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

Posts Tagged ‘Used engines’

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.

When Saturn was founded by General Motors, one of the goals of the company was to take the badge of quality king away from the Japanese and restore it to an American company. A Saturn was supposed to have an excellent quality motors  and transmissions and last as long as a Japanese vehicle with similar maintenance requirements. In the minds of many mechanics, Saturn has failed to live up to that goal.

Saturn S-Series cars used 1.9L single and dual overhead cam engines. There were no other GM vehicles using these motors , so parts – new and used – were more expensive. Engines especially have always been much more expensive on Saturns due to the unique body panel system on Saturns. You see, these cars use a special dent resistant material in their body panels. They are less likely to be totaled in an accident, so there is a smaller pool of used engines available percentage wise for Saturns than other vehicles. Combine this with the fact that many Saturn owners are high mileage drivers, and it makes sense that used engines have always been rare. The early unique 1.9L Saturn engines have and always will be rare, new or used. These cars were made from 1991-2002.

Starting after 2000, something happened with Saturn that changed things: They began to share engines and engine components with other GM vehicles. From here on, consumers have a change to save on engine replacement by purchasing used engines. Whether you have a Saturn car, SUV, crossover, or van, when engine failure happens, a used engine is often the best option.

So why is a used Saturn engine better than repairing your engine or just getting a new engine? There are three reasons: Cost to value ratio, durability, and ease of installation.

When looking at the cost to value ratio of a used engine, you will see that when you purchase a low mileage used engine, you get a high value at a relatively low cost. In other words, value is high, cost is low. Let’s say for example that you are able to purchase a used engine with 50,000 miles for $1300.00. The ratio is in your favor because you’re buying a product with lots of life left. In other words, this swap makes a lot of sense.

Durability is also a big factor in purchasing a used motor . Let me preface with a fact: all used engines are not durable! Most have more durability than remanufactured engines though. What do I mean by this (I know some of you are already cringing)? Well, with a remanufactured engine, you’ve taken a used core and machined many of the parts. Depending on what cause that engine to fail, you could have a wide variance in the remaining life on it. If the remanufacturer had to shave the crankshaft, shave the head, etc., there could be a lot of metal missing from the “reman.” A good used motor has all the original OEM parts in it. The only machining that has been performed on it is the machining that happened when the engine was originally made new. If you don’t believe me that used engines are typically more durable than remanufactured engines, ask yourself the question: If you had a bad used engine and a bad remanufactured engine, which one would you send to a machine shop to rebuild? Obviously, only the used motor would go.
Now to address the final point that makes used engine often superior: ease of installation. What do I mean by ease of installation? I refer specifically to preinstallation prep. With a remanufactured motor, your mechanic will have to swap the timing cover, all sensors, the oil pan, valve covers, throttle body, intake manifold, exhaust manifold, fuel rail, etc. With a used engine, you might have to replace some of those items, but you will come out ahead on time and the installation will be cheaper.

I hope that this has helped to explain why installing a used Saturn engine can be a great way to get your car back on the road for less. We’ve covered value ratios, installation timing issues, and product durability.