What Are Replacement Engines and When to Buy One?

Gone are the days when people had to travel on the back of horses, camels and donkeys to move from one place to the other. And this process used to span over days or even months. However, tables have turned now and human beings are living in the age of automation. Technology is taking over every single dimension and has brought forth many fruits for the whole mankind and automobile industry is no exception.

Starting from the tree logs as wheels to the artificial intelligence enabled tyres, there has been an astounding advancement in the auto field. Cars are revolutionized from what they used to be and now offer a hell lot of new features to their drivers and passengers. And since the cars dance to the engine’s tune, they have also seen a lot of improvement and there is a whole range of engine varieties each laden with different latest technologies.

However, doesn’t matter if the engines run on diesel or gas and look perfect, there comes a time when their performance and efficiency start diminishing and they start showing the signs of wear and tear. An unfortunate crash or accident can also lead towards the same fate. In such a state of affairs, it becomes an uphill task to take a decision.

One of the most common solutions to this problem is the engine replacement. There are four common types of replacement engines listed as under:

  • Remanufactured or Reconditioned Engines
  • Rebuilt Engines
  • Used Engines
  • Crate or New Engines

But, wait, let’s pump the breaks Replacement Engines. Before defining the types of replacement engines one by one, let us get you the concept of the replacement engines and why they become a necessity in certain scenarios. Let’s get started into replacement engines:

Vehicle Engine Replacement

Car engine replacement is the act of replacing a faulty original engine with a reconditioned, used or rebuilt engine. Usually replacement engines are fashioned as the aftermarket parts or as the copies of engines whose production halted long ago.

It is not a rare occurrence to see the installation of a replacement engines in some classic car.  Replacement engines enable theses old cars to become more consistent and in turn trustworthy.

Replacement engines offer the buyers the following perks:

  • They extend vehicle’s life
  • Save a lot of bucks
  • Help you avoid anxiety of buying a new vehicle
  • Performance and efficiency on par with new engine
  • No tax
  • No license fees
  • No insurance expenses

When to Get a Replacement Engine?

This question can be quite confusing to many of us since in case of the failure of the genuine engine of our vehicles, we become hesitant to experimenting. Those who have already used replacement engine or know significantly about their utility, do not hesitate a bit. But those who pass through this phase for the first time do get all jumbled up.

Therefore, deciding the perfect time to substitute an engine is critical to the vehicle’s life. In order to deal with this problem and to provide a significant insight, there are two approaches the auto experts suggest. One is a reactive approach and the other is a proactive approach.

According the reactive approach, engine should only be replaced in case of damage or failure.  This concept is followed by many vehicle owners and fleet managers. And in the meanwhile, they keep servicing the engine after specific intervals. This approach helps saving money and keep the engines in shape for long. Their concept is that because you cannot predict the actual age of any engine, this is no less than a folly to replace the engine while it is still performing.

On the contrary, the people from proactive school of thought are of the view that engines should be replaced beforehand so that one does not have to face engine failure at once. They keep in check the proposed expiry date of the engine and their daily mileage. Some are also in  favour of replacing the engine after covering a fixed number of miles.

The proactive approach can save you from double cost, tension, schedule revisits and restlessness. It is opposite in the case of reactive approach. It depends solely on which approach appeals you the most and suits your needs.

Is Vehicle Replacement A Better Option Than Engine Replacement?

In case of engine failure, some people think of replacing the whole vehicle instead of the engine. They think that since engine is the heart of vehicle, it will be of no use keeping a heartless or replaced heart car. However, it is not a child’s play to change the vehicle as it costs a lot of money. And in case you’re a fleet manager, replacing all the cars will not be a good idea for the finances of your company as it can go bankrupt.

Therefore, the facility of replacement engines come handy in such a state of affairs. Before the idea of vehicle replacement get you by the short hairs, consider about replacement engine first. Replacement engine is a pocket-friendly choice and can save you thousands of bucks.

For a company with an automobile fleet consisting of luxury cars, replacing them would be an uphill task. For example, a Range Rover vehicle replacement would cost the company at least £40,000 ($53,100), whereas a reconditioned Range Rover engine would not cost more than £15,000 ($19,910) at max. For a company with a fleet of 25 or more cars, we leave the calculation for you.

Next week, read part 2 in this guest series for the NMA called How to Buy a Replacement Engine.

Anthony Arnold has been in automotive industry for years. He specialises in car engines and loves to share his experiences online in different blogs and articles.

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