Best Way To Bench Test A Motor???

[SCT]

Haha, so I got this badass deal on a 4age silvertop that I'm hopefully getting by this saturday morning, hopefully no BS.

The guy has it installed in a '97 corolla but he told me (and advertised) that it was an unfinished project and had no time to put into it, car doesn't run yet. So the 97 rolla chassis is sold to someone else, the motor will be mine.

Now I can probably safely assume the motor is in good shape, maybe. However, there's still a chance of dicking involved. If I see a welded tab on the motor from JEI, I'll be more happier. They're the only one in the DC Metro that overstocks on them as far as I know. But there are people who orders stuff and have it shipped.

Now, besides taking a breaker bar and seeing if the crank turns, any other ways I can make sure the motor is likely to be ok???

BTW, I'm getting it for $400. Motor, trans, ECU, wiring harness. However, I have to pull everything out, I'm not sure how much has been hooked up.

[Ghostyman]

Use said breaker bar to lock the crank in place and do a compression test.

[Bitter]

Originally Posted by Ghostyman

Use said breaker bar to lock the crank in place and do a compression test.

that would be a leakdown test, and is a good idea. also check that the timing belt is in good shape and the engine is in-time. beyond that, you'd need to create a rig to run the engine off the car, easier said then done.

[SCT]

Yea, know that. Have the engine on a stand, drip some fuel, see what happens...

He has told me the only thing not hooked up is the AC and power steering. I can see the header is not there, I'll have to ask him on that. But I got to suffer with taking the wires outs...

All has to be done within a few hours. Motor/trans is #1.

BTW, here's the heart:

[Ghostyman]

Originally Posted by Bitter

that would be a leakdown test, and is a good idea. also check that the timing belt is in good shape and the engine is in-time. beyond that, you'd need to create a rig to run the engine off the car, easier said then done.

Yeah, I meant leakdown.

You're getting a good deal on it. For $400, I'd just take my chances after doing a leakdown and checking the oil for metal shavings. Speaking of which, you might want to pull the valve cover and/or oil pan to take a visual look at things.

[SCT]

I only have a few hours to pull what I need, then it's gone. So anytime time-taking will have to be done after I pay for it and gone... But maybe I can part the motor to get about the same amount back if the motor is useless. I'm tearing it down anyways.

[toyotaspeed90]

if the starter is connected you can listen to it and do a compression test on it.

very simple thing to do is look at it visually.... take the oil cap off and see what the cams look like.... check little things like if the wires were changed, belts, etc....

most import companies actually don't weld anything to the engine... they will typicaly use what's called a heat button, and they will usually put it on the side of the head or near a coolant passage.... Basically all importers state that there is a warranty, but it is void if the engine ever overheats.... best way to check is to use what is called a heat button.... if it falls off, it got too hot and melted the adhesive.... and you no longer have a warranty. Check for the heat button... most put it on the side of the #4 end.

[SCT]

What I'll do is check the oil and what not if there is any, they may have drained it but doubt it. Hope I get a fully working donor.

JEI just said that it's a tab they install on all their imported motors. If it's removed, melted or tampered, warranty is void. So I guess it could be a non-welded tab.