Good luck with rebuilt motors?
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DC Fuse
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I had my motor in my RV rebuilt @ a Ford dealer in California.
Nationwide 3 years/36,000 miles warranty was the deciding factor for me.(parts and labor)
I would check their offered warranty where ever i bought. The longer that is tells me they will do it right the first time and if not i'm covered.
Does the rebuilder use OEM parts or not?
I've seen motors priced @ half of what i paid @ the chain parts stores and you have to wonder w/a 1 year warranty just how well it will hold up.
Nationwide 3 years/36,000 miles warranty was the deciding factor for me.(parts and labor)
I would check their offered warranty where ever i bought. The longer that is tells me they will do it right the first time and if not i'm covered.
Does the rebuilder use OEM parts or not?
I've seen motors priced @ half of what i paid @ the chain parts stores and you have to wonder w/a 1 year warranty just how well it will hold up.
D
Donedirtcheap
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Never bought from an auto parts store but have bought from Jasper and a couple rebuilders with good reputations. The other half of the equation is finding a good installer and the customer needs to be smart enough to not balk at the necessary items that need to be replaced when the the engine goes in. I have seen a 350 Chevy destroyed.
The guy that installed it didn't replace the water pump or any of the hoses. It was our bosses wife's car. It blew the bypass hose late one night and she had a couple kids in the car with her so she drove until it quit. Seen a Ford pick up with a rebuilt engine and they reused the block mounted fuel pump. It fed it enough fuel to run but diluted the oil and started knocking. You would think that the babbit on the rods would be gone and scored. The babbit was worn but not terrible looking but it ate deeply into the crank. Maybe that's what happened to the first engine? The amazing thing is that it still needed a fuel pump when the next engine went in. Go figure.
The guy that installed it didn't replace the water pump or any of the hoses. It was our bosses wife's car. It blew the bypass hose late one night and she had a couple kids in the car with her so she drove until it quit. Seen a Ford pick up with a rebuilt engine and they reused the block mounted fuel pump. It fed it enough fuel to run but diluted the oil and started knocking. You would think that the babbit on the rods would be gone and scored. The babbit was worn but not terrible looking but it ate deeply into the crank. Maybe that's what happened to the first engine? The amazing thing is that it still needed a fuel pump when the next engine went in. Go figure.
highdesertranger
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rebuilt engines are only as good as the parts they use. that said the major auto parts stores use sub standard parts on their rebuilds, so they can rebuild at the highest profit margin. a certain number of failures are figured in to the profit margin. btw they don't actually rebuild the engines, that job is subcontracted out to the lowest bidder. I don't know about dodge and ford but gm does not do rebuilds, the engines you get from them are brand new. the last time I checked a 350ci went for $1775.00. so I could write on this subject for pages and pages but I will not. the most important thing is to trust the shop/person doing the install. when a new/rebuilt engine is installed everything that goes with the engine should be replaced. all hoses, water pump, radiator, complete tune up, starter, fuel system, pump, carb/fuel injectors rebuilt, all sensors, etc, etc. if you do this whole system rebuild on everything thing in your vehicle, you will enjoy years of trouble free service. this is what I do on older vehicles makes them like new. highdesertranger
SternWake
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I had my engine rebuilt.
They put new roller lifters on the old cam. I replaced both myself afterward
They used steel freeze plugs, not brass. I've had to replace 2 already and can hear the others ticking.
When I first picked it up power and MPG was crap. They kept trying to tell me it was my transmission. I insisted they recheck the timing, it was set at 0 instead of 10 BTDC. After twisting the distributor it was normal. Same transmission 35k miles later. no issues.
I don't really have much confidence in the quality of the rebuild, but I have 35K miles on it now. It burns very little oil, and has more than adequate oil pressure using 0w-30. Couple noises I don't like though. but I'm a bit A. retentive like that.
Kind of wish I bought a higher end remanufactured engine and had it installed instead
They put new roller lifters on the old cam. I replaced both myself afterward
They used steel freeze plugs, not brass. I've had to replace 2 already and can hear the others ticking.
