So your machine's engine decided to give up on you. Your next question is, of course, "What's wrong with it?" Which often leads to, "Do I need a full engine, or can I get away with a long block?"
Drop-in, or Long Block?
There are four questions you should ask yourself when deciding what to purchase to get your machine back up and running. Along with the standard ones like, "what actually went wrong?" and "is it just a component that went bad?" There are four specific questions that will help you decide if you should go with a new drop-in engine, or grab yourself a remanufactured long block instead.
- Is your electrical system worth transferring? If your electrical system isn't in really good shape, it's going to be tough to move from your old engine to the new long block. Doing this could cause more issues down the line.
- Is your exhaust system transferrable? Components like the turbocharger will need to be moved over as well. If they have issues on the engine, it could cause the new one to go kaput as well.
- Is your fuel system transferrable? Injectors, Fuel pump, etc. need to be moved over as well. These are essential to make the engine run, and if they have gone bad, it'll make it hard for the new engine to run as well.
- And finally, are you able to transfer the components needed, time everything correctly, and drop it back in the machine? This takes mechanical know how, and isn't as easy as a puzzle. Having a mechanic friend may come in handy here!
That seems like a lot of work... Why go with a long block?
The answer is simple. Cost. Drop in engines may have everything ready to go and "drop-in" but they are often more expensive than their long block counterparts. If most of the components on your engine are in good shape, and it's the block that has died, a long block is a great option to save some paper (as long as you have the mechanical know how, that is).
Do you guys do used engines?
Short answer: no. Long answer: We used to, but they never work as intended, so we have decided it is a much better option to provide components that we can stand behind. Drop-in engines and long blocks may be a tad more expensive outright, but they will save you money in the long run. Used engines mean you might be picking up someone else's problem, which is something we never want to pass off.
