seriously, I'll buy doggy ones, non-runners or bikes to strip, as I can usually get them running properly, or use the spares to get other people out of trouble.
I have a spare engine at the moment, but it's in the same condition as the one you have in, due to lowish compression on the front pot.
It's about 5 bhp down.
So I swapped it out of mine and fitted the current lump with a few engine mods done.
The spare one is awaiting a winter rebuild; I was planning to get it rebored and fitted with new pistons, and see how high a compression the bottom end could take.
Gotta be honest, when you compare the cost of a bottle of oil every few miles against a the cost of a replacement engine, and the possible chaos and trouble that comes with getting seized engine bolts out, I'd be tempted to just buy shares in Shell and live with it.
Lastly, the engine you buy secondhand may not be any better than the one you took out!
And a 14 day exchange doesn't compensate you for the double engine swap work.
So if it was me I'd either get my own engine rebuilt, parts are only about £200, big ends, mains, gaskets and possibly a piston/rings.
Or go the whole hog and beef it up a bit while it's apart.
Or strip that one for spares and buy another, known good, storm.
But don't sell that knackered engine on to anyone as a good one, you wouldn't want it done to you.
