Help! I Think I'm Getting Ripped Off!

well you paid too much but did not get ripped off.
as long as the engine doen t fail you are ok
definitely do the oil changes and give them opportunity to succeed
frequent monitoring is good

Could you please explain the $275 tax. There are no sales taxes in my State but I am aware of sales tax on used items if they are purchased from a business. I am not aware of taxes on labor. I hope everything works out for the best.

The price doesn’t sound out of line to me but the 275 dollars tax seems a bit much. That could depend upon the state you live in and how they do things as some rates are high.
I think some states may tax labor charges also. (gag)

Any chance that 275 could be a core charge on the old engine?

All shops mark up their parts, sometimes considerably. That is the way any business operates

Can’t be sure but I think Illinois taxes everything in sight.

As long as the “new” used engine runs well, I think you should simply be happy that the car’s fixed. And be sure to ask about the warranty he’s giving you… at a minimum there should be a workmanship warranty. I’ll refrain from suggesting how long it should be, because things vary.

I do find myself wondering if he offered any insight into why the original problem occurred. Be sure you follow the manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule, be sure you monitor your fluid levels often (especially the oil level), and be sure you use the recommended oil. Camry V6 engines of this vintage were known to have oil sludge problems, especially if the maintenance was lax, and I strongly recommend using synthetic oil and religiously changing the oil on schedule.

Actually, I think by 2002, Toyota had very slightly improved the engine design, such that sludge wasn’t so prevalent anymore

Toyota officially says that the sludge motors were built between 1996 and August of 2002.

lol, did they officially call them sludge motors?

Nope. Those were my own words. They (or should I say “their lawyers”) didn’t apply any label whatsoever.

So this might be the tail end of the sludge motors . . .

It might. The only way to find out for sure would be with the VIN and a visit to a Toyota dealer.

On the other hand, if the engine oil change regimen had been a bit more frequent the sludging may not have happened at all.

I'm surprised the rings are supposedly shot on this V6 engine. Those Toyota 1MZ-FE engines don't have a bad reputation
IME, when an otherwise sound, modern engine develops rings worn enough to leave a trail of blue smoke everywhere, it is almost always neglect. Of the oil-change interval, or even making sure that the car has any!

@ChgoFre, this whole escapade was entirely preventable, for a pittance of money. You car requires around 5qts of oil and a filter for a change. Shop carefully, and you can get API-rated oil for $2/qt, and a filter for $5-ish. That’s a whopping $15 every 5,000 miles or so–less than the cost of one fill-up. Instead, you’re staring down the barrel of an engine swap. As they say, “A stitch in time saves”…around 3 grand, apparently.

If I seem brusque, it’s because SO MANY people (who generally cannot afford major engine work) post here singing the exact same version of the blues…and it always comes down to basics…not changing the oil, not checking to see if there’s any in it. Consider this “tough love,” if you will. That Toyota, with proper maintenance, had a 300,000 mile engine.

He also showed me what he said was the new engine. It looked like it had just been pulled from a car.

That’s because it was. Used engines generally come from wrecked cars, and the wrecked cars are stored outside, in a auto junkyard. They don’t “detail for retail” here; WYSIWYG. I’m certain you had and declined the option to get a shiny new engine for $4k (or so…) It would also be a waste of a perfectly good new engine, unless your maintenance habits change markedly.

There is considerable markup on the $1500 80,000 mile engine. He doesn't want me to see the invoice from LKQ (I think that's where they got it).

Yes, there was mark-up on the engine; why shouldn’t there be? Do you pay liquor-store prices for the bottle of Chardonnay you have with you dinner in a restaurant? Wouldn’t it be exceedingly poor form to complain to the manager and ask to see the restuarant’s liquor receipt?

With these engines the blue smoke was caused by gummed up oil rings rather than premature ring wear… but in reality the root cause was generally the same: neglect. These engines seem to have been intolerant of neglected maintenance more than most. And, let’s face it, putting off oil changes is pretty common.

Regarding the original post, replacing an engine is a big job, that requires taking a lot of stuff apart to gain needed access, so it’s not surprising the glove box was out and there’s a big gear in sight. That “big gear” might be the flywheel for example. That’s a necessary part. So OP might better serve their interests to just let the mechanic do the job and determine how well it was done once everything is put back together.

Engine replacements are becoming a more common thing due to the complexity of newer engines, like variable valve timing, combined with the desire to get better mpg, meaning the recommended oils are thinner now. In the future, when deciding to replace an engine, first make sure you are using a shop that has been recommended to you by someone you know, and second find out what the written warranty will be. What it covers, and how long.