Need opinions re: used motor

There's a guy that I know that says he has an 87 5.0 with only 43,000 miles on it that he'll sell to me for $700.00 with the T-5. He says that I can hear it run, but I want to see if the thing uses any oil. (My car runs like a top, but uses a quart every 200 miles). Should I simply do a compression check and trust that? It's in a car that is very rusted out, so I may be limited on what I can do. I need to get another engine in my car (this is a daily driver) so I can pull the original engine and start saving money to build the living daylights out of it. I need to be able to drive the car in the mean time though, so I can't simply pull the motor and rebuild it. I also don't have the $$ to buy a crate engine right now, and I want to build the engine (the old one) myself down the road.

Also, if I buy the 87 motor, I know I need to probably get the computer to do the Mass Air swap, correct? (My car is an 86) Any other harnesses I need?

Any advice on this would be appreciated.

DMAN302 said:

the new motor will not require a mass air swap..any stock 302 will work in any set up..it's when current modifications prevent SD from working correctly that you will have to consider a swap. I would want a compression test done, which is quite easy if it's in the car and running.

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Yea, it's in the car, so I could do that myself I'm sure. Just need to do it dry, then squirt oil in each and see if it changes much, right?

I just wanted to go ahead with the swap while I have everything apart. I thought about going ahead and swapping the engine and getting it running, then doing the swap after I get it back together. This way, if it doesn't start, I'll have less to look at initially...make sense?

DMAN302 said:

I never trust what guys tell me any more without proof of the engines condition I would not pull a running motor for a questionable motor. Option 2...buy a case of oil and drive it while saving for a rebuilt longblock or shortblock and swap during a vacation week when you have the time and the right motor to do it. Swaping twice is lots less fun than swaping engine once.

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That's a good point...would be a lot more work to swap them out twice.