Moderator - please post this where it shall fit best. This is general knowledge but most people dont think about the benefits from it.

Over the years ive worked for multiple dealerships from sketchy used car lots, to big name dealerships that have been noted to be in the top 100 best places to work. My vast knowledge of tips and tricks has grown, and now i plan to share one with you that may be obvious, but you never actually stop to realize the potential.
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Do you need a whole new donor engine?
Are engine parts hard to find at junkyards in your area?
Has Mr. "Amatuer-at-best" broke or destroyed half the stuff under the hood of your donor trucks?
Do you want to preserve a well kept/low mileage/untouched/pristine engine(s) at the junkyard for exclusivity to you alone?

THEN CONTINUE READING

Donor engines:
#1. When i visit a junkyard and in search of a replacement engine, i walk straight to my section and look for a junked up donor. One thats been hit in the front or rear end, one that rolled over, or even one that got hit in the side. Why? Because that truck was driving down the street till someone wasnt minding their own business and caused enough damage to the vehicle rendering it junkyard worthy. So you know the engine was running and driving. This is the basis of what we are searching for - an engine WE KNOW runs and drives. This sure beats the guessing game of which engine out of which truck we should buy IN HOPES that it runs and we wont have issues with it.
#2. Most of the Mr.Amatuers dont like going to those rolled over or smashed up trucks because they "look like junk" and "probably have a lot of issues" or "everything is destroyed - just look at it".
WRONG!
These vehicles are probably the most untouched vehicles around compared to a nicer pickup sitting right next to it. Odds are, a person will walk straight to the nice looking truck and overlook the junked one. Thus being said, its less likely parts are missing off of it and more probable that its a complete engine with all the parts. You wont be buying an engine only to make a 2nd trip to the junkyard to get that damned DPFE, Power steering pump, Or Sensor thats missing because someone robbed it and you didnt catch that right away. Some of the best vehicles to rob parts off of are ones that the hood will not open. Most people shy away from the effort needed. But once you spend some time to get it open, you are now looking at an untouched masterpiece.

PART EXCLUSIVITY:
So you found a beat up truck with an engine that probably hasnt been touched yet. Good for you. Thats step #1. Now lets make it YOUR truck. Get that hood open. Once youve done that you will need to locate and aquire the hood cable. follow it up as far as you can and cut it! Now john doe cant go in the cab of the truck and "pop" the hood open. Run the cable down through the front grill. Peel off the end of where you cut thus "exposing" the cable. This will allow a simple pliers to grab on the cable and with a good pull, you will be able to open the hood. This simple trick will deter most, if not all of the newbs at the junkyard wanting to rob parts of the engine. Most dont go looking for the cable. Many just simply walk 5ft and move on to the next truck.

RECAP
So you have now found a truck with a good donor engine for parts - or as a whole. Youve cut the hood cable and positioned it in a spot in which most amatuers wont think to look or try to find. The engine bay is now sealed and locked out with only you knowing the key to getting it open. This makes it especially easy on the nerves knowing you wont have to go to the junkyard "in hopes" its not stripped of parts, or the part you want is missing or destroyed. This is also a HUGE benefit to save a complete engine from being touched. The junkyard provides the place for storage, and you modified the truck to be locked out.
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Ive seen guys go with a small 12v battery and apply power to vehicles to roll up the windows, lock the doors, and take the keys. They think that this is a deterent to us guys who REALLY REALLY need our parts badly. They think that by locking the truck up we cant get the hood open. Cant tell you how many times ive taken a tire iron and smashed a window to get inside of it. So if you are one to do this - dont think that just because you have the keys that parts wont be robbed. After saying that - one can argue the same point with the hood cable. Its not a promised solution to keep people out of the engine bay, but its a lot more time consuming to find the hiddle cable than it is to smash a window, reach in, and open the door/ pop the hood.


If you would like to add to this, please do so and ill update it.
Thoughts, questions, comments - all appreciated.