Throughout your life, you will undoubtedly own numerous vehicles. At some point you may find yourself in a position where you have to replace the motor in one. When this finally happens, you will have to decide what kind of motor you want to replace the original with. The two main options available these days are a used unit or a refurbished unit.
If you don’t plan on keeping the car after it is repaired, you may want to go for the slightly cheaper option of a used engine. Considering that you have no way of knowing what the actual mileage of the engine is or the driving habits of the last owner, that makes the second hand option better for a sell-and-repair scenario, since most engines second-hand come with a short-term warranty. If any.
If you plan to keep your vehicle, you should seriously consider the benefits of replacing the defective unit with a refurbished one. In general, a rebuilt engine is practically new on the inside, so in effect it has zero miles and will have the potential to have the longest life if properly cared for.
A standard rebuilt engine has had enough work to offer a longer warranty and is a smart choice for those who take pride in their vehicles and would like to keep them for as long as possible. At a minimum, mechanical work will have been done on the engine block and cylinder head to ensure they have flat contact surfaces, the cranks will be machined, honed or replaced as necessary. New bearing sets will have been installed in both the connecting rods and main journals. To ensure optimal oil pressure can be achieved, the pistons will have been fitted with new piston rings to create a positive seal in the cylinder chamber, the cylinder heads will have been pressure tested to ensure they are free of cracks Internals, New Oil Seals will have been installed to make the unit oil tight after reassembling everything, the motor should be fit for purpose and provide a dependable replacement for your faulty unit.
All rebuilt engines must be “run in” smooth. This means you don’t want to get into a vehicle with a rebuilt engine and immediately get out and hit the ground every time. The break-in period is very important to the longevity of the new engine. At this time, all new metal components (rings and bearings) will slowly wear into adjoining parts so that all surfaces will mate and function optimally in the future. If the break-in period is ignored, it can shorten the life of the replacement engine and cause conditions where the oil pressure will be too low or the piston rings will not break in properly, causing the replacement engine to burn oil .
At the end of the day, if you choose a reconditioned engine as a replacement for the original, it can last you the life of the vehicle if it is cared for properly.
