Pulling an engine from a Pull & Pay

[97prizm]

Hi all,

I know there are a number of mechanics on here. I was wanting to know if anyone has experience pulling an engine from a pull & pay type yard. There is an 2007Audi S6 in the Aurora CO yard with the 5.2 V10 still in it! I'm seeing these engines online going for $1200-$5000. I'm fairly mechanically inclined but have never pulled an engine. I still am shocked that someone would junk such a vehicle. Any suggestions on tackling such a project and issues other than obvious engine cracks etc to look for. Has anyone made money flipping parts like this? Thanks for the help.
Audi at pull n pay

 

[KGMtech]

Question becomes, if the car is in otherwise good shape, why would it be in the scrap yard? Either the engine or transmission has said bye-bye would be my guess.

 

[c502cid]

I'm in this yard often. This yard, like all the rest of them are usually uneven gravel, and can be muddy especially this time of year. Not good because you'll be underneath the car a lot. I've pulled a couple of motors here and it sucks. Be prepared for a full day, if not the weekend. You will have to go and get tools you forgot, or worse yet buy some you don't have. If you are just cutting wires and hoses it is faster, but may decrease the value of what you are trying to sell. Lastly, once you get that engine home you aren't even sure it works. Sure, they'll guarantee it with another engine, but good luck trying to get your money back after 30 days. Do everything you can to see if that motor turns before you start the process.

Late model Audi's are here, and the Aurora yard seems to have a lot of them, because they are so incredibly expensive to repair so owners just say screw it and scrap them. I'm amazed at the amount of Audi Quattros here.

Yes I make money flipping parts I find at yards, but they are usually trim pieces and other easy to grab items.

 

[ctechbob]

I'd be willing to bet that if it were any good it would be gone by now.

As for pulling it at a pull a part, just cut everything away and yank it out.

Personally, unless I was an Audi expert, I'd not waste my time.

 

[2EHA]

usually these cars are pretty easy to drop the whole front sub. disassemble the powertrain on the ground

 

[AutoMechanic]

Last engine I got from a junkyard I pulled for my friend, he helped. Went to take it down to put it in his truck and man the thing was seized and rusty on the inside he had to rebuild it completely he would of been better off getting another one somewhere else. So make sure you check it. This was a 4.3 V6 Chevrolet engine I pulled I’ve pulled others too but not in a scrap yard like this one was.

 

[RooflessVW]

I would not attempt to pull that engine, transmission, and everything needed to run it without a shop, a lift, an engine table, tools, and experience.

The operation will take days no matter where it goes down, and any parts you break are very close to being unobtainable.

 

[javacontour]

Hi all,

I know there are a number of mechanics on here. I was wanting to know if anyone has experience pulling an engine from a pull & pay type yard. There is an 2007Audi S6 in the Aurora CO yard with the 5.2 V10 still in it! I'm seeing these engines online going for $1200-$5000. I'm fairly mechanically inclined but have never pulled an engine. I still am shocked that someone would junk such a vehicle. Any suggestions on tackling such a project and issues other than obvious engine cracks etc to look for. Has anyone made money flipping parts like this? Thanks for the help.
Audi at pull n pay

I would certainly take a jump pack and see if you can get it to turn over on the starter before doing any major work. If it won't turn over that way, or by a breaker bar, do you really want to pull it?

There is a YouTube channel of a guy here in St Louis who tears down such engines and strips them for parts, good blocks, etc.

You would have to know what parts are valuable and what is junk, the value of your time, etc.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgzJHvOhLert9g2yT-09RMQ

 

[DerbyDave]

My rule of thumb is only pull a junk yard engine or transmission from a vehicle that has been wrecked. At least you know it was running and moving before it came to the yard. If there is no visable damage most likely the engine or tranmission failed and that is why it is in the yard.

 

[dishdude]

If you're looking to flip parts, electronics, trim and interior pieces are what you're going to want to look for. Something you can pull, put on eBay and ship easily.

Start off with models you're familiar with and their weaknesses.

 

[97prizm]

If not maybe it'll make a great coffee table

 

[vw7674]

try to rotate it, if you can bring a battery & compression test, great. If not I'd use one of those inspection cams you buy or plug into a phone.
Did pull a VW years back, spark plugs first, then popped the head off, then dropped the pan to look at a couple rod bearings.
Still good today, 150k+ later. The donor chassis had 128k when I scored the block & head for less than $100. I've noticed Audi engines get snapped up quite quickly in the Pn'P yards. Another time it was an Nissan/Infiniti engine, I didn't even inspect, a wind storm had dropped a tree on it & caved the passenger compartment, loading it with 3 inches of water. Only 40k so far on that one (so far). Use common sense. And failing that, strip it till you know it's worth the cash. Plenty of decent items at PnP. And no bloated Ebay mark up or shipping!
EDIT: my yard drains oil/punctures the pan, no fluids left, so don't go cranking on a dry sump. Stripping to inspect is best. : ( G* Luck.

