October 19, 2020

Types of Replacement Engines and Their Advantages and Disadvantages

When the old engine of your car is worn out due to various reasons either by expiring its age or by some accidental damage, you focus on repowering the car engine. The replacement engines could be had either by a new, rebuilt or remanufactured engine. Actually, replacing of an engine involves major repair that involves various expenses but less than procuring new engine. New engine purchase even sometime goes beyond the cost of vehicle. That is why, it is suggested to opt the used engines, rebuilt engines or remanufactured engines.

No doubt engine replacement is a hectic job consuming a lot of time and money but it puts new life into your car, of course. Truly you will be in contented position by replacing old engine with reconditioned engine. A lot of options are there for replacing your old worn out engine with the repowered engine. Replacement with crate or new or remanufactured engines costs you so high. Whereas replacement with salvage engine or partial or complete rebuilding the existing engine is most viable and acceptable options that most of the experts endorse.

It goes without saying that each replacement engine has certain pros and cons that needs to be followed to make a wise decision for engine replacement. Following are discussed various replacement engines along with their pros and cons:

Partially Rebuilt the Existing Engine

In accordance with the requirement and your own choice, you can either rebuild bottom end i.e. rings, pistons, bearings etc. or top end i.e. valves and heads if needed. No warranty of whole engine is given and only warranty of rebuilt parts is given. Less expenses are involved in case only top end of your engine is affected. It means complete rebuilding of engine is not required at all. Various risk factors you could have in rebuilding such engines. The biggest one is that weak link start resisting in proper functioning of engine.  Various engine noises emerge.

Complete Rebuilding of Worn out Engine

This is the best option you can have by rebuilding your existing engine. It is quite obvious that this is somewhat expensive but most appropriate one that guarantee the enhanced engine efficiency. Here too, warranty is only applicable to the parts being replaced. The biggest plus of complete rebuilding engine is that both top end as well as bottom end are repowered altogether. However negative end is only that it is a bit expensive option.

Second-hand or Used Engine

These are used engines acquired from junkyard skillfully. Such engine is pulled out from a damaged vehicle with good engine. Such engine never contains a lot of miles in it but can be installed in other car without replacing its parts. It is very comfortable to search some old and efficient engine and replace it with your old existing engine. It is ascertaining before repacking salvage engine that it performs its functions efficiently without any break. Its mileage is in acceptable range and warranty is given of just few months. However, labour charges are to be paid by the customer. Salvage engines are cheaper than completely rebuilt engines and there is no risk of overpowering one onto other resulting into failure. Best thing is that mostly lesser mileage is obtained with salvage as compared to your worn out old engine. However, warranty is not much.

Used engines are taken out from impaired vehicles and their mileages do not match with the new car. So it is incumbent upon you to tell the buyer if you are selling this vehicle about this numbering. Used or second hand engines are also available with additional components like injectors or manifolds etc. Be warned always use genuine parts. It is pertinent to mention here that used engine was earlier, part of some other vehicle that was unluckily became motionless due to some severe accident but the engine remains safe.

Low mileage used engine should be preferred with extensive warranty. As mostly these engines are taken out from the damaged or wrecked vehicles, so due care should be given to have warranty of such used engines.

Remanufactured or Reconditioned Engine

This is the most viable option for your vehicle either SUV, truck, or car to install remanufactured engine. The process involved in such operation is that an engine from a vehicle is pulled out and made in accordance with factory specifications. To make this old engine anew, cylinders are machined along with other parts to restore the original manufacturer specifications of certain make and model. This engine is now branded new with a warranty and works for longer period than rebuilt engine.

These remanufactured engines are also termed as reconditioned engines being passed through an extensive phase of reconditioning. First of all, the engine is extracted from the vehicle completely, then is converted into individual parts. Aft this, parts of engine are cleaned properly to wipe the oil, grease and dust on it comprehensively. During this cleaning process, engine block, pistons, connecting rod and crankshaft are also brushed. The process involves expertise and should be done from some certified engine expert who has proper experience of doing this.

Now in the second step, all the vital engine parts are analyzed to judge their efficiency i.e. defects, failures and weaknesses. The complete damaged parts are removed and replaced with new ones. These parts are also polished properly to minimize friction among the parts. After polishing, finally reassembling of engine parts is carried out by using hi-tech advanced and sophisticated technology. In this way the experts assemble the parts very carefully in accordance with the OEM fitting guidelines. Now reliability and durability tests are performed by the experts to ascertain the efficacy and performance of this reconditioned engine.

