Experiences of remanufactured engines?
j...@legato.ecology.uga.edu
I am all of a sudden :-( looking for a new engine for a big old Jeep
wagon. Do any readers of this group have any experiences, recommenda-
tions or war stories about remanufactured engines? Pep Boys sells 'em,
Sears sells 'em, lots of folks sell 'em. Are they any good? Is any
vendor known to be better (or worse) than the rest?
I'm particularly looking for a Jeep 258-cid straight six, but *any* advice or tips about refurbished engined would be welcome.
- Jim
| James P. H. Fuller, director Stable Isotope Laboratory |
| Institute of Ecology |
| j...@legato.ecology.uga.edu University of Georgia |
| jfu...@sparrow.ecology.uga.edu Athens, GA U.S.A. |
Ian Novinger
>I installed a rebuilt engine I bought at Pep Boys back in April. So
>far I have about 400 miles short of 20,000 miles on it, not problems
>(knock on wood). Be prepared to spend a couple hundred extra on little
>things to do the job right (hoses, belts, RTV, little Jeep only part
>you broke,...). Pep Boys uses the same big name vendor of reman engines
>many other auto parts stores use, Pep Boys just charges less than most
>stores.
>
I will second the Pep Boys price thing. I got a Chevy 350 from
them this summer for my plow truck and it has allready made me
the money back and is running strong. They were about 300-500
cheeper then everyone else and came with a 18month unlimited
mileage warrenty. I figure I will beat it all winter and that
will let me know how well it is going to hold up. :)
Ian
Terry Howe
>wagon. Do any readers of this group have any experiences, recommenda-
>tions or war stories about remanufactured engines? Pep Boys sells 'em,
>Sears sells 'em, lots of folks sell 'em. Are they any good? Is any
>vendor known to be better (or worse) than the rest?
>
> I'm particularly looking for a Jeep 258-cid straight six, but *any* advice o
>r tips about refurbished engined would be welcome.
I installed a rebuilt engine I bought at Pep Boys back in April. So
far I have about 400 miles short of 20,000 miles on it, not problems
(knock on wood). Be prepared to spend a couple hundred extra on little
things to do the job right (hoses, belts, RTV, little Jeep only part
you broke,...). Pep Boys uses the same big name vendor of reman engines
many other auto parts stores use, Pep Boys just charges less than most
stores.
--
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Terry L. Howe '81 CJ-7 te...@bcappd1.att.com |
| Rocky Hill, N.J. 08553 http://hertz.njit.edu/~txh3202/jeep.html |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------+
Jerry Steele
>From: j...@legato.ecology.uga.edu
>Subject: Experiences of remanufactured engines?
>Date: 16 Jan 1996 15:50:54 GMT
> I am all of a sudden :-( looking for a new engine for a big old Jeep
>wagon. Do any readers of this group have any experiences, recommenda-
>tions or war stories about remanufactured engines? Pep Boys sells 'em,
>Sears sells 'em, lots of folks sell 'em. Are they any good? Is any
>vendor known to be better (or worse) than the rest?
> I'm particularly looking for a Jeep 258-cid straight six, but *any* advice or tips about refurbished engined would be welcome.
> - Jim
>| James P. H. Fuller, director Stable Isotope Laboratory |
>| Institute of Ecology |
>| j...@legato.ecology.uga.edu University of Georgia |
>| jfu...@sparrow.ecology.uga.edu Athens, GA U.S.A. |
I've bought a half dozen engines at salvage yards over the last 10 years with
zero problems. Most advocates of rebuilt engines admonish me: "You never know
what you're getting!". Maybe they're right but I have no way of knowing.
On the other hand, a friend last year bought an engine from Spartan Engine
rebuilders in Phoenix. Had a head gasket coolant leak immediately upon
starting.
Most of these engine rebuilders are assembly lines of minimum wage or
thereabouts workers. If I ever have an engine rebuilt I think I would go to a
small independent shop where the guy who owns the shop either does or keeps a
close eye on the job. Even better, I'll do it myself except for specialized
stuff like boring, valve job, etc. I'll at least assemble the parts myself.
Just my experiences.
James P. H. Fuller
SUMMARY: REMANUFACTURED ENGINES
Thanks very much to everyone who shared their experiences and advice
about the value of remanufactured engines and the advantages and dangers
of getting one.
I wrote:
> I am all of a sudden :-( looking for a new engine for a big old Jeep
> wagon. Do any readers of this group have any experiences, recommenda-
> tions or war stories about remanufactured engines? Pep Boys sells 'em,
> Sears sells 'em, lots of folks sell 'em. Are they any good? Is any
> vendor known to be better (or worse) than the rest?
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: te...@bcappd1.mt.att.com (Terry Howe)
Date: 17 Jan 1996 04:59:13 GMT
I installed a rebuilt engine I bought at Pep Boys back in April. So
far I have about 400 miles short of 20,000 miles on it, not problems
(knock on wood). Be prepared to spend a couple hundred extra on little
things to do the job right (hoses, belts, RTV, little Jeep only part
you broke,...). Pep Boys uses the same big name vendor of reman engines
many other auto parts stores use, Pep Boys just charges less than most
stores.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Ian Novinger <ia...@ix.netcom.com>
I will second the Pep Boys price thing. I got a Chevy 350 from
them this summer for my plow truck and it has allready made me
the money back and is running strong. They were about 300-500
cheeper then everyone else and came with a 18month unlimited
mileage warrenty. I figure I will beat it all winter and that
will let me know how well it is going to hold up. :)
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: drco...@cacd.rockwell.com (DUANE R COOLEY)
Personally I would not touch a reman engine. You haven't a clue what was
done to it. Find a good engine shop. The local racers ought to be able
to point in the right direction. Unless the current engine has a hole in
it rebuild the thing.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: jst...@azstarnet.com (Jerry Steele)
I've bought a half dozen engines at salvage yards over the last 10 years with
zero problems. Most advocates of rebuilt engines admonish me: "You never know
what you're getting!". Maybe they're right but I have no way of knowing.
