Hey all,

I wanted to post up and see what the average cost and availability of spare 7.3 motors are in your area. I have been looking for a spare for my truck and people want close to 2 grand for a 300k+ mile motor with completely blown components, shops are charging 1000 just for a core. For that I'd suspect a good runner. I recently picked up a couple 12 valves with around 50k on them and for 500 less. I have had next to no luck for finding a good core builder in a yard too. They are completely trashed out, cracked blocks.

Long blocks run around 5 grand in these parts, and I could build one much cheaper than a reman and with the internals I want.

Anyways I was wondering what your luck has been for finding spare motors and maybe where there are a bit better prices?

I have offered my old boss 3k for one of his complete logging fleet trucks with around 130k, I'd pull the motor and trans and maybe a few other small parts, but the rest would go to the scrap yard as its been beat to hell. He has yet to accept.

 

I guess it's all about availiability in your area, and how far you are willing to go for one. I have seen parts trucks for about 2.5k, and all the scrap yards in my area sell all the 7.3 stuff quick, so it's all about timing on that one!

 

Well I am willing to travel a bit, and my friend runs a country wide "u bid" shipping company, and can pick me up a motor for a good price. I thought for sure in CO there would be better motors. All the ones listed on the database online are garbage, 1500-2000 for a motor that will maybe go another 100k if I'm lucky, and usually have low compression on a given cylinder. Its worse off than the one in the truck.

 

Well low compression could be a lot of things. A cracked piston, ring blew out, valves sticking, maybe the bore is slightly out of tolerance. If you had a good hook up on a machine shop that can work a block, for fairly cheap you'd be set! Hard to tell without a leakdown test or take it apart though.

Here is one in KS. Might need injector cups/orings from the sounds of it.
7.3 Powerstroke diesel motor

 

Car-part.com. take your pick 500$ and up.i got my SD engine core free. Keep looking in the right places you will get a better deal!

 

I just sold a 130k 2000 7.3 for 1200 on ebay. Didn't last long(about 4 days) But I also see 300k CORE engines on eBay for 3k

I pay $400 for CORE engines from the junk yard here. I would NEVER pay more than 500 for a engine with over 200k on it or if i couldn't hear it run

Like you said, REBUILT engines are 2500-3500. Why would you spend that on a non running engine. A guy around here has CORE/non running engines on CL all the time for $1000 I an pretty sure they are the same engines and they are not selling

 

One of the parts guys I talk with was always telling me too look into auctions for like busses with 7.3s in them. He says the ones he goes to you, you can buy a bus for usually under $1000 with a 7.3 in it with under 80,000 miles. Pull what you want and scrap the rest. If you want I can PM you his information.

 

I never thought of looking at the busses. I'll have to keep an eye out for those in the scrapyards on my next visit.

 

I agree, but its also absurd to find a low compression builder for over a grand that is simply a long block minus everything else. I'd either want a good running motor for a decent price or a core in the 300-500 dollar range...that isn't cracked or not rebuildable...I have seen a lot of these.

I frequent that site quite often...not sure if its shady shops around denver, but I have picked up a total of 3 cores and returned all 3 after they were rejected by blue print or series of cracks found by a excellent machine shop... so I am not having a lot of luck through that site, but I do find it to be a great tool!

That's my point exactly... I wouldn't spend that on a non running engine. I'm not sure why the hell ever diesel guy on the planet thinks his 200k motor is worth two thirds of the cost of a fresh build, including components or not :-). Dodge guys are the worst! I just need a darn long block at a reasonable price. Heck i would have paid that for the 130k mile motor in a heart beat, if compression was solid.

If you eve have another one up for sale brad, please let me know. Where exactly are you located?

This is exactly what I have done in the past... for the 12v cummins motors at least. I really only see the old blue bird busses at auction around here... We parted out quite a few of them, and had a frame and shell that went off to the scrap yard. Everything else was sold and they usually net a 2-3k profit if the motor is solid. Moving busses from out of state is not my forte though.

Either way, hopefully something pops up soon. I'll keep looking for some good cores.

 

I like this one Nick!

7.3L Competition Engine - Swamp's Diesel Performance

 

Yeah me too :-)... I guarantee the price tag includes your left nut!

 

Probably the right one too!

 

I am in NE PA. That is part of why the engines are cheap. The trucks rot around them. LOL

 

We have a turbo to pan motor that just came out of a 110k mile truck. Truck sat for almost a year, threw a single battery on it a few weeks ago and it fired right up and idled perfectly. You could probably hook some fuel to it and get it running as it sits. $1500 turbo to pan. I have a feeling it will sit for a long, long time at that price since the last complete motor I sold was for $800 turbo to pan, and it sat for about 6 months at that price. But I know how good this one runs and if it doesn't sell, I'll try to find a truck to put it in.

We needed a motor a couple years ago and bought a complete turbo to pan motor out of Akron for $500. I know who bought that truck and it's still running strong today.

 

Pattersons AW in cochranton PA said they had quite a few 94-97 PSD's when I called last summer. I didn't get the chance to stop in and see what they had the last time I was east.