This is a little example of why it can be better to rebuild the engine you have rather than purchasing a secondhand engine of unknown origin.
This is an engine that was brought to us for work, customer purchased it (off eBay? Don't know the full story yet) and took it to a local garage to be rebuilt, who gave it to us.
It's a Bay (1600 twinport) motor, but the same applies to any engine bought without seeing it running.
First warning sign was that it wouldn't turn by hand, did in the end, but it took a fair old yank on the pulley to get it to move.
Heads off and the ugly truth was revealed:
Not pretty, is it?
Heads might be salvageable, pistons and barrels are U/S and you can't see from the photos but the big-ends are ****ed too. It's unlikely the mains have fared any better. Even before it spent time sitting in a field (or at the bottom of a lake?), this engine was completely worn out.
In short, it's "beyond economical repair".
The point behind this post? Those of you who are facing the choice between rebuilding your existing engine and buying a replacement, keep this in mind when making your decision. Sometimes it's better to stick with the devil you know, at least it was running...
