[Ignignot]

So I got an '07 k24a2 for $1300, showed up and the cylinder head cover and timing chain cover have a hole in 'em. Seller offered a $700 discount because of the damage, or a full refund of I send it back.

The engine is for an endurance race car, meaning an engine problem ruins the whole teams weekend. Timing & head replacement covers & gaskets are gonna be about $300.

As awesome as it would be to have this engine for a $400 discount, it would SUCK to find out there's something wrong with it, ruin the whole weekend even, the registration fee for a single race is $1800.

I have pretty much made up my mind but I wanted to ask the goons.
Would you guys send this back?

 

[Ignignot]

We were hoping to swap a k24a4 to the k24a2 before our season started but this has turned that into a pipe dream. Our a4 engine works fine but we wanted the extra juice to try to break into top 10.

If I sent it back I would start looking for another 06-08 k24a2, seems like I'll be able to get one for $1500.

If I kept it, I would start tinkering on it as a backup, and swap it over next winter.

Keeping it and trying to make it work before our season opener on memorial day gives me these vibes. The car runs great at the moment with the k24a4, we can comfortably run the top 1/3 of the field, but we aren't gonna be able to win without some more zip. I was hoping to turn some heads this season. Way she goes I reckon.

 

[Ignignot]

If a pin on the control panel on a $1000 welder comes loose, do you send the whole machine back or do you ask for $$ to have someone re-solder the contact?

Me? I tend to send it back. I didn't make the mistake, my money didn't have any holes in it.

I feel bad the scrapyard guy is going to lose his $$ on shipping and I feel bad for me for not having the engine, but that doesn't mean I'm willing to take a bite of someone else's shit sandwich.

 

[Ignignot]

I am returning it. The damage was pre-shipping and the engine likely cut out as soon as the airbags went off. You can tell the ABS controller hit it in a passenger side fender collision.

I think it was pretty shameless of the seller to take pictures with the hole in the shadows so you can't see it, then ship me this as "tested, working, 30 day warranty", then try to get me to keep it at a discount once it showed up.

Careful out there boys, there are plenty of people happy to sell you a shit sandwich and see if you'll keep it.

 

[Ignignot]

Follow up. The shipping company refused to pick the engine up, twice. I got eBay involved and they said the dude had till Thursday to figure it out. Dude sent the refund last night minus the shipping cost. I reached out to eBay, they refunded the shipping cost but made a comment about him being a"power seller". So my best guess is sells a bad engine goes through each scenario down the list, must be shipped to business, 50% off offer, refused pickup 1, refused pickup 2, refund minus shipping. Each step down the line he has an opportunity to make more money and his final out is making $125 on an over priced shipping charge.


So I now have my money back and this broken engine. I'll be putting it on an engine stand and getting into it to see if there is metal in the oil pump this weekend. Hopefully the short block is good, that would make this a k20/k24 Frankenstein candidate since I don't trust the valvetrain that's on it now with those marks on the phaser bolts and head cover

 

[Ignignot]

No sparkles or chunks in the oil pan, with the cover off, the engine turns over very nicely.
VTC solenoid is broken,
timing chain cover needs to be replaced,
cyl head cover needs to be replaced.


Will be tinkering with it but no rush to have it assembled. Won't have time to do the swap this year before the season starts.