Why Are So Many Engines For Sale Without Leak down/Compression Tests
 

Why are there so many engines for sale without a leak down and compression test? I know some are being sold as cores, but others are not.

Am I missing something??

supply and demand

I don't understand why you would pay so much for an uncertain engine? However, maybe I am missing something?

Should a tested engine bring considerably more??

Difficult to do once the engine is out of the vehicle.

I understand that an engine may have been sitting on a floor for a long time, perhaps intended for a project that was never completed. It seems that a some of them have been pulled for larger engines. Would you not want to do it before you pulled it?

I would guess some would have intended to keep them, but the value of these motors sitting on a shelf does make the idea of selling them an attractive.

Parts flipping/brokering.

Since air cooled engines have basically doubled in the past 2 years, people are probably making weekend business out of them and/or finally pulling them off the shelf. As prodriver mentioned, performing a compression test out of the car will not work and a leakdown on a motor that's been sitting will not be good enough to discuss (would hurt value).

Verified good test numbers will get about 20% more, so guys asking all the money for non-verified motors tend to bump into perpetuity or accept the discount.

How about that most people don't have the tools, knowledge, or time to do the test.

buyer beware. In some cases, maybe the numbers were "not measured" because they were measured, but were not great. Part of me thinks there is a reason an engine is being sold. Cashing in on a hot market, and avoiding the rebuild costs is a good reason.

Because the buyer doesn't ask / insist on it.

I just realized that this is in the wrong forum...woops.