How to Get Affordable Car Parts from a Salvage Yard
Buying new replacement parts from a mechanic garage or auto dealership can cost you hundreds of dollars. The labor required to install the components makes it even more expensive. Fortunately, you can get alternative parts from a salvage yard at affordable prices. Salvage yards buy junk cars that still have working and usable parts that they sell to people at a relatively lower price than they would cost when new.
However, before you embark on finding your best parts, it is essential to understand what the process of removing the parts at a salvage yard entails. Junkyards have their own rules that you must observe to make the work a success. Check out these tips.
Bring the Right Tools
Just like in any other job, you need appropriate tools to work at a salvage yard. If it is your first time checking out at a junkyard, ensure you consult to know the right tools bring along that can serve the intended job. Some crucial tools may include screwdrivers, pliers, engine-checking devices, wrenches, and a storage container or bag.
Also, remember to carry some kind of power because most of the junkyards don’t have electricity. This is to ensure that your work is not interrupted when your tools run out of power. However, it is vital to keep in mind that the kind of tools to carry will depend on the type of part you want to pull out. Perhaps you should also note that some salvage yards prohibits certain types of devices.
Inspect Your Car
The best way to get the right car parts is to check out for compatibility. You can start by inspecting your vehicle before you travel to the salvage yard. Ensure you know all the spare parts you intend to replace and the necessary tools for the job. You can practice removing the parts you wish to replace to ensure you get used to this kind of work before getting to the salvage yard.
Once you remove the parts from your vehicle, examine whether the parts are secured and pay attention to where it is located to determine if there is any barrier to reaching it. Similarly, this is the right time to try your tools and see if they are of the correct size. You can get them before going to the salvage yard if you realize that you are missing a particular size of a socket or wrench.
Check for Compatibility
While it is common knowledge that vehicles manufactured in the same year can share parts, the opposite is not always true. You can find vehicles made in different years that can share parts with your cars. So the most important thing is to check for compatible parts. In fact, you may even find a compatible part from a different make.
However, the best way to get the right information is by researching. You can dig out on the manufacturer’s website to find more information about different car makes and models to figure out if other vehicles can share the same parts like your car. As you check the various components, ensure you narrow your search to compatibility, and find information on how to test different parts.
Dress Appropriately
Many salvage yards require you to wear appropriate attire when you extract your auto parts. You will necessarily need to wear closed shoes, long pants, a long-sleeve shirt, gloves, as well as eye protectors. If you have been to an auto mechanic and checked their dressing code, you have a rough idea of what is needed at a junkyard.
However, many salvage yards don’t need you to dress exactly like a professional mechanic. Using similar attires and accessories can help you keep safe and clean as you extract your parts.
Inspect Parts before Extracting Them
Before you can start the job, ensure you examine the parts; this can help save your energy and the stress of extracting damaged or bad components. Be sure to check out for damage, excessive rust, gouges, dents, or scratches. While it is not evident that parts showing signs of damage would not work, there is a high likelihood that those not showing signs might work.
Again, sometimes it is impossible to tell the condition of a part by just looking at it. That is why it is always brilliant to find a salvage yard that offers a warranty on their products to be assured of quality. This also allows you to take faulty and non-compatible parts back for an exchange. Additionally, ensure you test all the parts you extract from the junked vehicle.
Remove the Parts
Upon inspecting the parts and become confident that the parts work, the next step is to remove them. It would help if you kept in mind that the vehicle doesn’t need to remain whole, as long as the part you wish to remove it intact, you can cut off any mounting part to access the part. You can remove the unwanted parts or rust as you prepare for installation.
To better cut the bolts or nuts, it is advisable to use a metal cutter like a pair of shears. Be sure to be careful when cutting so as not to damage the part. You can also use the cutting torch to remove the car part; if at all, the salvage yard permits you.
Ask for Assistance when Needed
Removing vehicle parts on your own is a rule of thumb to most of the salvage yards. However, when maybe the component is too large to be extracted with your tools, you can ask for a helping hand. For this reason, some salvage yards usually offer to remove large parts such as engine blocks using engine pulling frames and also provide wagons and wheelbarrows to help transport to your destination.
Be Sure Not to Create a Fire Hazard
While at a junkyard, you need to be extra careful to avoid creating fire hazards. For instance, using a cutting torch can increase the risk of a fire hazard. While some salvage yards will allow you to use the tool if you know how to, you should avoid using it at all costs if it is not necessary.
Similarly, you should avoid smoking when at junkyard lot for this can cause a fire if the sparks are exposed to flammable residues on the engines.
Takeaways
Buying the parts you need for your car at a salvage yard can save you a thousand dollars. Besides saving you money, getting parts from junkyards allows finding factory parts. Fortunately, salvage yards have plenty of junked parts in an excellent working condition that can be useful to you.