The term reconditioned gets thrown around quite a lot these days. There are no shortage of listings where sellers claim their vehicles or engines have been reconditioned, but what does it actually mean?
Generally, in the case of an engine you will find that when someone claims something has been reconditioned it has simply been repaired or a faulty part changed BUT that is not actually reconditioning.
When we refer to our engines we mean completely reconditioned. So, What does a reconditioned engine mean?
Our process is quite comprehensive. All engines are completely stripped down to a bare engine block to determine the cause of any issues found. All engine related failures will leave a sign of what caused the failure.
Some could be a fine as a hair line crack or heat spots which could signal friction or oil pressure issues.
It is important to determine what the root cause of the problem is rather than simply swap out a failed part to avoid the failure reoccurring. In short, a failed lifter caused by low oil pressure can't simply be fixed by replacing the lifter itself without rectifying the oil pressure cause OR a blown head gasket caused by a cracked cylinder head isn't simply rectified by simply replacing the gasket.
The engines go through a complete machining process to including:
Machine the block & cylinder head deck surfaces. This is crucial to ensure a flat surface for cylinder head & head gasket sealing.
Hone the cylinder bores. This ensures all bores are perfectly identical size and surfaced for good piston ring sealing to avoid blow by & compression leaks.
Machining of the main tunnel to ensure all crankshaft journals are identical sized to obtain identical bearing clearances.
Machine the cylinder head combustion chambers, valve seats & guides to ensure the valves seat & seal when closed while operating without friction of the valve stem on the guide & ensuring the chambers have a smooth surface to provide a clean flow of gasses from the chamber though the valves into the ports.
In some cases replacing the cylinder head if cracked.
Machine the crankshaft & conrod journals to ensure smooth bearing surfaces & identical journal sizes for clearances.
The internals of the engine such as the below are also changed:
Pistons & Piston Rings suited to the freshly machined cylinder bore size.
Conrod Bearings, Main Bearings & Cam Bearings all selected to obtain the ideal clearance.
Timing Componentry often upgraded to eliminate failure prone OEM tensioners, stretched chains or worn belts.
Lifters & Valvetrain components
Oiling Systems such as oil pumps, oil pick up seals & plumbing
All engine gaskets & seals
Cylinder head bolts & all other torque to yield bolts (One time use bolts) that are designed to stretch in place when torqued
The engines are all then carefully assembled by one person from start to finish all to their own unique specifications based on the engine.
As you can see the process itself is quite intricate and lengthy which is why the general mechanical workshop would rather simply convince the customer to buy a secondhand engine as their money & interest is tied up in the labor. However, what is best for the workshop may not necessarily be best for the customer.
By not doing all of the above has the engine really been reconditioned? Or is it same conditioned with a few replaced parts to keep it going.
How long does a reconditioned engine last?
Reconditioned engines are built better than OEM standard. By rectifying the failure prone & common fault issues with engines while building them with OEM quality or better than internals you can expect a long-life expectancy out of your reconditioned engine. We have no shortage of commercial customers pushing 300,000 plus km's since having their engines built with no signs of slowing down.
In majority of cases, reconditioning your engine results in your engine being better than brand new. The comparison for this is simple.
Is It Worth Getting A Reconditioned Engine?
Let's weigh up the difference between reconditioning your engine & putting a brand-new engine in the car.
Brand New engines (when they are available) are a great option as they generally come direct from the manufacturer.
The issue with a new replacement issue is that they are potentially riddled with the same common faults as your existing engine. What this means is that depending on how long you are planning to keep the car, you are likely to end up in the same boat.
One of our reconditioned engines eliminates your common failures and provides the same warranty as a new engine.
There is also the debate of cost. In most cases, where replacement engines are still available the cost of a new engine compared to a reconditioned engine is a huge difference. The cost to replace the engine in your V8 Landcruiser is significantly higher than the cost to recondition it. Alternatively, the cost of a new ZD30 Nissan Engine may not be a huge difference however the new engine is still likely to have the same old issues waiting to happen down the track.
In our opinion the peace of mind that comes with a completely reconditioned engine far outweighs the alternatives.
They offer better value for money while mitigating potential issues down the track which results in less ongoing costs & costly maintenance. Combining that with the standard 12-month warranty provided with all engines along with an optional further 3 year extended warranty we are able to offer more assurance to our customers that they are in good hands.