[SEL] Portland - Unethical Engine Sellers -ugh!!

[paulmaples at sbcglobal.net]

Reading about several people being recently burned on E-bay purchases
reminded me of an engine I purchased at Portland about three years ago. I
KNOW, I KNOW, all about buyer beware and all of the other little
precautionary statements associated with buying something from a stranger
but I guess the human psyche is such that when one engine collector is
talking to another we want to believe what the man is telling us is true.
How many times have you been told by someone not to turn an engine flywheel
over as the valves may be stuck and you can break a rocker arm and there are
other reasons you just don't walk up to someone's engine and start jacking
it around as we say here in the South.

It was the last day I was going to be at Portland and I was making my final
round before leaving and I saw a 1-1/4 HP Monitor engine with a pump and
pump jack all in tack and it looked pretty good, being an ole vertical
engine collector I ask the man about the engine. Now please understand that
this engine was setting at the back of his trailer and the flywheel was tied
to his trailer frame rails so even if I had wanted to turn the flywheels I
could have not without him moving some things out of the way in the trailer,
then unstrapping the engine and moving it away from the rail where it was
tied. I ask the usual questions; does it run, are there any breaks, cracks
or welds and got a resounding "Yes it runs and no there are no CBW's", he
went on to tell me this was a great engine. I offered him $100 less than he
was asking and he acted like I insulted him and then he went on another
tirade telling me what each component was worth, he would tell me what the
engine alone was worth, what the pump jack was worth and then what the pump
was worth, why he even exclaimed that if I did not believe him I should just
ask anyone on the grounds, this engine was a bargain he exclaimed. Being
hot, tired and not wanting to further insult this good engineman I told him
I would take the engine, I paid him and then while I went and got my truck
he and some of his friends un-tied the engine and had it setting on the back
end of the trailer when I got there so I could quickly load it up and be on
my way which I did.

I get the engine home and after a few days of resting and recovering from
the Portland experience I decided to go out and see if I could "bust off"
the old Monitor and when I turned the flywheel to start it I immediately
knew why he had positioned the engine at the back of the trailer and why the
flywheel had been tied to the rails....the crankshaft was bent...ugh!!. I am
sure that many of you could tell a similar story.

With this in mind, and knowing that Portland is just around the corner as
well as many other shows, why don't we start a thread on similar experiences
we have had buying engines and things that we all should check on an engine
before we actually pass the money to the seller. I know that each of us
already think we know (and most probably do know) the things to check for
such as cracks along the water hopper, in the head, etc, end play,
compression leakage by the valves, etc but it might be helpful to some if we
would reiterate these things. I use to buy old low end antique cars to
restore (Model A's, T's, etc. when I say low end I am talking about their
condition not the classis value) and a lot of people would have tons of
bondo in rusted areas. I got to where I would carry a little ice box magnet
with me and gently rub it around the car and anywhere there was a lot of
bondo the magnet would not stick and fall off. Of course if you ask the
seller if it had a lot of bondo you usually got the answer, no this old car
is solid.

What about it gang, someone else share their engine buying experience and
impart some timely advice on buying engines to the rest of us. It makes no
difference if is seems to obvious to mention, mention it anyway.

Paul