Which Engine? (CL seller or JY)

I'm in the process of sourcing a new engine for my recently-bought 2000 Blazer to replace its badly knocking one.

The plan has been to go out to u-pull-it yard to get one- and in my scouting trip this afternoon I did find a near-perfect candidate: a 2000-ish Astro panel cargo van with about 120k listed as the mileage that had clearly been in an accident (front end is banged up and rad bent, but didn't appear to hit the engine itself). The best part? Somebody already pulled the transmission so the hardest part of pulling it is already done. We just have to unbolt the rest of the stuff and undo the mounts and the yard staff will use a forklift to pull it (may have to use another to lift the body up too, but much easier with forklifts...) out. Total cost would be about $200 for the engine plus probably $20 for gas and a minimum of 5 hours time (3 hours transit + at least 2 pulling it). The engine turns freely and looks to be in good shape, but of course is otherwise a complete unknown.

BUT.... when doing some last-minute searching earlier today, I came across this: http://lexington.craigslist.org/pts/5216519401.html

I contacted the seller, and apparently his dad didn't keep the antifreeze topped up and it froze and cracked the head. He said they drove the truck into the garage to pull the engine, but it is a definite concern that there's damage beyond just the head. The advantage is that it is about half the cost of the salvage yard engine (though I would need a new head gasket & bolts at least) and that it's already pulled out and ready to be loaded onto the truck to bring it home. It would take about half as much time I'd say- it's only an hour away and would figure on no more than half an hour there loading it up.

What do you guys think? Which sounds like the smarter choice?

Pretty sure most jys have a warranty...

I'd go with the junkyard engine.

Junkyard.

Junkyard for sure. The cl one is as bad or worse than your motor.

If that motor froze, you don't know what damage you may find inside - JY all the way!

Plus ls juan

JY, it had to run to hit something

flatlander937 wrote: JY, it had to run to hit something

This.

Junkyard motor, and if it in the cards do a reseal, all new gaskets and slap some main bearings in it.

It's a cut down 350 so it will leak like a sive but a basic rebuild kit should be cheap and at 120k miles everything will probably be in spec and just require slapping bearings in it. Virtues of a dingleberry hone and new rings has been discussed already

Just got back from the junkyard. The good: got the engine, though the forklift driver pulling it from the van was kind of harrowing.

The bad: sitting at the clinic because I gouged my arm nicely and it's been decades since I had a tetanus shot... -_-

Tetnus shot is the price of GRM...is the engine running yet?

Yeah, I didn't complain too much- figured it was only a matter of time before I'd need one.

The 'new' engine is on the stand- I was running pretty late both from getting a late start and the delay at the clinic so we decided to wait until tomorrow afternoon to try and finish pulling the old one. I'm planning on taking the time over this week to clean and go over the new engine before installing it and hopefully catch any potential issues while it's still out of the truck. Kind of wish I had my father-in-law's engine test trailer to fire it up before having to install it (but would be hard since the rig is made for a carbed engine...).