Are vans with rebuilt engines good buys?

[offroad]

Can a testing company like this help check an engines before purchase? http://www.blackstone-labs.com

Even wonder about putting the vehicle on a dynamometer machine.

 

[jamesdak]

Boy, I hope so. I just bought an old 1981 Dodge B250 that's on it's 3rd engine. Had a dealer replaced 318 early on and then a 360 put in it later, new tranny too. In my case I got all the paperwork on these actions as well as a bunch of other records. Essentially years and years of maintenance records so I could see all the parts that have been changed over the years. That combined with a cheap price made it a good deal to me. Still a bit of a gamble I guess but time will tell. So far it seems in pretty good shape and I've spent way less than I figured to getting it ready to go anywhere safely and reliably.

As everyone say, it can be good or bad. If you can validate the quality of the work then you should feel pretty safe going this route.

 

[SoulRaven]

The original engine failed due to high mileage use or abuse.

Not necessarily.

My van is an '86 Chevy G20 that had had its engine recently replaced when I got it. The story behind it is that Jiffy Lube did an oil change and accidentally left the tray out, so while freeway driving the engine suddenly lost all its oil and was ruined. The previous owners hassled Jiffy about it and got a free brand new engine as a result. I actually have the paperwork of a completely new engine ordered and installed. The van had been used only rarely since then. Every mechanic who's looked at it has exclaimed "that engine is brand new! Like, actually new!" Good stuff.

Unfortunately, whoever installed it set the timing wrong, which caused issues all down the line. I had paperwork of a brand new starter installed about 18 months ago, only to have a mechanic tell me the actual manufacturing date on the current starter was something like February of last year. I had to replace the starter yet again, but because the mechanic who installed it for me didn't fix the timing issue it broke that brand new starter. So I got another starter. That's 4 starter replacements in less than 3 years, all because the people who replaced the engine did not get the timing correct.

The notion is that it's fixed now. Hopefully?? I couldn't afford to replace the damaged flywheel at the same time so the new starter isn't warrantied. Personally I could have done without that stress, y'know?

On the bright side, this baby hasn't needed an oil change yet. People who've been teaching me mechanical stuff are surprised.

My vehicle hasn't been reliable. Though extremely well maintained with records as long as your arm and not driven much, so far each month it's cost me at least a few hundred in unexpected repairs just to keep going and I've needed 2 tows. First it was the master brake head cylinder, then the starter/engine issue + battery replacement, then two tires went out on me in one day despite everyone having told me the tires on it were in really good shape and should last me a while. The mechanics keep telling me my van should be good to go from here on out and I keep hoping they're right.

Two different mechanics missed the timing issue, so just because a mechanic gives the all-clear doesn't mean the vehicle is going to work out.

Get newer if at all possible. Reliability is what I most needed and so far it's been what I don't have, though people keep telling me it's going to happen. I'm waiting...

 

[cdiggy]

All depends. A lot of rebuild companies rebuilds are crappy with crap parts installed in a crappy manner. Others are good. It's a crap shoot. Pun intended!

 

[Janet100]

This thread has been very educational. I do see the point of saving more $$ and buying a newer van with less mileage now. It's easy to purchase someone else's problems. We really need to have a mechanic run through it carefully before buying.

And it explains why I see so many vans for sale with 120K-130K miles on them.

 

[MK7]

This all depends. Is the seller asking for $1000 more than the same year, make, model and odometer reading of other used vans just because his claims to be rebuilt? $2000 more? $3000 more?

Or is it the same price or within a few hundred dollars? I bet he's not asking that much more, just a few hundreds. So what's the big deal here? Unless there's some crazy sound or crap, I'd rather take the old ass van with the claimed, rebuilt motor over the old ass van with the original motor, if they're both about the same price. Unless I'm an awesome mechanic and can look for stuff, it's going to be a crap shoot either way.

 

[Bandit2]

When we bought our 2000 Dodge 3500 Maxi Window Van in 2009 with 124,000 on it , it had a brand new 360 cu. in. " Long Block " from a Dodge dealer in Texas , along with a new radiator plus a lot more that only had 24,000 mi. on it .
Compliments of a Quick Change Lube Oil Company Chain , that had been billing the traveling rock band from Boston for regular services ( like full cooling systems flushes and oil changes ) and " Not Doing Anything " . Unfortunately for them , this band was under contract with a record label with a room full of " Sharks " = ( attorneys ) .

Our biggest expense before departing on our 9 week trip from Boston to Ca. Az. and Nm. was having the van cleaned and detailed to get rid of the " Funny Smell " .
A good thing too , as we went through 5 check points out there .
Bob

 

[wagoneer]

J would feel good about the fact they are telling you about the rebuild. Ask who rebuilt. Personally have had good luck with re-builds.

 

[cdiggy]

I have a p30 step van with 365,000 miles. It is probably on its 3rd motor but I can't be for certain. I bought it off my friend who is the second owner. He had a Jasper rebuilt motor in it and has about 30,000 on it. It is toast and needs another motor. Now granted it is a one ton truck and jasper probably put in a 'two bolt main' medium duty motor when it needed a '4 bolt main'. All motors are not the same. I just bought a donor truck for the motor and wiring harness (long story, upgrading to fuel injection). The donor truck is a 89 Chevy suburban with 109,000 on it. Because it is a factory motor and heavy duty I should see 60,000 miles on it before I need to replace it again. Anyway my point is you never know. Factor in the guy who rebuilt the motor, the quality (standard duty, heavy duty) of the motor and then the mechanic who installed the thing and you pretty much have your answer. It is a crap shoot. A good motor rebuilt properly and installed properly and your most likely good to go. But there is always risk.

 

[gojo]

Back in 1994, I bot a 1988 chev.pick-up with 4.3 V6. It had over 150,000 miles on it. I got it at a good price because it had a lot of blow- by on the cyl. rings. I went to a salvage yard in San Antonio and bot a engine with little over 25,000 miles , from a 1991 pick-up that was rear-ended, for $750. I got over 200,000 mile on that engine with no problems.