Customers are faced with many challenges in today’s car market. Insurance rates are through the roof and car payments are no better. So if you have a vehicle break down and you are forced to either by a new vehicle or have or engine or transmission remanufactured or replaced – consider your options.
Making a choice between a remanufactured engine and a rebuilt engine is really a tough one, and you need to assess and weigh out all the pros and cons of both types of engines to decide. You need to be aware about the general things that you should consider before you finally say yes to any of these.
Remanufactured Engines vs Rebuilt Engines
A remanufactured engine is remanufactured to the original blueprints and exact specifications, and is tested to original equipment standards.
A reman engine is a used engine that has been disassembled, cleaned, inspected and rebuilt to like-new specifications. Common wear items such as bearings, rings, timing chains, valve springs, gaskets, seals, oil pump and other parts are replaced, and major parts like crankshafts, camshafts and pistons are replaced with new parts on an “as needed” basis. The finished product is built to meet or exceed OEM engine specifications.
A rebuilt engine, the repair is done up to the level of failure. This directly means that the engine has been repaired up to the level of failure for which there was a need of rebuilding; but apart from that, components are left intact. The testing procedure of rebuilt engine depends upon the individual rebuilder from whom you are getting the job done.
Fix Your Engine Or Replace It?
If your car or truck is less than 10 years old, and you really like it, or you can’t afford to buy another vehicle at this time, your best choice is probably to repair or replace your engine. Cars and trucks depreciate rapidly as time goes by, even if they are not driven much. By the time your vehicle needs an engine, its “book value” or “trade-in” value may be so low that sinking more money into the vehicle does not make economic sense. Consequently, if your car or truck is worth less than about $2000, think long and hard before you put any more money into major repairs. Your money would be better spent on a newer vehicle.
Why Did Your Engine Fail?
If your old engine has a lot of miles on it (over 150,000 or more), and it is burning oil, running poorly, making noise or has locked up, overhauling it will be expensive:
Rebuilding a high mileage engine often requires boring out the cylinders to accept new oversized pistons. This adds a lot of expense because of the parts and machine shop labor. The engine block may also have to be line bored to restore the alignment and roundness of the crankshaft main bores. The deck surfaces on the engine block may have to be milled to restore flatness and the proper surface finish.
The cylinder heads will also have to be resurfaced, the exhaust valves replaced, maybe the valve seats if it is an aluminum head, and the overhead cam bores may need to be line bores also to restore the bearing surfaces and cam bore alignment.
In addition to the machine work, the engine will have to be completely disassembled, thoroughly cleaned and checked for cracks or other damage that might render the block or heads unrebuildable. If the block and heads are good, the crankshaft will probably have to be reground to undersize to restore the journal surfaces. A new camshaft and lifters or followers may be needed if the old parts show too much wear. Same for the pistons.
Other new parts that will be required include new main, rod and cam bearings, a new timing chain and gear set (or timing belt if it is an OHC engine with a belt), a new oil pump, and any other parts that are damaged or worn too much. It all adds up to a very expensive repair.
Because of all the parts and labor that are required to rebuild a high mileage engine, many repair shops and dealers recommend replacing your old engine with a new “crate engine” or a “remanufactured” (reman) engine. Both come more or less complete, and can usually be installed in a day. There are no delays waiting for machine work or parts for your old engine, and most crate engines and reman engines come with a warranty.
As for used engines, they can be risky. An engine from a low mileage wreck at a salvage yard is probably okay. By low mileage, we mean less than about 60,000 miles. And if the salvage yard will guarantee the engine is good (some will, some won’t), it would probably be much less expensive to buy the used engine and have it installed. But if the engine has a lot of miles on it, or it came out of a junked car (not a wrecked car), or the salvage yard won’t guarantee it, don’t buy it. Keep looking or opt for a new crate engine or reman engine from a reputable supplier.
Satisfaction and peace of mind is what you experience when buying from Roadmaster. You won’t find better customer service and the thoroughness we offer to make sure what you’re looking for is correct. We know that’s what you expect. Buy from Roadmaster and you won’t be disappointed.
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4 Comments
Thanks for explaining how remanufactured engines are created using the original blueprints and specifications of the original part and then tested to ensure that fit the original standards. When choosing a replacement, it would probably be a good idea to figure out what kind you want and then research suppliers and manufacturers who specialize in the type of engine you need. This could ensure that they’re remanufactured or rebuilt properly so that it will work properly so that it can be used properly for the best results.
I appreciate this comment. It is important to have builders that specialize in the engine being asked for. Here at Roadmaster we have ASE builders who build our diesel engines and only diesel engines. For our gas engines we have the highest-technology equipment, the most intelligent engineering and the best practices in engine remanufacturing today. This commitment to manufacturing technology allows us to build the best remanufactured engines.
I like how the article explains that a remanufactured engine is a used engine that has been rebuild to be like-new. We are needing to get a new engine for our car and we are considering getting a remanufactured engine but we were unsure of what it was. We will look into getting a remanufactured engine.
This is a very thoughtful comment. It is critical to have builders who are experts in the engine in question. Our diesel engines, and solely diesel engines, are built by ASE craftsmen at Roadmaster. For our gas engines, we use the most advanced technology, the most clever engineering, and the best engine remanufacturing methods available today. We can make the greatest remanufactured engines because of our devotion to manufacturing technology.