be deemed to uncertain so vicroad will personally check it themself n they r much more stricter then the mechanics because they check the history of the engine

3. nothing else 2 be added because uve passed....enjoy reving ur engine o_O"