there are people like this w/roccos... (long/rant)

About a month and a half ago, I started looking for a 2.0 16v engine in the LA or bay area. The day I started looking I saw one in the LA recycler for $400, that said it was "complete, from pan to manifold." Only 40k supposed miles. I called the guy, and it was still available. I was thinking cool, I can drop this thing in and not worry. So I drove to LA to pick this thing up (had to take parents' Suburban, used $85 worth of gas there and back). The guy had a black 87 16v with a euro cam and other little bits. When I get there and ask about the engine...he tells me that it needs a valve job. And there are no accessories attached to it, just the intake manifold :/ Didn't bother me though, he sold me the block for $400, I figured that was still a decent price because it only had 40k on it. So I took it.

When I get home and pull the oil pan off, there is a long skinny spring in the bottom (like the kind that wraps around a main seal). There were other miscellaneous shavings of metal also there. The crank has a little under 1/8" of play back and forth. I pulled the main journal that has the thrust bearing on it, only to find that the crank had been rubbing metal to metal. It looked like the main seal piece had fallen between one of the counterweights and the main journal. Fortunately the block can be reused because the surfaces where the bearings seat are all untouched. Needless to say, I was a little pissed. I called the guy and he agreed to send me a check for $200. That was two weeks ago...I have no check. I can't get his cell phone or anything. I am making a trip to LA this weekend, with a few friends...