Here's Why You Should NEVER Rebuild An ENGINE *The Math Doesn't Add Up*
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
- If there's one reoccurring question here, it's "Why didn't you rebuild the engine?" This video should answer that and help you save tons of money in the future. There are always cases where an engine should be or has to be rebuilt, but for 98% of the cars on the road they should be replaced as fast as possible and returned to service. Stop rebuilding engines that aren't worth, save the love for engines that matter!
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#BlownEngine #SaveDatMoney #EngineSwap - Auta a dopravní prostředky
What I've learned in the first 60 seconds is don't buy a car from this guy. He puts a scrapyard engine in it and sells it to you immediately.
I always rebuild. Especially a JDM. All injectors go out for service too.
😭😂😂😭😭😂😂😭😂😭
I had a shop and did this. You can get low miles and warranty.
i would. he will save you money in the long run
you forgot to mention a scrapyard engine that has a warranty, if you bought a secondhand car elsewhere its a concrete warranty
as soon as it leaves the concrete the warranty is done, LOL
For people pondering the concept of replace vs. rebuild on your own car that you aren't flipping, consider that new parts are sometimes newer versions that address engineering flaws. Also, rebuilding and being meticulous, measuring every bore and clearance and whatnot, you can make the engine better than it came from the factory, probably fixing missed defects.
Yeah, there's some old school pros that have their secret modifications. Polish this, remove casting burrs, round some edges(sharpen others), add lubrication channels, better material piston sleeves, pistons and crank shaft and etc. Engine rebuilds are absolutely fine if done correctly, it can give almost infinite longevity to an engine block.
@@kinsmart7294 do you guys happen to know how many times an engine can be rebuilt?
@@joshuetortega3572 As far as i know it can be rebuilt as many times you want depending of the damage. were bored down then set back to standard again by using sleeves.
@Joshuet Ortega its as many times as you want if it a race motor but for a daily driver it's like 3 times with 400,000 miles in between cause at the end of that 3 rebuilt motor that engine has almost a 1.2 million miles and it's just worn out
want to rebuild the engine in my 96 Toyota Avalon its worth it to me
Few years ago someone from a supporting church blessed me with a 2008 Chevy Suburban (190K miles) so I could continue to do my ministry in the community, especially the street outreaches as a gospel DJ. I had taken out an extended warranty when I got the vehicle, few months later it had a dead cylinder. I took it to the local dealership and 2 months later after a lot of back and forth, the warranty company gave me a rebuild engine with zero miles on it, and its still running great. My deductible was $100. Hallelujah!!!
Have you ever thought about the fact that its fun and educational??
Rebuilding an Engine challenges you to do the best job you can and teaches you to pay attention to details and specs while giving you a true appreciation of just how that engine works.
You shouldn't tell people to "NEVER" rebuild an engine. You are in effect encouraging them to miss out on something really valuable. Even if that engine is not used.
the “ hands on” experience
ALONE, will last you a life
time.
Plus
YOU Actually SEE what is
going on the whole time.CB
He's got a lot of experience rebuilding engines it sounds like. Maximizing time and money is the point here. If you want the experience of a rebuild... then by all means, go get it boi! 😁
@@blaze553 But he said "NEVER" it's in the title. We should "never" discourage people from leaning.
“Fun and educational” for $2000. Dumb
@@Immigrantlovesamerica Never trust a person who thinks education and experience are "Dumb"
the key part everyone is missing is having a reliable salvage yard which knows how to test and pull the engine correctly.
Its SO nice getting a nicely pulled salvage yard engine. One in which even the wiring harness is useable is a dream. Others, they literally wack everything off like an animal. Another salvage yard I try not to use strips them down to the long block. This adds to the cost for gaskets, and other parts.
you do take a risk on a" salvage yard engine", sure they will back it up if it turns out to be a" dud engine," but then you have more labor hours of pulling the engine you just set in place only to remove it again. the engine you get is a real question mark, in terms of the condition of the engine( wear, run low on oil / lack of oil changes, overheated, uneven compression). that is why I do not get into "FLIPPING" cars/trucks. I have seen guys put in a junk yard engine that does run, but the" check engine" light stays on, and cannot clear the fault codes because the engine is bad. so they either take the bulb out( if the processor will let you do that) or put tape around the bulb. that is why it is a real good idea if you are looking at a used vehicle, to run a "SCAN TOOL" and look for faults. also disconnecting the battery does not really clear the faults, they are "UNRESOLVED FAULT CODES"!!!!
