Used Engines, Used Motors, Auto Parts, Used Car Parts, Honda, Ford, Toyata

The average American family will never have to replace an engine in their vehicle. Most people follow basic maintenance plans and get rid of their cars long before their engine fails. Sometimes engine failure just happens. You might hit a deer and puncture your radiator. Keep driving, and you’ll blow a head gasket. Your timing belt might break on your interference engine, destroying your valve train. Or, you might just have bad luck and get an engine with an internal defect. If for any reason you have found yourself in need of an engine, there are some things that you should know.

The first thing that you should know is the different options you have. You can replace your engine with any of the following: a remanufactured engine, a rebuilt engine, a new engine, or a used engines. All of these options have their ups and downs. Selecting the right option can save you time, money, and heartache.

Let me first start with definitions. A remanufactured engine is completely broken down in a factory environment. All parts are cleaned and replaced as necessary, tested to OEM specs, and reassembled by trained, certified workers. A rebuilt engine is broken down in a mechanic shop. The broken parts are identified and replaced. A new engine is exactly that – new from the OEM manufacturer. These are engines that might be left over from the assembly line, or they might have been produced by the car maker to have available for warranty issues. A used engine is an OEM engine, pulled from a vehicle that was in an accident.

New engines are the most expensive of the above four options. The only reason I would ever recommend a new engine is if the car manufacturer is covering the cost under the car’s warranty. Some new BMW and Porsche engines are over $20,000! These carry the advantage of being completely new.

Remanufactured engines are completely stripped down in a factory environment. All broken and worn parts are replaced with parts meeting or exceeding OEM specs. Not all parts can be replaced in a rebuild; any shaving done on the block to smooth the metal where the short block and cylinder head meet, for example, eliminates metal on the engine that cannot be replaced. This is a good option when a used engine with low miles isn’t available.

Rebuilt engines are getting rarer and rare on late model cars because engines are so complex now. Few shops have the kind of equipment laying around to do a proper rebuild, so most have to outsource some of the key components of a rebuild to a machine shop. Bringing another company into the equation significantly raises the cost of the rebuilding proposition. Further, most engine rebuilds do not involve replacing worn parts, only the parts that are actually broken. Long life should not be expected from these engines, and this is the option that makes the least sense.

The last option, a used engine, is often the best option out of the four. A good used engine with low miles can be near new. Consider that many mechanics don’t consider a motor to be “broken in” until it has 20,000 miles on it. Also consider that getting 300,000 miles out of an engine is not uncommon in this day and age. Buying a low mileage used engine with under 50,000 miles can save a tremendous amount of time and money. The engine is removed from the wrecked vehicle, peripherals are swapped, and with normal maintenance, many more years of driving are possible. This is truly a winning option, since the cost is so much less than any of the other options and the longevity is potentially so much longer.

It is my hope that this explanation of options available when an engine replacement is needed will help you. I hope you will understand why a good used engines is often the best option, followed by remanufactured, new, and rebuilt engines.