 

[dareo]

Sounds like a nightmare. Audi, V10, in a gravel junk yard. Maybe if you have a giant mobile shop trailer loaded with tools and a toilet. No, not even then. I would hate to work on this in ideal fully equipped shop conditions.

 

[Chris142]

I have pulled many good ones @ picapart. Gotta watch for snakes! This is how I got started in auto repair. On that audi go up and ask if they can pick it up with the forklift and torch it out. They do here for free or slip the guy a $20.

 

[eljefino]

What Chris said. Ask for help!

I pulled a saturn transmission from the pick n pull. Took my cheezy 2-ton hydraulic jack and some lumber chunks, jacked it up until it was on two sideways tires, plus a donut spare, under each frame rail. Used a 2x4 across the fenders along with a cargo net I found in the trunk to hold the engine up then went to town. All manual tools. Of course it was 100 degrees that day and all the sand was sticking to my hair and what not. But I got the trans for $100, LOL.

Some yard have a "good" side and a "pick n pull" side, where they put the cars out to rot until metal prices climb. The self-serve side is also where they sometimes have those "all you can carry for $39" sales. Or, at least, they used to, back in the day. But if you find a motor you want they'll bend the rules for you... the biggest rule is they want your money.

BTW, what is your objective? Do you have a project car that needs this engine? Don't do it "on spec" where you sell it on craigslist. There's a reason there isn't demand for this particular year engine.

 

[Bladecutter]

Those Audi V-10 engines are famous for intake valve deposits every 30k miles) and intake runner flapper valve issues (50k to 75k) that are very expensive to replace. You have to replace the entire intake manifold if they have problems, because the individual parts are not sold by Audi.

If I owned one of those cars, I would buy a second engine, and then rotate the engines when its valve cleaning time.
Then the engine that is on the service table can be serviced on my own time frame without any downtime of the car itself.

 

[Snagglefoot]

I understand completely why you want that engine. I saw a visually undamaged Audi come in to Pick and Pull in Calgary and asked the tow truck drive what was up. He said “flood damage, apparently the electronics are mounted low in these cars.” Might be flood damage, or perhaps a bad transmission.

1. Buy a battery operated reciprocating saw and maybe a spare battery. Cut through stuff attached to the engine. You can remove the cut off ends later. This applies also to the transmission cooler lines, oil cooler lines etc. Don’t waste time trying to crawl underneath and unbolt things.

2.Get some long extensions in case you can reach the mounting bolts from above.

3. Have a good set of wire cutters and cut off the wires leading to the engine, This is assuming someone will buy the engine to drop into a car that has the wiring already,

4. Cut the rubber hoses leading to the rad.

5. If things are in the way, cut them, or bash them or whatever it takes. The car will be going into the crusher soon anyway.

6. Bring a lunch bag and lots to drink, eye protection and ear muffs and gloves.

7. I don’t know Audi’s well but I assume the trans will pull out with the engine.

Best to have someone with you when you do the pull. Good luck.

 

[RooflessVW]

Insanity.

That engine and transmission is worthless without everything to run it. It only has value as a complete swap.

If you remove it from the car like some of the barbarians here are suggesting, all you'll be able to do with the engine is make your coffee table.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Insanity.

That engine and transmission is worthless without everything to run it. It only has value as a complete swap.

If you remove it from the car like some of the barbarians here are suggesting, all you'll be able to do with the engine is make your coffee table.

It’s OK, that engine won’t run in anything except the identical Audi anyhow. After you get the engine home you disconnect the cut wires at the engine’s connectors. You don’t waste time carefully disconnecting them at the junkyard. You’d be there all day. Or worse, you’d come back the next day and witness some bubba pulling the engine you prepped for removal.

 

[2EHA]

Insanity.

That engine and transmission is worthless without everything to run it. It only has value as a complete swap.

If you remove it from the car like some of the barbarians here are suggesting, all you'll be able to do with the engine is make your coffee table.

nobody swaps the v10 into anything

you sell short blocks to people who managed to destroy their old engine. not common but it does happen