Yes, and it is getting very hard to get good service at my local yards. Back in the day, I would drive to the yard, tell them to replace my trani, diffy, starter or whatever and I would drive out a few hours later with a junkyard part installed. Now, they just want to sell the part and make even that buying process take longer than having it replaced at the yard in the past.
I don't mind doing my own wrenching, but why does purchasing the desired part have to be so painful now? It is almost as if they think "look that dude wants this part maybe it is valuable, let's tell him we don't have it and mark up the price and sell it on the web."
@@fredwilliams8898 , I always did rebuild starters, alternators, calipers, brake cylinders. master cylinders ect. however, due to the cost/ lack of availability of repair parts, it really is not worth the time to do that either. back in the day I really did not go with "SALVAGE YARD PARTS", you do not know what your getting, and how long it would last. I would spend 8 dollars on rebuilding a starter motor( brushes/ drive) and 10 dollars on rebuilding an alternator( brushes/ bridge rectifier, and bearings if it needed it) you can not go into an auto parts store and get these parts off the shelf, they have to order it in. caliper/ cylinder rebuild kits were 4 dollars, and that took care of both sides. these days , many parts are designed so they are not worth rebuilding, you will spend just as much if not more than if you took the part in to the auto parts store and got a "REMANUFACTURED" part with your "CORE" in hand. some parts , they do not want your core back!!!!. I have a "U-PULL-& PAY" in town, they will not pull the part, you have to do it!!!!
@@gregoryclemen1870 I agree I'm still rebuilding starter's alternator generator's hi amp alternators
Exactly! Engine swap cheap and easy. Last one I did. $500 for the car $300 for engine. I drove it 3 years. Sold it for $1800.00. Now that makes sense.
Years ago when i had a shop, i always bought used engines from 1 particular salvage yard. His engines were always tested and put on shelves indoors. Bought and installed over 35 engines from him in 2 years. Never had one needing a replacement. If it worked out that it did, i would have done it for free labor for 6 months. If a customer bought an engine from somewhere else. There was no free labor at all even if the engine went bad within its 30 day warranty period. I had no problem standing beind my choice in using his used engines. Anyone elses i was not confident in.
Never had to provide free labor. I did as a rule replace timing chains, oil pump, water pump as well as front and rear seals.
I've been a licensed mechanic and machinist since 1974 and have worked in machine shops on thousands of rebuilds. I found that most of the engines I did were for rare or not commonly available engines or numbers matching and performance apps. I have given this same advice to many customers when I felt the conditions warranted it. They have lots of importers for JDM engines here in Canada and their rules in Japan for used parts are very strict. I've used plenty of them in my flippers and they have never let me down. I have totally rebuilt engines for my my own special projects because it's fun and satisfying for me ,personally but for everyday runners, a good used engine is usually the best route.
In a similar situation as this wouldn't you have first pulled the head for a look?
@@Vintageguy73 Depends on the original diagnosis. Nowadays, endoscopes and code readers narrow things down a lot. I don't know the exact problem in the first place, so we're sort of second guessing. If it shows a bad cylinder and it is narrowed down to a mechanical issue' then where do you stop. I have found if you just patch up a problem, you always wind up with others.
Question Rick.
I have a jeep tj 06 with the last year of the inline 6 engine, Which I really like.
They don't make them anymore , should i rebuild it, andbi want to keep the jeep as a classic car since most were destroyed on rock crawling or young dudes pushing them to ridiculous limits lifted.
If my goal is to preserve and use it as a daily driver, would it be good to rebuild or get a new engine?
