new to forum! m42 question

[m42-kineticz]

Hey all Im new to the forum and i am planning on putting an m42 in my 74 bmw 2002.
I found a post on CL for an m42 engine that includes all listed below. the seller wanted $200
for everything. the seller said he just tooke it out and it was running and shifting is fine. he just took it out a couple days ago from his 91 325is  I know its a steal but what worries me is the mileage which is 256k on the odometer.
can i feel confident buying this engine? whie its out what do i need to do to get it prepped for its new home?
thanks in advance!

-m42 with accessories
-ecu
-wire harness
-driveshaft
-getrag 240 trans 

[keflaman]

Welcome to the forum!

$200 and 256K miles goes pretty much hand in hand. I saw the ad and my first impression was that the engine was pretty clean for that many miles. I almost always expect the crankshaft #4 journal to be chewed up, so you may want to line one up. If you find the crank bad then you might as well pull the head and have that done as well as new rings.

At best you may have an engine that was rebuilt less than 100K miles ago. At the worse, you may have close to $200 worth of parts...

[DesktopDave]

Pull the aluminum parts off and you might have close to $200 worth of scrap. I've seen gearboxes go for more than that!

My M42 is still running well with 291K miles. I'd take some time to look over the motor regardless. Look for worn cam gear teeth and worn/broken cam chain guides.

[m42-kineticz]

thanks guys ill find out tomorrow when he drops the engine off