NAPA got'er dun.

So, after taxes I paid $791 for an engine from the wreckers with 240km on it, and $1,673.68 CAD for the labor to swap them....haven't picked it up yet though

I hope at roughly 120k miles that they installed a NEW timing belt on the motor at least while access was EASY. You never stated as to just what happened to the original motor. But a 3.5 is an interference motor and if the belt breaks, you will have a "lunched" motor again. And keep a check on engine oil levels for a while, many 3.5's are known for heavy oil consumption!

**** I don't think they did and that didn't even cross my mind.
as for what happened to the original motor, I completely stated what happened to it. read over my original post again.

I did, and it only describes the RESULTS of a catastrophic engine failure...not the CAUSE. Seeing as you have not picked up the car yet, maybe ASK them about the belt or check your itemized receipt that all repair facilities must give. At the money that you don't have to spend, I was just trying to suggest something that would help prevent the same thing happening again.

Just trying to figure out if the water pump utterly failed and took out the timing belt to be the root cause or if it was something like having thrown a connecting rod thru the block or such....

I don't know why you're overthinking this so much.

From what you have posted about yourself(financially) and obviously that you know LITTLE of automotive skills, was just trying to make suggestion that similar does not happen again for YOUR sake and things that you could do with this new/used motor to prevent the same happening. BUT it is your car and your life to decide what to do. My best hopes that all does work out well for you and your ride!

I know LITTLE about automotive skills?? I'm an electromechanical engineer bud so that's a nice assumption, when it's obviously you who doesn't know jack. You're sitting there trying to figure out if the water pump quit, or if it blew a rod out the engine and I've already mentioned clear as can possibly be that the engine overheated due to not having any coolant in it.
The water pump can run strong all day but it isn't going to cool anything if the coolant is all over the highway, and a whole lotta **** goes wrong when the engine gets hot enough to peg the temp gauge and not even get a reading from the digital gauge.

What good is it going to do to know WHAT specifically went wrong in the OLD engine after it overheated, when I now have a "new" engine in the car that doesn't have a coolant leak and works fine. it's a used engine, it's going to undoubtedly have some wear issues as any old used engine would. At any rate there was NOTHING wrong with the original engine in the car before it lost all of it's coolant and overheated. It was not a timing belt, it was not a water pump, it was not a problem that would cause it to lose a rod. It overheated due to a sudden loss of coolant and then died from any number of reasons that happen when an engine overheats.

Being that this is an open forum and threads are not private, it would be beneficial to all that may run into similar circumstances to learn from. NO I don't own a 300 but the operation of all motors are pretty much a given, Just as there are "constants" in your "profession", I to have spent most of my life as an auto technician. But as I last posted, I hope all works out well for you and your vehicle...and may life go better for you here on out!

there is plenty to learn here for anyone who may have this issue. Don't let your car overheat. When I get some time I'll tear into the dead engine and see what I find.