When I first picked it up power and MPG was crap. They kept trying to tell me it was my transmission. I insisted they recheck the timing, it was set at 0 instead of 10 BTDC. After twisting the distributor it was normal. Same transmission 35k miles later. no issues.
I don't really have much confidence in the quality of the rebuild, but I have 35K miles on it now. It burns very little oil, and has more than adequate oil pressure using 0w-30. Couple noises I don't like though. but I'm a bit A. retentive like that.
Kind of wish I bought a higher end remanufactured engine and had it installed instead
One winter morning I was watering plants while my GMC Safari van was warming up before work. I didn't hear anything happening but it had quit running. It had locked up tight and I suspect maybe the oil pump had quit and caused all the problems.
The good repair shops wanted $4500 or so that I did not have to replace with rebuilt and van was not worth that. But I liked my van.
I ordered a Jasper motor direct and they had to deliver it to one of there dealers (Car Quest I think) for around $1300.00. I rented a motor lift to get it off the delivery truck and to take my motor out. Also bought a motor stand.
I really am not a very good mechanic. I bought both the Haynes and Chiltons manuals and managed getting the old motor out. Took the old manifold I think it was called and had it cleaned. Transferred everything to the new block (with some minimal amount of new parts).
The main problem I had was when I labeled wires and whatever removed with masking tape and I guess disappearing ink. Luckily wires tended to kinda grow in the directions toward where they were supposed to go.
When I finally turned the key it surprised the hell out of me when it started running and sounded great.
The Jasper motor was great with plenty of power although might have ben couple miles per gallon less fuel consumption.
I had that van 22 years. Hell at the time it was older than my daughter. I had been wanting a 4x4 truck and when the transmission starting slipping bad and got a hole in the fuel tank at the same time I sold it for scrap.
Sorry to be so long winded this is supposed to be about motors but I loved that little van. Hopefully my Express with a lot more room will have some good adventures.
Jasper motors used to be very good.
A SEEKER
The good repair shops wanted $4500 or so that I did not have to replace with rebuilt and van was not worth that. But I liked my van.
I ordered a Jasper motor direct and they had to deliver it to one of there dealers (Car Quest I think) for around $1300.00. I rented a motor lift to get it off the delivery truck and to take my motor out. Also bought a motor stand.
I really am not a very good mechanic. I bought both the Haynes and Chiltons manuals and managed getting the old motor out. Took the old manifold I think it was called and had it cleaned. Transferred everything to the new block (with some minimal amount of new parts).
The main problem I had was when I labeled wires and whatever removed with masking tape and I guess disappearing ink. Luckily wires tended to kinda grow in the directions toward where they were supposed to go.
When I finally turned the key it surprised the hell out of me when it started running and sounded great.
The Jasper motor was great with plenty of power although might have ben couple miles per gallon less fuel consumption.
I had that van 22 years. Hell at the time it was older than my daughter. I had been wanting a 4x4 truck and when the transmission starting slipping bad and got a hole in the fuel tank at the same time I sold it for scrap.
Sorry to be so long winded this is supposed to be about motors but I loved that little van. Hopefully my Express with a lot more room will have some good adventures.
Jasper motors used to be very good.
A SEEKER
Optimistic Paranoid
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I don't know if GM or Chrysler have similar programs or not, but Ford has a factory remanufactured program. All new original Ford parts are used. The warranty is 3 years/36 months and Ford brags that the warranty even covers commercial vehicles used by fleets. Best of all, the warranty will be honored by any Ford dealer anywhere in the country.
The only downside is that these top-shelf engines go for top-shelf prices.
Regards
John
The only downside is that these top-shelf engines go for top-shelf prices.
Regards
John
Thanks for all the replies. I like my current van and it's not rusty but I'll probably look for a newer model when the time comes for this one to give up the ghost. I guess with the sketchy warranty you might end up with if you don't have a shop install it, a DIYer might end up being screwed. A buddy installed a 350 in his '94 Chevy PU and it's been OK for a year but I just hope he never has to make a claim.
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