holly_green82•28d agoMost Upvoted

Debating between factory reman vs junkyard engine for my F-150

So I blew a head gasket on my 2012 F-150 last week, and now I gotta pick between two options. A Ford factory reman long block runs about $3,200 plus core charge, comes with a 3 year warranty and all new internals. But a local guy up in Springfield has a low mile junkyard motor from a wrecked truck for $800, no warranty just whatever you find. I went with the junkyard engine because I couldn't swing the extra cash right now, and honestly I'm second guessing myself. It runs okay so far but I'm paranoid about hidden issues down the road. Anyone here take the gamble on a junkyard motor and regret it later? Or did the factory reman save your butt when something went wrong?

2 comments

2 Comments

jessicajohnson27d ago

My buddy down in Texas went the junkyard route with his 2010 Silverado and it ran fine for like two years until a lifter started tapping real bad. He pulled the valve cover and found some kinda sludge buildup that looked like it had been sitting half empty for months before he got it. But then my cousin's neighbor grabbed a motor from a rollover with like 60k miles on it and that thing has been smooth sailing for four years now with just regular oil changes. It's a total crap shoot honestly, I think you just gotta keep an ear out for any weird noises and change that oil a little more often to be safe.

emery_taylor27d ago

@jessicajohnson pretty much nailed it, it's a TOTAL crap shoot. You basically bought a mystery box with an engine in it, hope you got lucky with the roll of the dice. I went the junkyard route on a Ford Focus once and that thing sounded like a sewing machine full of gravel for six months before it finally gave up. But hey, $800 beats $3,200 any day if you're short on cash. Just keep your fingers crossed and maybe start a separate savings account for the eventual repair bill.