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

Posts Tagged ‘Used engines’

Consumers are more concerned about saving money in America. In the automotive arena, this is causing an increasing consciousness about automotive repairs. Large repairs involving used engines are taking a front spot in shops now. Why are used engines taking such a large spot? Simply put, they are one of the most expensive repairs ever required. Whether a shop installs one BMW engine, one Buick engine, or 30 Chevy engines a year, cost is of huge, huge importance.

In the arena of the BMW engine, cost has not always been king. At one point, used engines were rarely considered as an option in replacement. However, there is many a BMW engine that retails for close to $30,000 when purchased new from the dealership. Since a used BMW engine can often be purchased for less than $5,000 and almost always for less than $10,000, new engines are rarely purchased.

When shops need a Buick engine, in the past they would look for a remanufactured product. Buying a preowned Buick engine offers several advantages to shop, including easier installation, proven reliability, and low wear OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts. Best yet, when you buy a preowned Buick engine from a wrecked vehicle, you’re getting exactly the same thing that you had when your vehicle was running well. It’s a win win situation.

Chevy engines are similar to their aforementioned cousin. Iconic in its importance to America, the domestic manufacturer has no shortage of vehicles on the road, from Impala cars to Sierra trucks. All Chevy engines made since the mid nineties share quality as a common factor, and all the vehicles on the road with Chevy engines in them have reliability at their heart. Purchasing preowned reduces the environmental impact of driving, saves money, and gets drivers back on the road faster.

No matter what brand of vehicle you own, used engines can save you money in auto repair.

Since I was a boy, it has always been well known that Japanese vehicles have always maintained their value. Well known for quality, Nissan is no exception to this rule. Late model Altimas, Maximas, Muranos, Titans, Frontiers, Pathfinders, and Rogues continue this trend. High levels of quality control will never be able to avoid the reality that all vehicles are mechanical objects designed, manufactured, and maintained by men. Engine failure on a Nissans is not common. If the engine in your Nissan does fail, installing a used engine can save you time and money. Here’s why.

When looking at this from the aspect of time, a used engines typically comes as a complete assembly and requires only minimal prep work compared to a “new” engine. If you were to purchase an engine directly from Nissan, depending on the nature of the failure they might try to sell you a short block (the bottom half of an engine) or a cylinder head (the topmost part of an engine) instead of a complete engine assembly. It is difficult to replace a cylinder head or a short block because the mechanic doing the work leaves a significant portion of the engine in the vehicle. Only the bad part of the engine is replaced; the new or remanufactured short block is raised up from the bottom and bolted up or the cylinder head is lowed in from the top. This is grueling, time consuming work compared with installing a used engine assembly.

If Nissan were to sell you a remanufactured long block, your mechanic would still have significant labor charges. A true long block is a bare short block and cylinder head. Installing a long block requires that your mechanic remove your old oil pan and install it on the long block. He will then have to do the same thing with your exhaust manifold, intake manifold, timing cover, valve covers, sensors, wiring harness, etc. The labor here can be intensive and the bill can grow large. With a used engine, your mechanic might have to swap some of these things, but he will not have to swap all of them, saving you time significant time (and money).

Cost cannot be disregarded either when comparing a new/remanufactured engine to a used engine. Used Nissan engines typically sell for less than half of what a new or remanufactured engine are sold for. The best part is that these used engines are OEM (original equipment manufacturer). If you purchase a used engine with truly low mileage, you’re not just saving money; you’re making an investment that will give you many years of return in the form of low cost driving. Since you’re driving a high quality Nissan, this is an investment will no doubt more than pay for itself over the next several years.

Take care though, because there are some things you need to know when buying a used Nissan engine.

First, realize that you only want to buy a low mileage used engine. If you buy a motor with high mileage, failure could be just around the corner since the unit has lots of wear. A low mile unit has little wear because of the low use it has received.

Secondly, understand that you cannot take anyone’s word on the number of miles on a used engine. Some companies will lie to you and tell you that an engine they have for sale has fewer miles on it than it actually has. Avoid this by always demanding a free CARFAX to verify the mileage on any used engine you purchase. This will show the number of miles that were on the vehicle your used engine is coming from at the time it was wrecked. For example, you cannot pull an engine with 50,000 miles from a vehicle that was wrecked with 130,000 miles on it.

Finally, demand a written warranty with good time and mileage duration. A quality used engine should come with a quality warranty. Consumers should demand a six month warranty at the bare minimum. Sadly, many companies only provide a 30 day warranty with their used engines. Many do this because they lie on the mileage of the engines they are selling and would have to many warranty claims with longer term warranties.

As long as you take these three things into consideration, installing a used engine in your Nissan can save you considerable time and money, making your driving experience less expensive for many years to come.

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.