AutoZone Reman Engine?
- Thread starter JaeDeeSN95
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- Mar 7, 2002
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The thing about parts store engines is that they're built by what's known as a mass-rebuilder.
They take the core they're building from, bore it a predetermined amount, cut the crank a predetermined amount, re-size the rods a predetermined amount, and then assemble it using the parts sourced ahead of time.
When I worked for Advance and Autozone; Recon, Surefire, and Moveras did the reman powertrain. Recon was good. I had one of their engines in my '87 GT from their premium line, but Recon went out of business.
Surefire bores everything .060" over, ships it with the cheapest gasket set they can find, and has an okay warranty. I sold five of their engines myself, had two come back under warranty pretty quickly (Chevy 2.8 and Dodge 4.7 respectively). Their warranty department isn't bad to work with if you have a professional shop doing the install, but DIYers might not be so lucky.
Moveras sucked. 100% failure rate on units I sold.
They take the core they're building from, bore it a predetermined amount, cut the crank a predetermined amount, re-size the rods a predetermined amount, and then assemble it using the parts sourced ahead of time.
When I worked for Advance and Autozone; Recon, Surefire, and Moveras did the reman powertrain. Recon was good. I had one of their engines in my '87 GT from their premium line, but Recon went out of business.
Surefire bores everything .060" over, ships it with the cheapest gasket set they can find, and has an okay warranty. I sold five of their engines myself, had two come back under warranty pretty quickly (Chevy 2.8 and Dodge 4.7 respectively). Their warranty department isn't bad to work with if you have a professional shop doing the install, but DIYers might not be so lucky.
Moveras sucked. 100% failure rate on units I sold.
- Mar 7, 2002
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In your price range they're all going to be pretty similar. I'd probably go with Blueprint myself, as they also build performance engines. (Haven't tried or sold them personally though).
Recon used to build performance engines as well, and Jasper still does, but a Jasper reman is probably out of your price range (Jasper also doesn't sell to the general public, only to shops and dealerships).
Recon used to build performance engines as well, and Jasper still does, but a Jasper reman is probably out of your price range (Jasper also doesn't sell to the general public, only to shops and dealerships).
jozsefsz
15 Year Member
Just another option to think about - there are lots of auto-salvage 5.0's out there (kids like to wreck these). I lean towards doing this myself over buying a reman (definitely with transmissions) especially if I'm not looking for a significant upgrade / race motor. I checked car-part.com (a nationwide junkyard inventory, not a site I'm shilling for) and see lots of used engines, many with significantly less than 100k miles, for the $500-$600 range.
Of course there's risk involved, you can wind up with a lemon with typically a short (30/60/90-day) warranty to return it. If you're installing it yourself, maybe no big deal. If you're paying a shop, probably a pretty big deal. Definitely makes sense to check compression if possible, bore-scope the cylinders with a cheap camera to check wear-ridges and corrosion, check the oil (if it has oil) for contamination or metal particles, change the gaskets you can reach before installing (front and rear main seals, oil pan gasket) and generally be cautious. If it runs / starts and isn't open to the elements, that may be your best bet.
I like the used route over a budget reman for a couple of reasons. Ford built these motors well, especially back in the 90's before it all moved to Mexico or China. The rebuilder may not build them so well, and will certainly be using the least-expensive Chinesium replacement parts (rings / bearings / etc.) they can install. Ones with a decent warranty (>1 year or 12k miles) will cost you. Often more than a good-running, clean '95 SN95 5.0 will sell-for. And if the rest of the car is high-mileage, I tend not to worry about putting a lower-miles used engine into it.
Just something to think about, though the gentlemen above give you some great options to look into if the rebuilt engine is more up your alley.
Of course there's risk involved, you can wind up with a lemon with typically a short (30/60/90-day) warranty to return it. If you're installing it yourself, maybe no big deal. If you're paying a shop, probably a pretty big deal. Definitely makes sense to check compression if possible, bore-scope the cylinders with a cheap camera to check wear-ridges and corrosion, check the oil (if it has oil) for contamination or metal particles, change the gaskets you can reach before installing (front and rear main seals, oil pan gasket) and generally be cautious. If it runs / starts and isn't open to the elements, that may be your best bet.
I like the used route over a budget reman for a couple of reasons. Ford built these motors well, especially back in the 90's before it all moved to Mexico or China. The rebuilder may not build them so well, and will certainly be using the least-expensive Chinesium replacement parts (rings / bearings / etc.) they can install. Ones with a decent warranty (>1 year or 12k miles) will cost you. Often more than a good-running, clean '95 SN95 5.0 will sell-for. And if the rest of the car is high-mileage, I tend not to worry about putting a lower-miles used engine into it.
Just something to think about, though the gentlemen above give you some great options to look into if the rebuilt engine is more up your alley.
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Thanks for your information. I’m definitely considering all options, as budget is my biggest issue. This especially is a big help. Thanks!
I've sold and bought quite a few mass rebuilder engines over the years. They are fine. I've personally had very few problems with them.
Kurt
Kurt
Whatever you end up pulling the trigger on, make certain that you understand what you're getting.
Carb vs. Fuel Injection, oil pan and accessory drive, blah blah blah... Make sure you know what parts you're going to swap over from the old motor and what you'll need or get a replacement for. Don't send anyone back [your block] until you're positive you have raped every useable part from it. Don't re-use engine bolts. Accessory drive meh... whatever.
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