@@oscarbear7498 I'd rebuild the straight 6. More torque and reliable as a rock. I had an 08 with the V6 and it was down on grunt from the inline. Just my opinion.
Can a LS 2015 v6 3.6 engine fit inside of a LS 2011 Chevy Camaro v6 3.6 engine. My engine in my 2011 blew out just wondering will the 2015 fit inside my car
I think that it matters for what you are doing. I personally love rebuilding engines because of the process of it and the satisfaction. Plus knowing that the engine is in great condition.
Did you even watch the video?
@@justsomeguy6550 Yup just sharing my two sense about it. I have a Fireball motor for my boat and those things are hard to get parts for because it is really an AMC motor. I just traded a guy oak wood for a 327 that I'm going to rebuild. I do the boats as a hobby so it isn't the same as flipping a car like that John does.
It is rewarding..
Agreed and those salvage motors ain't worth nothing it's like a band aid motor no one knows how the previous owner ran that motor. Break downs and tow trucks will surpass a rebuild in money. This idea is more for people that don't get attached to a car and just wanna make money on them by flipping them.
@fastone7272 My mindset is always that it made it to a salvage yard for a reason. I can guarantee compression on a rebuild, salvage engines aren't testable in my area until bought. No engine removal services in my salvage area.
The headgasket in my 2003 chevy trailblazer 4wd blew on the way home from work and yes I kept driving lol, I live out in the country so it was about a 20 minute drive home from where I was. Pulled the valve cover off and saw 3 rocker arms broken off and milky oil cams were toast and the whole engine was done for. So I went to the local junkyard and bought a running 4.2l i6 out of the same year and model trailblazer as mine for $350. Swapped it in a day and runs great 60 psi of oil pressure I did new gaskets, plugs,coils,, and injectors on it before I put the new engine back in because taking the intake off on a trailblazer sucks while in the car. Now I drive it to work everyday and have put 20,000 miles on the $350 junkyard engine.
Now THIS is economic. I love it, better than buying a brand new pile of junk. GM still made decent vehicles back in 03. I wouldn’t waste my breath on a new GM vehicle.
I'm surprised that I6 motor went south on you. Those Atlas motors are damn near indestructible.
@@IKhanNot no telling how much miles was on it, it sounds like this guy drives lots of miles.
@@IKhanNot 203k on the original
I had a similar TB. Loved the tourqe, hated the super sketchy feel of everything else lol
I wouldn't buy a car from a flipper, it is clear that they don't care about longevity. As you mentioned, some people simply need a car for transportation and rescuing engines to quickly put them into other cars is fine, I respect it. However, personally I don't like living with the anxiety of not knowing the state of the engine on my car, feeling like the car could break down at any time. Rebuilding it gives me the peace of mind to know the state of it without buying a brand new car. It is like gambling and that's the problem, I don't like gambling. Ultimately you make a profit and walk away, the costumer is now the one with the ticking bomb.
Exactly, no person in their right mind would buy a used engine not knowing how it was treated previously. I'll rebuild an engine any day of the week and sleep soundly at night.
a car flipper akin to a
Drug dealer
Score
Grab the CA$H
Do it again.😠😡. CB
Rebuilt engines are timebombs also. I've never seen a rebuilt engine work good. 😅
It almost sounds like you don't care if you install an engine that will fail within a few months of the customer buying the car. Which, if so, is a scumbag move unless you disclosed that fact to them. "Hey this is a junkyard engine, and it's at the bottom of the scale. No telling how long it will last". But you can't really say that can you? Who would buy that car?
I think it shows why the math doesn't add up on flipping cars (minus CZcams ad revenue). Book time to replace that engine is 12ish hours, which should be around $1,000 in most shops. So if you value your labor at $80/hour you'll barely break even on this flip. Plus you have to buy it, go get it, sell it, deal with the tire kickers, and have your money tied up for weeks to months while that goes on.
Its a marginal deal on that one. If you did the swap yourself, its still $1200 you can earn in your spare time.