On the other hand, a friend last year bought an engine from Spartan Engine
rebuilders in Phoenix. Had a head gasket coolant leak immediately upon
starting.
Most of these engine rebuilders are assembly lines of minimum wage or
thereabouts workers. If I ever have an engine rebuilt I think I would go to a
small independent shop where the guy who owns the shop either does or keeps a
close eye on the job. Even better, I'll do it myself except for specialized
stuff like boring, valve job, etc. I'll at least assemble the parts myself.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: ro...@ix.netcom.com (Ron Pettitt)
> I'm particularly looking for a Jeep 258-cid straight six, but *any*
> advice or tips about refurbished engined would be welcome.
Yea stay the hell away from Dr Motorworx. I have personal experience
with them. Having big problems with one of there engines. I have heard
that Jasper engines are good (now they tell me). They have a web page
(go to Lycos and do a search, I don't have there URL).
Dr Motorworx is a franchise like MacD's (Mac Engines)
Make sure you read the warranty FIRST before buying. If for any reason
the engine fails they are not responsible for towing,car
rental,ect...Only the repair. I found out the hard way 3 times in 3
months.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: Mark C Olson <ols...@adc.com>
Go to the auto parts jobbers who sell to the independent garages in
your area and ask them who they get their rebuilt engines from. You
will probably find that you only have to talk to 4 or 5 shops before
you know who sells the best engines. Or ask around at the independent
garages directly. Whatever you do, avoid the cheap ones like the plague.
Of course, you can't go wrong buying OEM rebuilts but you will definitely
pay more than average for that kind of peace of mind. I paid about $1100
for the 2.5l in my '86 Century from a well-regarded machine shop that has
been in business for 50 years. I could have paid less than half that for
a rebuilt from one of the low-ball places. No thanks.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From ga...@sonic.net Fri Jan 19 03:15:07 1996
God amighty, STAY AWAY FROM PEP BOYS!! They're a low buck discounter that
buys from the lowest bidder. (Pep Boys contracts for their engines from
local rebuilders) Any problems and they will probbably say "Here's the
engine rebuilder's phone number, you work it out.
If you need to have an engine rebuilt, the best place would be a shop that
doesn't object if you talk to some of their customers. Also, having the
same shop that rebuilds the engine, install it if possible. Having to
remove an engine for warranty work is a real hassle.
I've bought 3 engines from salvage yards, and have been very happy with
all. I bought 1 from pep boys, and it was junk, their service was
worthless, worse than their knowledge of what they were selling. Meaning
"Not a Clue!"
BTW, are you absolutly set on the 6 cyl? I have a '73 waggonner with the
360 V8, and it runs pretty strong. Not a monster by any means, but I've
towed another waggoneer at 50 mph, gets about 14-16 mpg, and works great in
all kinds of weather. I've heard the 6's are a bit weak. If you're
replacing the engine and need/want a bit more than the 258, the 360's are
fairly easy to find used.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: jnu...@pclink.com (John Nutter)
I put a rebuilt 258 in my CJ7 last summer when my #2 piston shattered. It was
rebuilt by PDQ in Dulth Mn and sold to me by a local wrecking yard. The oil
pressure in this engine is at 15lb at hot idle and 35-40 during freeway
cruising when hot. Not great and not cause for alarm. The power feels better
than my old engine, but it should since the old one had 120,000 miles. I have
over 11,000 miles on it now, and I feel that it is an OK but not great engine.
On the other hand I have preformed junkyard transplants and gotten just as
good of results. The two junkyard transplants I did were a slant six into a
Dart and a straight six into a Camaro. It was about 10 years ago that I did
these, the Dodge engine was free and the Chevy cost $150. I would have gone
for a junkyard engine for my Jeep but I couldn't find any '81 or newer to
match my manifolds, plumbing, and brackets. I would go for a junkyard engine
if you can find a good one. Any place that puts a tag on the engine with
compression readings and oil pressure should be ok to buy from. Even if you
end up with a bad engine you will probably be out only about $150. I found a
258 last summer for $150 but it was out of a 76 pacer.
----------------------------------------------------------------
From: soodoloo <lou...@polaris.net>
Worked in auto industry for ten years and have heard mixed reviews of
(pep boys, sears, j.c. whitney, etc...) engines. I might suggest that
you call a local rebuilder, ask for a few references and go that route.
Also, try calling the jeep dealer, those engines may still be availible
and I have priced 6 cyl. G.M. engines (for example) at about $1800. It
may sound like alot but it comes (often) with a three year, unlimited
milage warranty.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks once again to everyone who responded!
| James P. H. Fuller, director Stable Isotope Laboratory |
| Institute of Ecology |
| j...@legato.ecology.uga.edu University of Georgia |
| j...@ash.ecology.uga.edu Athens, GA U.S.A. |
terry...@gmail.com
Hi Jim;
Some of the dealers that sell used car parts that I know are www.hiperformer.com, ebay, usedcarparts.com etc online web stores that deal with used auto parts. Always buy used engines with a warranty and genuine OEM assured on each purchase.