That line needs to be added to the list:
"The check is in the mail"
"I'll respect you in the morning"
"I won't come in your mouth"
I bought this motor (VW 36hp) a few months ago. The seller claimed it ran great, and that he'd removed it to put in a bigger motor to make commuting easier. The engine was indeed complete, as the ad stated, so after a quick visual inspection, I told him "Be right back" and I grabbed my ground starting kit from the bus.
He asks "What's that?"
"I'm going to start it."
"Huh? You can't do that!"
"Sure I can! All I have to do is hook up the bellhousing, connect the battery, pour a little gas down the carb and we're good to go.
So I hooked it up, and it started on the 3rd try, with a funky, light metallic clack coming from one side. Suddenly this was no longer a $500 engine - I offered him $75 - and he took it - thinking I could use it as a core, but as it turned out, I still lost.
Turns out it sucked a valve, but it had been run so long in that condition that the valve seat had migrated to the case. There was some flotsam and jetsam still in the cylinder, which accounted for the noise. This engine probably would have been savable, but judging by how extensive the damage was, it was run for a while with the valve head beating around in there.
