The Fork In The Road: Should I Buy New Or Used Engines?

By Author: Peter Jones
Total Articles: 231
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Auto repairs can be one of the most unpleasant things in life to deal with. The bigger the repair is, the less pleasant it will be to deal with. Other than major bodywork, no repair is more expensive than replacing or rebuilding an engine.

The engine replacement process starts with a decision between two options: used engines or remanufactured engines. Both options have advantages and disadvantages; we will explore both.

We will first explore the option of remanufactured engines. Remanufactured engines are often referred to as "new engines" even though they are not 100% new. Reused parts remanufactured engines include the actual block and the cylinder head (the parts inside the cylinder head casing are replaced). Other commonly reused parts include camshafts and crankshafts. There is no set standard in remanufacturing engines. Some companies do a great job and consistently produce remanufactured engines that meet or exceed OEM specifications. Some companies do a horrible job consistently over machine camshafts, crankshafts, and block services.

Thus, we purchase ...
... a remanufactured engine you need to understand that you are buying the company as much as you are buying an engine.

Used engines are a great option as long as you make sure you purchase the low mileage units. Used engines with less than 20,000 miles on them are barely broken in and are a much better value than remanufactured engines since they typically cost half of what remanufactured engines command. Since used engines were produced by the same company that made your vehicle originally, fit issues are almost nonexistent. There is no question as to whether or not the engine will meet OEM specifications since it was produced by the Original Equipment Manufacturer.

Used engines are by no means a perfect option. The greatest area of failing used engines suffer from is dishonest suppliers. High mileage used engines are a poor option and since very few people do not understand this, they are hard to sell. Dishonest suppliers looking to recoup costs purposefully lie about mileage. It is easy to defeat this problem though. All you have to do is run a vehicle history report on the vehicle a specific used engine is coming from. Remember, you cannot pull an engine with 20,000 miles on it out of the vehicle that wrecked with 180,000 miles on it.

The second greatest area of failing used engines suffer from is improper or inconsistent testing. The recycling industry is radically different today than it was 20 years ago. Reputable recyclers do not simply pull used engines from vehicles and sell them without testing.

Today, used engines are tested to the extent that there are individual circumstance allows. Run tests are an example of this. Vehicle with a major front impact might have damage radiator but still be startable. In this instance, the engine would be run tests and but not allowed to get hot.

About: - Another vehicle might have virtually no front damage but have suffered a severe side-impact which severed wiring needed to start and run the engine. Reputable suppliers will have an experience that allows them to adequately assess used engines in almost every circumstance.