Being a laborious and lengthy process of disassembling and reassembling, remanufactured engine has more cost on it. This gives the power to remanufactured engine to perform just like OEM engine.

Reconditioned or remanufactured is usually having engine parts taken from older engines. These parts are repowered, rejuvenated and finally reassembled. It has more pros than its cons. Cost of rebuilding surely is every high. One thing always be kept in mind that reconditioned engines are hugely different from used engines. Used engines are installed in the vehicles with small repair. However, in rebuilt engines, all the main parts are repaired or replaced. These fulfil the characteristics of OEM engine. So no doubt reconditioned engines are reliable.

There is no denying that by replacing used or reconditioned engines, you are saving energy spent on newly manufactured engine. Hence these engines are best to protect the environment. Remanufacturing endorses significant reduction of CO₂ emissions into the atmosphere thus reducing global warming also. The experts have estimated that 80% less energy is utilized in remanufacturing as compared to manufacturing of new automotive parts. Apart from it, precious raw materials are also conserved like copper, aluminum and steel in remanufacturing.

The remanufacturing of engines involves sustainability as it keeps diesel and petrol vehicles functional for longer uptill e-vehicles dominance. It is pertinent to mention here that obsolescence management tools vigilantly observe the life cycle of engine parts.  Through this, customers are let known about the lifecycle of the components used in remanufacturing.

New or Crate Engine

This is brand new engine that is completely unused and has uncovered mileage. Actually these are available on the dealer’s shop usually. Being new, these new or crate engines are very expensive as compared to other replacement engines. To your utter surprise, the cost of new engine even goes beyond the cost of your vehicles price. It is quite obvious that these new engines are synonym of the engines that are fitted in new cars.  This is the actual picture of crate engine. All the inner and outer parts of new engine are entirely new one. Exception are always there because outer parts may become time used in the new engines.

Question arises why the name crate is given to these new engines. The answer is very simple as these new engines are marketed to the dealers on the crates. Now many automobile companies manufacture the crate engines having all the same features therein.

Some general considerations

If you think installing rebuilt engine in your car is the only solution but many engine failures do not accept it. And instead, a minor repair will suffice to tackle the engine trouble. Actually rebuilt engine is mixture of new and old parts. Now these older parts reduce the overall engine life and efficacy. So the new reliable and efficient engine parts do not work.

If you are determined to have replacement of old engine with rebuilt engine, then get the services of some reliable company which is registered by Automobile Engine Rebuilders Association. Because this trade group ensures the skills of rebuilding engines.

Drivers should be vigilant about the maintenance work of vehicle and also try not to overburden it specially by towing. Likewise, never plan to go on distant destination initially up to 500 miles. In the same manner, do the oil change after it and then onward consistently get oil changed after three months or 3000 miles.

A remanufactured or rebuilt engine gets a new life like that of new engine and fulfils the requirement of your car. The repowered engine, do best for your car but it is not much encouraging for vehicles having brakes and wheels failure. The repair of brakes and wheels surely need heavy expenses and you will never like to spend so much amount on your old car.

Advantages of engine replacement

• Surely you are in need of engine replacement when your car refuses utterly to feel you proud on road. You are left with no option but either replace some rebuilt or remanufactured engine or purchase crate or new engine. But later option is not acceptable being very costly. That is why with the passage of time, engine replacement is becoming more and more popular being economical feasible for the people.
• When you are bound to escape for some distant picnic point but all of sudden you come to know that engine of your car is not supporting your idea. Your mechanic further worsens the situation after exploring that engine replacement is its only solution which will obviously consume much time and money also.
• As searching a new car of your favorite make and model, needs sufficient time and expenses also. You focus your attention on the vehicle of your choice depending on resources you have. Instead, wasting so much time in finding new car, you deem it better to opt the engine replacement.
• It is far better to replace the bad engine of your car to keep it on road instead of discarding it into the junkyard. Here only its various used parts will be sold and all precious oil like fluids will soak into the ground definitely.
• Replacement engine costs you less as compared to buy new engine. Many factors you have to take into account while making decision whether buy new engine or reconditioned engine or used engine. the important factor is of insurance premiums that consistently go on rising with the passage of time. This issue pertains to new car but when replacement of engine is done in new car, same insurance coverage will be applied as vehicle will be deemed as of same age.
• Just imagine how burdensome is to pay car payments but when you replace bad engine with reconditioned engines, no such issue happens at all.
• You get proper warranty on engine replacement that will ensure to what extent this used or reconditioned engine will survive efficiently.

This deserves to mention here that the act of engine replacement is also environmental friendly as minimum energy is used or rebuild an engine.