Guides
What to know before you buy
Each guide answers a question that comes up before a quote makes sense. Where a figure depends on your vehicle or region, we explain what drives it rather than inventing a number.
How to buy a used engine
Most bad used-engine purchases fail on the same three points: the wrong variant, an unclear scope of supply, and a total cost that was never added up.
Read the guideHow to find your engine by VIN
The VIN is the fastest way to eliminate the wrong engines from a shortlist — and on a vehicle that offered four engines in one model year, that is the whole job.
Read the guideUsed vs remanufactured engines
Three terms get used loosely and mean very different things. Knowing which one you are being offered is the difference between comparing prices and comparing products.
Read the guideWhat engine replacement costs
Anyone quoting a single national figure is guessing. What you can do is understand the five components of the number and get a real quote against them.
Read the guideWhat transmission replacement costs
The most expensive transmission mistake is replacing one that had not failed. Diagnosis first, then cost.
Read the guideHow to identify a commercial diesel engine
On a truck engine the VIN is secondary. The dataplate on the engine is the document that matters, and every manufacturer puts different information on it.
Read the guideHow to identify a marine engine
A marine engine is half the identification. The drive behind it — sterndrive, shaft or outboard leg — is the other half, and it has its own serial number.
Read the guideHow engine shipping works
An engine is freight, not a parcel. Understanding what that means before delivery day prevents the two most common problems: nowhere to unload it, and a damage claim you can't pursue.
Read the guideUnderstanding engine warranty
The length of a warranty is the least informative thing about it. What it covers, what it requires of you, and what voids it are the terms that decide whether it is worth anything.
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