How to Tell If It’s Time for an Engine
Rebuild
Most people have heard of an engine rebuild
but not as many really know what a rebuilt engine really is or what is done
when an engine is rebuilt. Engines are rebuilt for a variety of reasons. In
this article, we will take a look at why engines are rebuilt, what is done to
rebuild an engine, and some signs that your car might benefit from a rebuild.
Reasons for a Rebuild
There are two main reasons people choose to
rebuild an engine: wear to engine bearings, and poorly seating piston rings.
The moving parts of the engine (such and the crankshaft, rods and pistons) are
mounted on bearings that allow them to move freely. These bearings are
lubricated by engine oil. Bearings are built to last many thousands of miles,
but they do experience wear after time. This wear is accelerated exponentially
when a vehicle is poorly maintained and is run on low oil levels or the oil
change schedule isn’t properly followed.
What’s Done during an Engine Rebuild
When an engine is rebuilt, a few basic
things are done to restore it to good working condition. First, the “short
block” or lower half of the engine is removed and sent to an automotive
machine shop. At the shop it is disassembled and cleaned so that the condition
of the block can be properly assessed. Depending on the condition of the
internal parts of the engine, the piston rings, bearings and sometimes the
pistons themselves are replaced. The internal surfaces of the cylinders are
also reconditioned to ensure that the new piston rings can form a proper seal
with the cylinder walls. Finally, the engine is reassembled and installed back
in the vehicle. Often the cylinder head is also reconditioned at the same time.
Signs You May Need a Rebuild
There are some frequently seen signs that a
rebuild may be necessary for your engine. The most common sign is oil
consumption and excessive white smoke in the exhaust, especially when the
engine is cold. This is normally a sign of worn piston rings. More extreme
signs could be metal shavings in the engine oil (a common sign of dangerously
worn bearings) and “knocking” or “chattering” from the
engine bearings.
How to Evaluate Engine Rebuild Kits
Engine rebuild kits are a subject of some
controversy in the automotive repair field. They are packaged and sold both by
manufacturers, such as Sealed Power, and by individual parts wholesalers. The
purpose of the kits is twofold. First, is to enable the buyer to obtain all
needed parts at a reduced price. Second, is to force the buyer to obtain all
needed parts from the same source. This means that all of the profit will go to
the seller of the kit.
A Beginner’s Guide to Engine Rebuilding
At a certain time in your life, especially
if you are a car guy or gal, you may find the need to rebuild an engine, and
there are many reasons why you might discover this. You may want your engine to
perform like, or better than, the day it rolled out from the factory or maybe
you are just curious about what actually happens inside of an engine. Whatever your
reasons are for tearing apart your engine you still might wonder how you should
go about disassembling your engine. If you have never torn apart an engine
before, or taken apart hundreds of engines, this is the guide for you. In this
instructable, I will be covering my first ever engine rebuild and the steps I
took to make my engine good as new. I hope that you find this instructable
helpful and I hope that your engine rebuild goes well. Now let’s get started
tearing apart that engine.
Research and Planning
Before you go tearing apart an engine it is
very important to research and plan out the engine rebuild. There are many
questions you should ask yourself before rebuilding an engine. What kind of
engine do I want to rebuild? What kind of performance do I need out of the
engine? How much do I have to spend on this project? How much time do I have to
rebuild the engine? For my rebuild, I chose a classic American V8 engine and I
just need it to perform as a stock engine. I would like to have the rebuild completed
in less than six months.
Engine & Accessory Removal/Labeling
System
Alright, time to get to the disassembly of
the engine. If your engine is already in a car you will need to use an engine
hoist to remove it from the engine bay. Then it can be placed on an engine
stand. I will not cover that here because it is different for every car. I
purchased my engine outside of a car locally on Craig’s List. I used a
come-along puller and the trusses of my garage to hoist my engine onto an
engine stand.
After securing my engine onto my engine
stand I took off all of the accessories (alternator, water pump, air
conditioning compressor, and power steering pump), pulleys, and the accessory
brackets. I will include pictures of my accessories being removed but refer to
your Haynes manual or other resources for information on how to remove your
accessories.
Top End Removal (Valve Covers, Carburetor,
Intake, Distributor, & Valley Pan)
It’s time to really start the disassembly
of your engine. For this section of disassembly we will remove the valve
covers, carburetor, intake distributor, and valley pan, so let’s get to it.
Start off by removing the two or more bolts holding on your carburetor to your
intake manifold. The engine I purchased did not include a carburetor, so I
skipped this step. Next, I will remove the valve covers by removing the four
bolts on each valve cover. I will label and bag those bolts and remove the
valve covers.
HOW TO CHOOSE AN ENGINE REBUILD KIT
An engine rebuild is a large and expensive
job, and choosing the right kit can seem a daunting task. There are a lot of
kits for sale, and they may all seem similar but vary greatly in price. Knowing
the difference between the various engine rebuild kits will help you shop with
confidence, knowing you’re getting the right parts for the job at hand
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN IN-FRAME,
OUT-OF-FRAME, AND RE-RING ENGINE REBUILD KITS
A lot of customers that call in and want to
rebuild their engine simply say they need a rebuild kit. Usually, we guess that
they want a standard inframe rebuild kit, as that is the most common kit sold.