12 hours? That seems high. It would take me that long, but I am not a pro and don't have access to a hoist and fork lift like JR. I would expect a pro to be able to yank that engine in 3 hours or so. As far as flippers go, $80/hr = $166,400 a year based on 40 hours a week x 52 weeks. I know a few professional mechanics and none of them make $80/hr. Hell, I was a VP at a good paying bank and wasn't making $166k/year. If he makes $1,800 profit for a week's work, that is about $45/hr, which is $93,600 annualized, a quite respectable income for most people.
@@RandomGuyDan You are using bankers math. No way anybody is 100% productive in everything they do. That total Jeep project, a normal car flipper might have 20 hours into it. That is if you consider purchasing it, picking it up, diagnosing, sourcing parts, repairing, cleaning, marketing and selling it. Still good money making $1200 on it, but nowhere where your $ add up.
you aren't "breaking even" you still made $80/hr in your free time. The only way you'd barely be breaking even is if you paid someone $80/hr to swap the engine for you
Yeah no one with a shop and tools and a lift ever factors in there time and actually book time in a shop per hr
People gotta remember, this is how you make money, watching you rebuild an engine may be *cool* but it isn't the cheapest way to get flips done, the cheapest way to get flips done is to stick an engine in it. The *only* thing I'd do different is do a timing set and a water pump on every engine just so you can say it's a used engine but the water pump and timing set are brand new, get a few more bucks out of it, and feel good that you are sending quality automobiles out there onto America's highways for people to use for years to come.
I thought he made money producing CZcams videos
@@nellof1244
he still has to cover repair costs
Does mileage matter?
@@larrybe2900 yes and no. It's kind of a catch 22. If it's low milage it's often that the thing has barely been broken in and will be fine. Another thought is if you have a high milage engine that's been through the ringer and not maintenanced it's likely shot. On the other hand you can have a engine that has 50k on it and beat to shit every waking moment of it's life and it's on the bring of failure. Low compression and all the other symptoms and then you can also have a high milage engine that's been services regularly and not beaten and will last x2 or X3 of the existing miles. Lastly the company that the engine is made by is super important. A Lexus Toyota Acura Honda engine will have 200k on it and be fine. Vs a Subaru engine that has 70k on it and needs a major overhaul.
@@nellof1244 he does, but that doesn't pay for everything else. He's essentially making his money 2 fold. And theres nothing wrong with that
For flips this a ton of makes sense. For my project Fiero that blew a head gasket, I rolled the dice and only spent about $60 on a gasket set and didn't even check the head for flatness. I've put 5k miles on it since then with no issues
Geez, I rebuilt a chevy small block in the early 90's for $500 with a rebuild kit from Summit, their brand camshaft and lifter kit, etc. and the machining done at a local parts house. I low-bucked the heck out of it but took my time and did an excellent job with assembly. It was for my '74 C10 stepside pickup, I scored a huge air cleaner assembly from the junkyard off a Cadillac and after I broke it in I hit the on-ramp for the highway and nailed the gas pedal. The thing took off and the hood sucked down just like on a race car, it was moving a ton of air. Those were the good old days, I could fix almost anything on that truck for $35-$50. Good times!
You are taking me back to my youth. Blow up an engine, go to the wrecking yard, pay 1$/ci and after the first time got the swap time down to 1.5 hours.
That's nuthin. I can do a compete swap now in under 10 minutes. And that includes a coffee break in the middle. You aint chit. (I hate liars).
@@jeffro221Pathetic, my engines swap themselves. Step up kid.
He’s right, but with that fancy screen he could have, at least, given us the weather, too…
71° mostly cloudy. Look at the bottom of the screen on the white board.
It’s there! 😂
Great job, just need bigger fonts on your price list for my 32" TV lol
I was looking for the sports scores. Also, there should be a shapely weather girl. LOL!
@@WatchJRGo 😎
Safety and quality aside, imma keep rebuilding because there is no way I can get an $800 engine replacement out here that is not also just as crappy as my current engine. I live on the Big Island of Hawaii. We have no engine remanufacturing companies here so shipping it in is the only way, and shipping ANYTHING of that size and weight will cost me both arms and one leg. Cheaper to take the engine to the machine shop, buy a rebuild kit and rebuild it myself.
