There’s not too many people with the time, skills, place, and tools to swap out an original engine for a re-manufactured gem. The lucky ones who do, though, can take pride and save lots of money by doing it themselves. Read on to find out how.
Installing a rebuilt engine makes sense for a lot of reasons. But here’s one I’ll bet you haven’t thought of. They usually include upgraded parts that did not come with the original engine they installed. So the reliability of a used engine can actually be better because of those upgrades.
These engines go by many names – recycled, rebuilt, used, re-manufactured, or if it’s high performance, crate. But the thing is it’s up to your hands, tools, time, and skills to make it move smooth and fast.
Heres some good news. Get this right and a used engine can save you some serious money. You need the ride but times are harder now. Buying a new car is a huge investment. But if you take that sweet car and fix it up with some cosmetics, pay attention to the transmission (you can get those rebuilt too) and the rest of the drive train youre gold.
Heres the way we do it and ask that our customers replace their engines with remanufactured engines. Remember that used engines are sold as longblock engine assemblies. That means that there are cylinder heads, engine block and all internal components.
Do an initial pre-installation examination. This will save you a lot of trouble down the road.
Heres how to install your remanufactured engine.
1. Flush cooling system prior to installing engine to remove any debris left over the the previous engine. 2. Clean or replace oil strainer and pick screen. 3. Replace oil pan gasket and rear main seal. 4. Drain and replace engine oils to manufacturers suggested levels. 5. Replace the oil filter. 6. Timing belts, water pump, thermostat, spark plugs, fluids and seals are routine maintenance items and should be replaced at the time of installation and at the vehicle manufacturers recommended service intervals. 7. Replace any water hoses or vacuum lines that need replacing. 8. Prior to starting engine prime oils system and check to be sure you have oil pressure. 9. Proper operation of the cooling and electrical system must be checked during the installation of products that can be affected by those systems. 10. Replace valve cover gasket as needed. 11. Install new belts and hoses.
Get in and cruise.