However, there are several levels of rebuild kits to use, based on the state of
the parts in the engine and the engine’s OEM. Another important thing to note
that can confuse a lot of people, is that ”overhaul kit” is often used
synonymously with “rebuild kit,” but it can also specifically mean
“out-of-frame kit.” To avoid confusion with the term “overhaul,” we use
“rebuild” instead. Also, please keep in mind that this article contains only
the general components for these engine kits. For content lists specific to the
kit you need, be sure to check the product’s page on our website, or call in to
ask one of our parts techs.
RE-RING ENGINE REBUILD KITS
The re-ring kit is the smallest rebuild
kit. It is one of the least time consuming ways to rebuild your engine, but it
assumes that your pistons are reusable. Evaluate the condition of your other
engine components before choosing to order a re-ring kit.
RE-RING KIT CONTENTS
Re-ring kits generally contain cylinder
liners (if used in the application), piston rings, connecting rod bearings,
main bearings, thrust washers (if used in the application), a cylinder head
gasket set, and an oil pan gasket set. The big thing to pay attention to is
that re-ring rebuild kits do not include pistons. Sometimes, you may see kits
labeled as “pistonless” or “without pistons”—those are re-ring kits. The term
re-ring comes from the fact that, even though the pistons in an engine are
being reused, the rings should be replaced while you’re pulling them from the
cylinder. Therefore, you need to re-ring the old piston. You can see a couple
examples of re-ring kits here and here to compare how exact contents differ
between engines.
CHOOSING A RE-RING KIT
A re-ring kit is for people that need to
refresh their engine with a rebuild, but still have pistons that are in good
condition. All of the more wearable components get replaced, such as rings,
bearings, and gaskets. If the pistons are still good, they do not necessarily
need to be replaced. This can save a lot of money, in both parts and labor.
Labor expense is saved because this type of rebuild can be done while keeping
the engine in the chassis.
Engine Rebuilding or Replacement – Which Is
Right for Your Car?
When engine troubles get serious, your car
is down for the count. You have only two options – you can choose to have your
engine rebuilt, or you can replace it completely. Which is right for your
needs? Both options offer you the ability to get back on the road, but they’re
not the same. Let’s take a closer look.
Rebuilding – Rebuilding an engine is
exactly what it sounds like. In this instance, your old engine is pulled out of
the car, and the damaged parts are replaced. Any components that are still in
operating condition are not usually replaced, but are reused once more.
Replacement – Engine replacement can
involve replacing your engine with one of two different options. You can choose
a used engine, or a crate engine.
Used engines are exactly what you think
they are. They’re taken from donor vehicles (often wrecked, but with little to
no front-end damage). They’re in operational condition, but that’s usually all
you know for sure.
A crate engine is basically a
remanufactured engine. This is different from a rebuilt engine in that the
engine is torn down completely. All components are replaced, and the housing is
machined back into OEM tolerance. It’s as close to a “new” engine as you can
get on the market. Even engines marked as new are really remanufactured/crate
engines.
Your warranty will play a role in what type
of engine you choose. Some extended warranty companies will only cover used
engines or engine rebuilding, while others will cover engine replacement with a
crate engine.
The most important thing is to ensure that
you’re working with a reputable Weston, Florida mechanic shop that offers
engine rebuilding and replacement. Not all mechanic shops offer this service,
so choose your provider with care.
Tips To Successfully Buying A Used Engine
If you’re in the market for a used or
rebuilt engine, it’s fair to assume that it’s because you’ve either pushed your
engine to its limits and damaged it beyond repair, or want to perform an engine
swap for performance gains or another reason. Regardless of your situation,
buying a used engine can be a great solution, but it is also important to not
get caught with a lemon, because nobody has time (or the spare money) for that.
We’ve consulted with an expert in the field and come up with 12 killer tips to
ensure your engine-buying process is a success.
There isn’t a universal set of rules that
govern how to inspect a used engine prior to purchase, as every mechanic or
shop has their own theories and methods. Our friends at Ichiban JDM—importers
of Japanese engines and transmissions— have shared some pointers that will come
in handy to protect yourself from purchasing a problematic used engine. Private
Sellers vs. Certified Engine SuppliersWe wondered whether there is a difference
between buying an engine from a private seller on the internet or Craigslist
versus purchasing one from an established supplier.“Professional engine
suppliers like Ichiban JDM purchase engines first-hand so we know exactly where
they come from. Our parent company, based in Nagoya, Japan, logs a vehicle’s
mileage, then conducts full diagnostics on the engine prior to pulling it out.
Once the engine touches down at our LA headquarters, we test the engine once
more to make sure it’s ready to sell,” says Chris Ankor, general manager of
Ichiban JDM
“Most professional engine shops stand
behind the engines they sell with a 30-day startup warranty, as opposed to
buying from a private party who insists you meet at some gas station because he
or she doesn’t want you to know where they live,” says Ankor.“Nine out of ten
times, these guys are selling engines pulled from some wrecking yard, or
cobbled together using random pieces, with full intentions of trying to flip
them for an easy profit without actually knowing their true running condition.”
At one time or another we’ve all witnessed
or heard about some buyer who visually inspects an engine, then pulls an
impulse buy because it looks clean, but doesn’t bother to test it because they
lack the proper tools. Those are the same guys that end up getting hosed with
an engine that’s only good enough to be used as a coffee table.
Ankor says, “We all like to think that
people are honest but that’s not always the case. When you’re buying an engine
from a stranger you’ve never met before, you’re taking a risk. You don’t know
if the engine is good, if it’s going to be smoking, or even healthy enough to
fire up. That’s a chance that many are willing to take, but honestly, why take
the gamble? The most important thing is to protect yourself and go through the
process of testing an engine before making a purchase.”