Where are all the 1GR-FE Cores?

Do not really post much, mostly read.......However, Been slowly putting together a new 1GR-FE for my 2005 Tacoma, and pretty much have the motor built besides the timing cover and oil pan assembly and a few other auxiliary components. Got the short block from Toyota, which was surprisingly inexpensive and had a couple cylinder heads that were level and basically needed a valve job etc.
However, I have looking all over here in Western Oregon for a core 1GR-FE that I can pull off and clean the timing cover all the fasteners etc. to finish up the motor on the stand. I would pull the current motor out of the truck and disassemble and clean those part, but that's quite a bit of down time and the truck is a my main work vehicle so time is money as they say.

I have checked all of the surrounding wrecking yards, which I'm sure they have a whole sale buyer for their cores, but all those have been relatively cryptic on what happens to these cores. I check their inventory daily and see that these used 1GR-FE motors are selling.....so, there must be core returns? I would assume so anyways. Does anyone have a clue on where all these non-operational cores are going?? and why there's seems to be a deficit of them on-line and at auto wrecking yards, even Craigslist has yielded very little. For how common this power plant is in N. America, I would assume there would been tons of these things all over the place.

 

I’ve had one good core from an fj that was taken right away. It was a very high mileage motor and the customer said “f it change every thing but the heads “


Most 1gr are physically damaged when we swap them. Large cracks etc

 

High mileage, damage to the block...etc. that's fine, I do not need the block. Looking for the timing cover, fasteners, pan assembly. It would be more economical to find a core, then source all those parts new/used. With that said, I can not even find them used! Not even Ebay has a selection of used 1GR-FE components.

 

Sorry point is, if there's phsyical damage, it gets scrapped, so it's why you won't see many damaged cores. The time to disassemble it isn't even worth it.

 

Damaged motors are getting scrapped. The running ones are selling for a premium. A friend of mines head gasket went out but since the frame is relatively new thanks to the frame recall it makes sense for him to throw in a lower mileage motor. Guessing a lot of guys are doing the same with paid off trucks.

also the bores are cast into the block and as far as I know they are considered non-serviceable when it comes to rebuilding with that said it’s probably why a market for them doesn’t exist.

 

That makes sense. But what about all those components? The wrecking yard doesn't even offer them? I guess they are getting melted down or land fill.