Buying Rebuilt Diesel Engines To Save Money

By Walter Collins


If your car ever suffers a break down a simple repair will often get it back on the road. With a serious failure, the whole motor unit may need replacing and this can often be expensive. A less costly alternative is to search for rebuilt diesel engines rather than buying a brand new manufacturer made power plant for your vehicle.

If your unit is not too badly damaged, replacing the engine block, crank or the head may solve the problem. A factory unit can run into many thousands of dollars, so replacing some of the components could save you money. Replacement spares can range in price and will be dependent on which parts are required to fix the fault.

A qualified engineer will be able to offer you a rebuild and it is advisable to get as many quotes as you can. There are many web based companies who offer this service and most will have power plants ready to fit. In some cases it can be a lot cheaper to buy one of these reconditioned motors and not send in your old one for attention.

For most of the popular cars, a rebuilt diesel unit will vary in price from around 1500 dollars to 6000. A power unit for an old vehicle and rarer cars will be more as they are harder to source and specialist skills are required for the assembly. A motor preservation club and classic vehicle organizations will be happy to help and offer advice on work you plan to do.

If your old unit has to be shipped there are some things to think about such as who will remove it and how you are going to send it. Some amateur mechanics will be able to take out an engine but the better option is to have a trained technician to do this. Specialist tools may be required and the correct lifting gear should be used to avoid any injury.

When you are calculating the cost of shipping engines, bear in mind that crates are charged according to their weight. A large number of firms who work on engines may offer free carriage and this can save a bit of money. Always check that all parts you are sending are correctly packaged in crates and that all of the packages are covered by goods in transit insurance policies.

In some cases after having a unit rebuilt, it will be under a guarantee provided by the engineering company. This will normally be a ten to a hundred thousand miles or three to five years depending on the terms and conditions. If you purchase a rebuilt motor you should be aware that any future work on it will have to be done by the rebuilding firm to maintain the warranty.

Using the option of a rebuild is friendly on your pocket but it can affect the resale value of your vehicle. It is also worth noting that if you wish to enter a car into a show it can be disqualified for not running with its original engine. Your insurers will also need to be told of major changes if they keep your engine serial numbers on file.




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