Thread: Radical Idle Problem - Running Out of Options - HELP

I found an ad on craigslist for someone that rebuilds salvage motors. My question here is which mileage motor would you guys go with? He seems to have the best prices regardless of the mileage. Budget is an issue here as well. The ad is as follows:

These engines come warrantied for: 6 MONTH PARTS ONLY WARRANTY for engines under 40k miles. 4 MONTH PARTS ONLY WARRANTY for engines with 40k-75k miles. 1 year warranty available for $100 extra. You need to install a NEW intake manifold/plenum, which I stock for ~ $110 (installed for free if you are bringing the car to me for installation), which is $200-700 less than a lot of shops anywhere (I have seen multiple receipts from OTHER SHOPS AND DEALERS -they all have charged $575 all the way up to $825 for the plenum and installation!!).

These are factory engines pulled from salvage (accident) vehicles and are all extremely low miles. I include the upgraded GM (not failure-prone Fel-Pro's) metal lower intake manifold gaskets with all of the under 40k motors so you don't have to worry about a intake gasket failure which is fairly common with the factory plastic gaskets in the Series II 3800 engines. For motors over 40k miles (what most people are buying) add $90 for the metal gaskets to be installed (parts and labor -that's cheap labor, done right). To have these installed at a dealership or shop would cost over $800. The combination of the low mile engine, metal lower intake manifold gaskets and a new intake plenum ensures you will have a solid and efficient engine for many thousands of miles to come -probably outlasting the rest of the car, and if you are reselling the car they are strong selling points.

$725 for 75k-95k miles
$800 for the 55k-75k miles
$900 for the 40k-55k miles.
$1000 for the 25k-39k miles.
$1100 + 10k-25k miles.
$1250 for under 10k miles.


There is a $50 core fee that is either:
Waived if you bring you core to exchange when you pick up your new motor or bring your car for the install.
Or
I will refund to you when you bring the core back within 2 weeks of purchasing the new engine.

Warranties are Parts Only Warranties for 120 DAYS (labor is not covered under the warranty) for motors with 40k-75k.
Warranty is Parts Only Warranty for 6 MONTHS (labor not included) for motors with under 40k miles.

Installation is available for $400 + coolant, oil, gaskets, filters, plugs, plug wires, & any other small misc supplies needed for completing the install properly & to ensure cleanliness. Any brackets needing swapped will be swapped @ no extra charge.
Core fee of $50 is refundable when your old motor is returned -bring the core motor when you pick this up & pay no core fee.


These engines have all been verified to have no leaks.
I can install metal lower intake manifold gaskets for an extra $80 in engines that have plastic gaskets.

The few engines I have left are very clean & look very fresh, yet a little sign of use other than some light rust or light layer of dust.
I recieved them without any alternators, starters, coils, ICM, throttle body (and all sensors attached to tb), upper intake plenums, AC compressor, or power steering pumps so you will need to swap your starter, power steering pump, alternator, coil packs, ICM, EGR valve, and ac compressor and install a NEW (for warranty) upper intake plenum.
I have engines for any 1996+ GM cars that have a factory installed Series II 3800 non-supercharged motor from the factory.

They are also all non-supercharged. I called him and he said that he does have a newly rebuilt engine for a supercharged engine for $1500, completely rebuilt. The biggest thing is that I heard that the non-supercharged engines have a higher compression ratio, which makes them risky to put in a supercharged car with a lot of power... Does this claim have any merit?

With a N/A engine you should be fine if you put your intercooler on it. L67's are 8.5:1 comp ratio where N/A are like 9.4:1 but if you pulley up your supercharger to like a 4" pulley OR transfer your knock resisting mods over you should be fine but would want to tune it and let the person tuning it know its a N/A block. And you would probably be best to pulley up from the 3.1 to like stock until you know you are knock free. Just my opinion though

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Yeah ^ thats what I was trying to say =]

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Would a higher compression ratio with a larger pulley make more power than a lower compression ratio and a smaller pulley?

What is the top end of mileage I should look for? There are engines all over everywhere from 15k to 300k. Prices generally reflect the price pretty well.

I bought an engine and transmission from an 04 Impala Indy 500 with the L67 for $400. I got really lucky though. Had 164k miles

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He said he is rebuilding a L67 now, wants $1500 though...

If I wanted to completely rebuilt my motor, top to bottom, wouldn't it still be less than $1500? Including machine line hone and prolly some P&P?

Haha Bill, why do you say that - do you and him have a past?