Jesus Christ.. you went from $65 head gasket to 2k .. worst case scenario calm down lmao
It's the fastest, cheapest way to get a flip car running again. If it's a car you like and want to keep long term, and if the original engine isn't garbage it is probably worth it. Sounds like you already just said the same thing so we agree 👍
Exactly. Depends on the level of disrepair / damage where to repair or replace.
That old engine sounds like crap on cranking, and it doesn't even run. Its scrap.
In reality the engine is toast because you valued getting home in a timely manor any means necessary(drive as is) Vs getting the car home safe. Doesn't help we watched countless RoadKill episodes not realizing how much downtime those cars have with folks with pockets and a 9 to 5 on fixing them on camera somewhat.
A factory assembled engine is almost always guaranteed to be built better than 95% of rebuilders. Top quality parts, good workers, calibrated torque wrenches, thats how they crank out hundreds a day at the factory.
Even for performance builds, you often cant do better than a stock bottom end. They often last forever and cost $500 for a new one if it fails.
@@bigpjohnson Yeah, that the issue with such cheap engines. In other poorer countries engine rebuilds are common place and so is the knowledge, an bad rebuilder won't stay long in the market.
I totally agree with you on that, everyone has to go through an engine rebuild sometime in their life if you’re a car guy or girl just to realize how expensive and time consuming it is. Engine swap on a car that holds its value is totally worth it.
kinda depends on where you're starting with a rebuild tbh
Who cares if it’s not a classic.
@@gregisdivorcedReputable machine shops specialize in fixing shortcomings on flawed engine designs. A rebuild isn't just a good idea, it's the only way to keep some oil burning, weak head gasket, poor cooling channel, low flow oil pump plagued engines alive for 500k-1.5M miles.
Cars dying under 200k miles is embarrassing. Mostly on the engineers and manufacturers part, but not uncommonly the consumers fault.
Petrol combustion engine owners are always surprised when they find out those 18 wheelers have MILLIONS of miles on them. They are more often rebuilt than Replaced. A bit for engine availability, but mostly because those diesel engines were designed to last. Machine shops, who are worth their salt, can easily push Petrol engines into 500k miles
If that’s true, where can I find a good used 2.2L Turbo 4cyl engine for my 1986 Chrysler Laser XE ?
If the numbers don't match no way I'm paying retail.
Yes sir i totally agree! Ive been an automotive mechanic for 25yrs and found out what makes sense pretty quick. The only time i touch the internals of a motor is installing upgrades for higher preformance. Its motor swaps pretty much with everything else.
Pretty solid advice. I maybe should've done that with my '95 Tacoma after its head gasket blew, but my reasoning was I didn't have access to an engine lift so I had to limit myself to parts I could take out by hand. Luckily my head didn't need much machining and my camshafts weren't warped so cost wise it was quite a bit cheaper than your estimate here, but the truck was still out of service for a month in my garage. I've put a few hundred miles on it since then and it's still running great, though, so fingers crossed it will continue to do so (I plan on keeping/driving this truck for many years to come).
Wasn’t expecting a master class this morning
Way back in 1968 while in the Army at Ft. Bliss, TX, my 65 327 Chevelle had a rod knock. I heard it immediately and tore it down. Machine shop polished the crank, installed new cam bearings and freeze plugs. New rings, bearings, gasket set, and oil/filter and the total cost to me was $98. It took two weeks of my spare time excluding weekends because I was doing KP for others on the weekends at $10/18hrs days to pay for it.
The problem right now is with the crazy used car market, fewer insurance jobs are being totalled, and used engine prices are WAY up for some cars.
ridiculous-you can't even buy cars to flip at auction unless you are a buy here/pay here dealer.
I love the presentation and the touch screen. You have kicked it up a notch!!!
Yeah, that setup is fire!
When you said the math doesn’t add up I thought you meant you had parts leftover when you do an engine rebuild.lol
I rebuilt the engine of my Rav4 myself including removal and installation, it was a very enjoyable activity and spent less than a 1000 dlls on new replacements as pistons, rings metals, gaskets, etc. including machine shop of head and cylinder block, also my rebuild is much more reliable than a used engine you don't know the current clearances.
