Pulled a $700 motor vs a $250 motor at the Pick n Pull in Dayton, one ran and one was scrap
Honestly I learned this the hard way two winters ago in Dayton. I grabbed a cheap $250 4.6 out of a wrecked truck without checking anything, got it home, and it had a cracked head and a spun bearing. The $700 one I pulled after that came with a compression test I did right there in the lot, all 8 cylinders were within 10 psi of each other, and it fired up first crank. The extra $450 hurts up front but the cheap one ate a whole weekend and a tow bill. Do the compression check before you pay, even if the yard guy rolls his eyes at you. Has anyone scored a good motor from a yard without pulling the valve covers first?