Clokker's Guide to Salvage Yard Etiquette
There was one instance where the yard had a corvette that had an engine fire and there were 5 of em at once. So i went up and told them that if their personal vette needed all those replacement parts than they should of just totalled it out and got a new one. I love messing with those guys
If anyone's super serious about junkin'- I'd highly recommend a good cordless impact.
I've got a milwaukee, does 450 lb.ft in reverse. I've pulled over 20 engines in junkyards, and just strip them down on the spot. This thing has NO problem busting that front pulley bolt or 54mm flywheel nut right off. Then I'll open them up and buy whatever's good out of them: housings, rotors, etc. Success rate is shockingly low, but nabbing an ultra clean, would-sell-for $200 on ebay housing for only $13 makes it allll worth it.
The cordless helps with other stuff too: Pulling a diff is about a 15 minute job, and man, you'll despise hand tools for disassembly afterward.
BTW: Clokker's statement about going ASAP-- truer words never spoken. We've landed countless good scores by being the first one there
I've got a milwaukee, does 450 lb.ft in reverse. I've pulled over 20 engines in junkyards, and just strip them down on the spot. This thing has NO problem busting that front pulley bolt or 54mm flywheel nut right off. Then I'll open them up and buy whatever's good out of them: housings, rotors, etc. Success rate is shockingly low, but nabbing an ultra clean, would-sell-for $200 on ebay housing for only $13 makes it allll worth it.
The cordless helps with other stuff too: Pulling a diff is about a 15 minute job, and man, you'll despise hand tools for disassembly afterward.
BTW: Clokker's statement about going ASAP-- truer words never spoken. We've landed countless good scores by being the first one there
Everything was usable, eshaft was the only thing in question. However the thrust bearing was crushed, the thrust plate was cracked, and the rotor bearings were no good and need to be replaced.
All in all that engines parts were probably worth 800 bucks if sold seperately. Score!
Now they're all going into my rebuild.
This is why I tell people to try junkyards before trying jdm.
They told me it had 160k on it so my instincts told me that there's a good chance it was rebuilt , because 90% of Turbo engines dont last that long.
Low and behold I was right.
The junkyard engine is the one on the left, notice how clean it came out. The right side is the one from in my car that I took out, turns out it was a reman Mazda block, just had more miles on it the the other.
Low and behold I was right.
The junkyard engine is the one on the left, notice how clean it came out. The right side is the one from in my car that I took out, turns out it was a reman Mazda block, just had more miles on it the the other.
Joined: Apr 2005
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From: And the horse he rode in on...
there used to be a few pull-a-part locations in Washington, that had really good prices, like got a t2 trany, starter, driveline ,rear diff, and half shafts for well under 200 bucks..
picked up a t2 keg,12a keg for 75 bucks each before.
fuel injectors for a $1.50 a piece, most things very cheap. ( where I made some money)
they got bought out by a larger national chain pick n pull I think? and the prices went WAY up probably quadrupled at least... such that I stoped going completely.
definitely seeing a lot of the charge for every tiny piece now tho
picked up a t2 keg,12a keg for 75 bucks each before.
fuel injectors for a $1.50 a piece, most things very cheap. ( where I made some money)
they got bought out by a larger national chain pick n pull I think? and the prices went WAY up probably quadrupled at least... such that I stoped going completely.
definitely seeing a lot of the charge for every tiny piece now tho
Did anyone say fuses are fair game yet? Jeebus I always grab at least 10 whenever I used to go often.
"There's that clutch pedal assembly I was looking for... Oh hey! Fusebox!"
"There's that clutch pedal assembly I was looking for... Oh hey! Fusebox!"
Goes without saying, I thought.
I have a baggy in the bin with over a hundred of the blade fuses and probably twenty of the "box" fuses...and yet, I've never blown a fuse.
The best sources are SAABs and Volvos...they have huge fuseboxes conveniently located at the top of the engine bay. Good for twenty or thirty fuses if you can find one that's not been stripped yet.
Don't forget lightbulbs, they can be handy to have as spares also.
I have a baggy in the bin with over a hundred of the blade fuses and probably twenty of the "box" fuses...and yet, I've never blown a fuse.
The best sources are SAABs and Volvos...they have huge fuseboxes conveniently located at the top of the engine bay. Good for twenty or thirty fuses if you can find one that's not been stripped yet.
Don't forget lightbulbs, they can be handy to have as spares also.
Goes without saying, I thought.
I have a baggy in the bin with over a hundred of the blade fuses and probably twenty of the "box" fuses...and yet, I've never blown a fuse.
The best sources are SAABs and Volvos...they have huge fuseboxes conveniently located at the top of the engine bay. Good for twenty or thirty fuses if you can find one that's not been stripped yet.
Don't forget lightbulbs, they can be handy to have as spares also.
I have a baggy in the bin with over a hundred of the blade fuses and probably twenty of the "box" fuses...and yet, I've never blown a fuse.
The best sources are SAABs and Volvos...they have huge fuseboxes conveniently located at the top of the engine bay. Good for twenty or thirty fuses if you can find one that's not been stripped yet.
Don't forget lightbulbs, they can be handy to have as spares also.
If I wasn't poor I wouldn't be shambling around junkyards.
But yes, it is cheap and yes, bulbs are wear items but much like fuses, I've never burned out a bulb, so these are more "hypothetical backups" to me.
But yes, it is cheap and yes, bulbs are wear items but much like fuses, I've never burned out a bulb, so these are more "hypothetical backups" to me.
I have do many kinds of different hypothetical back up parts and such. It has gotten me out of many binds
$2 bulb($7 in reality, because you can't just buy one, and the spare always gets lost)
$5 in gas
30 minutes of your life when you could have just grabbed a few spares that were in your face.
people who meander through the yards already know this.
$5 in gas
30 minutes of your life when you could have just grabbed a few spares that were in your face.
people who meander through the yards already know this.
I wouldn't say "poor" or "cheap" as much as it's "efficient" & "streamlined"
i mainly go to the yards to find parts you no longer can buy.
and for the alternate reason that most factory part prices are too steep and sometimes ignorantly pieced together. for example, my RX8 door handle cable snapped, does mazda offer just the cable? no, they sell the complete handle and door latch assembly for $200. **** THAT! i replaced the broken cable with a length of stainless tie wire that i looped the ends on. 10 cent fix. if the 8's were in the yards i certainly would have just paid $3 for the cable and been just as happy, which incidentally mazda could still sell just the cable and still make money but no way am i bending over to take it in the rear for 95% of a part that i don't need.
and for the alternate reason that most factory part prices are too steep and sometimes ignorantly pieced together. for example, my RX8 door handle cable snapped, does mazda offer just the cable? no, they sell the complete handle and door latch assembly for $200. **** THAT! i replaced the broken cable with a length of stainless tie wire that i looped the ends on. 10 cent fix. if the 8's were in the yards i certainly would have just paid $3 for the cable and been just as happy, which incidentally mazda could still sell just the cable and still make money but no way am i bending over to take it in the rear for 95% of a part that i don't need.
Last edited by RotaryEvolution; Mar 30, 2013 at 01:25 PM.
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