I agree, unless it’s something rare, a special build, or extreme sentimental attachment engine replacement is the way to go. Now that being said, it would be cool for the old engine to be taken apart just to see what went wrong or some carnage for extra media
i do cars channel
Even if it isn’t particularly rare, sometimes you have no choice - Stovebolt 235s aren’t really rare, but since most of them haven’t run in several decades, they almost always need valves and seats done.
Thank you so much for that info. I am in the middle of deciding on options and how you broke everything down was fantastic, thank you. Love the content.
It's also a good way of the breakers to dispose of a used tyre for each engine they sell.
LOL. If you take your own tire with you, they still find a way to send another with you.
He's right. I'm a retired ASE certified, GM factory trained line tech & the insight here is good. However, two things need to be addressed; 1) How to find an engine salvage yard you can TRUST is KEY to his concept. 2) Yes, a trustworthy salvage yard will exchange an engine if (rarely) you get a faulty one BUT...they do NOT reimburse you for the $600-$800 labor (or whatever your own time is worth) to R&R the engine a SECOND time.
all the engines at the salvage yards only have 80,000 on them , never overheated, perfect oil changes
@@cardboardboxificationAND Mobil 1 oil changes EVERY 3000 miles , driven to church
& grocery store by GrandMa.CB
Good and accurate information, I 100% agree. But I am more impressed by this touch screen setup, being able to switch between screens and show real prices and information. It even look mobile! How much would that cost to get setup? I think I missed a video on this.
JR wisdom being dropped. If it's a flip. Preach brother. But if it's a keeper of course rebuild it 👍
Ehh.. I still wouldn't rebuild.. just do as much maintenance as you can while it's out of the engine bay, (no head removal) and you should be fine for a long time. Most used engines have around 100k miles..they should be fine for at least another hundred. That's all I've ever done to them.. cost ya another $300-$500 plus the cost of the used engine.
Love the idea of the whiteboard..can we get a zoom on it or huge font?
Doesn't look like a whiteboard. Looks like a TV
@@RolandCaston A quick little homemade hood would really help it out for videos like this. Those LED shop lights are some serious business.
Love the touch screen! The way you explain it rebuild vs replace I learned something, Gojr!
I used to be an ASE certified mechanic for a Toyota dealership in San Diego. What he is saying about the head gaskets is correct. We had a recall campaign for a majority of the V-6 engines in Tacomas, 4-Runners and a handful of other vehicles where the head gaskets kept going out and in many situations the entire engine had to be replaced. The recall was called the VO6 campaign and literally, every single vehicle that was recalled or had already had the head gaskets replaced had lots of additional work that needed to be redone. Probably half got new engines from Toyota due to the amount of everything needing to be replaced.
Then you look at preventative maintenance as well while you’re in there. Thermostats, timing chains or belts, and other things. So he is spot on if someone is buying a car to flip and it needs engine work. Often times it’s more cost effective to simply swap out the engine!
What was the problem that was making the head gaskets fail?
The engine blocks were cast iron and the heads were aluminum. They would heat up and cool down at different times and maintain different temperatures. The original head gaskets were not designed right and caused numerous issues and engine replacements.
@@j.r.777 The 22-R has an iron block and an aluminum head, did they have the same issue? I ask because I have one but have not experienced this problem. Yet.
@@josephastier7421 there was never any recalls for those engines and nor did I ever see any in the shop. They were bullet proof. I think with the VO6 campaign it was simply a bad head gasket design.
Transmission rebuilds are the same way, you can get a pulled one for sometimes less than $300
Yeah but the hassle to remove the old one an install the newer one an hoping to not have problems. An for guys like me woth no lift that's a pain in the ass an do all that work an then end up being bad too
The junkyards here give 30 or 90 days can't remember but for like engines an transmissions. Plus pulling it ur self at junkyard an getting it home for me ha I just like nahh I'll pass I rather rebuild but now for what he is doing sence it was something he bought that I get but for my own stuff idk .
Wished inwas a lift it would make life so so much better an faster to get things done
It sucks laying on your back on the floor covered in dirt a trans fluid.
I rebuild transmissions quite a bit. Some are getting REALLY spendy used. 6l80E I rebuilt a few months ago. Used was $1500 with 150k on it. I rebuilt it for $1500 in parts and abut 4 hours of my time (not including R&R).
Engines are a different animal. Machining costs $ and takes plenty of time. I haven't rebuilt an engine since school 20+ years ago.
That's why you select a used engine or transmission based on condition mileage and making sure it came out of a totaled vehicle. Now you can even run a Carfax on a prospective donor vehicle for $5 or less it's called research.
@@earlscheib7754 Earl Scheib. Do you still paint car's for 99.99😀
Anyone recommending an engine rebuild for a flip has never rebuilt one.
Yup, if you need to rebuild it take the time, spend the money, do it right, then keep it forever! 🍻
@@WatchJRGo 100% 🍻
Indeed! Or flipped more than ONE car! :) You cannot be a perfectionist and make money flipping cars. If youre a perfectionist detail.... :)
I went through five junkyard engines before I got a good one. The dealer and I both lost big time, there were no winners in that transaction. From then on, I have used short blocks. So much less trouble. Some cars when the engine fails, it's time to scrap it. Simply not made to be repaired.
Totally agree with this one for daily drivers. WIth the right car, you can literally put only put a few hundred dollars into it and have a great running car even just to drive. If you find a clean car with a bad engine, good engines are are very easy to get and in one weekend you can be on the road.
Not even considering the money, the time invested rebuilding the engine and waiting on machine work would take many hours labor longer as well as weeks(possibly) waiting on the machine shop.
There is a “performance” machine shop in my city that is lucky to get you back your heads in 6 months 🤣
sunnohh dam where im at i can get it back in a few days
No machine shops in the eastern panhandle of WV
@@subarulegacy4203 no,you cant....if you could the shop wouldn't be in business
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 Yeah okay.
@7:00, only time im just doing a headgasket is if its a 90s dodge with the 2.5, and i know i didnt continue to overheat it (rare to see the heads warp), but other than that for all the work to rebuild, it is easier to swap, for only a few bucks more
JR, I 95% Agree; I'm frugal. I don' want to spend when I don't have to, but sometimes it's better to spend now and not spend later. Like buying cheap tires. I have however replaced head gaskets with success a couple of times over the past few years. None of the cars had overheated, so for me it was a no brainier to just do the gaskets. And they were not for flipping. Years ago, I rebuilt a 1600 and it lasted 80k before losing the oil pump. I replaced it with a 50K or less for $230 and the thing just never quit. So I have been on both sides.
The oneeee thing i would do/(get good at) is as the engine is already out doing the timing belt/chain and water pump (if on the timing). Great selling point and well worth it while youre there
I agree if your keeping it for yourself.
@@kennypool here me out, $100 in parts for a $500-$1000 job while the engine is already out. Not gunna lie, id pay an extra $400 any day for a vehicle knowing thats been done.
@@lifefollows8267 Not allowed in the flippers handbook.
@@kennypool 🤣🤣🤣🤣 you tell no lies there
A lot easier while engine is out.
this video felt like you just really wanted to use the tv for a video showing off that it actually works because it was glitched in the last video. LOL. still a good video though.
While I agree on almost any other engine these 4 litre's use a cast iron block and heads that have been around around since the 70's and are known for out living the jeeps they're in. Parts are cheap and plentiful and is one of the easiest engines to work on. I wouldn't bat an eye at slapping a new gasket in, doing a diesel oil flush throwing in some mobil one and calling it a day. There's a video on here where they red line the engine with no oil and it throws 2 rods out of the block and still keeps running. A true bullet proof engine that was lost to emissions and planned obsolescence.
What years did they make those 4 liters?
Notice he never said what the cost of the machine work is. Decking a head/block is not much money. And he’s also swapping an engine on a 20+ year old car. A new car (less than 10 years old) you are gonna rebuild for less.
Also a warranty is nice, but you have no idea why that car was totaled. You have no idea what maintenance was/was not done. Rolling the dice on a $800 motor? Ok. Once you get into the $3-$5k for a used motor NOPE. Not worth the RISK.
There are always exceptions. 75% of the time a good used engine is the way to go, but when you've got a minor head gasket leak with known history then just doing a head gasket can be good option, especially on a 4 cylinder. Every situation is different.
Haha a minor head gasket leak? Yeah right you better hope you catch that soon enough by checking to see if your burning oil through your exhaust or similar effects. And your not just going to replace the head gasket either. You'll need to flush the coolant, refill it, get some new oil and filters... and if it's bad enough you'll have to tear it down just to clean everything... and don't forget all the tools (scotch Brite or equivalent buffer for polishing) and cleaner (kerosene, acetone, degreaser, brake cleaner, ect) that you need to polish the heads, upper lower intake, valve covers and who all knows what you'll find in there. It's all a game of chance at that point...
@@thedornanfam-blogsplusmore8510 Yeah, if you don't own the tools and supplies to work on your car, you probably should just bring it to a shop.
I loved the school teacher / weather man presentation in front of a giant touch screen :)
As a mechanic I always tell the client the options or replacing or even rebuilding the engine. I rather rebuild than replace because you don't know about how the replacing engine was worked or even if it's a used engine you don't have any idea how that engine was used.
It's better to rebuild the engine than replace it.
Always buy quality parts for your vehicle, don't go to under quality parts, they will make you throw money through the drain.
And the MUST TO DO with your engine, keep it oil change on time. Use a GOOD motor oil and from time to time you can add a quantity of anti friction to the engine when oil changing.
With a junk yard engine most vendors require you to replace timing chains to get warranty, you will replace water pump and oil pump too. $800 is not your total cost with a junkyard buy.
Math never lies -- it's like the evidence at a crime scene: it doesn't have an agenda.
I agree with your reasoning. I've done this several times. Even for cars I personally own. 2008 mazda6 4cyl 2.3liter. Bought the car with bad engine for $1500. Bought the engine from LKQ for $1400 + 200 in exhaust and intake gaskets and throughout bearing = $3100 for a car that is now worth $6500 or at least when I did it in 2017. We drove the car for 2 years and sold it. Great car.
There are several things to look for in a junk yard engine. Why is the car in the yard to begin with? Was the car wrecked or worn out? Did you see the car it was in? did you hear and see it run? I've found it better for me to find a good deal on a running car that I can use or resale . A deal is almost always available if you are patient .
I’ve done both, yes a junkyard engine is cheaper, a reman is pretty good too but if you’re going to drive it yourself you should build it yourself.
Yooo jrgo! I totally agree with you on the engine swap.. now the only thing I would consider doing before buying is finding the real reason why the car won’t start… not saying for your jeep but in general I flip cars and when I bought non running cars especially Honda’s people will say gasket problem or overheating problems and it is either a sensor or something super super easy.. a lot of people selling these cars cheap because they are not mechanics and a friend took a look and guessed what the problem is.. so I usually ask them why they think it’s the gasket or ect and they will tell me I looked it up.. I literally turned on a Lexus sc400 no start I bought for 300 because the fuel pump went out and a burnt the fuse. Lol. Last example, bought a del sol for 300 no start and they had the distributor on wrong.. I took it out and put it correctly cranked up sold it right away for 1500
He did that last month with a Honda, was told bad trans, changed a sensor.
@@CR7659 yeah I saw that episode loved it.. just informing other people if they watch this video just to give a little more information.. no matter what always give the car a good look or two.. I’m sure jrgo did his job and said the oil looked terrible and fluids were bad and wouldn’t start but yeah sensor is literally something people overlook
@@carnstar People like carnage, I think he should at least do a video showing us how bad the engine is inside.
@@CR7659 yesss!!! I totally agree I was thinking that he should definitely open up at least the head and show us how bad it would’ve been if he had to replace the head gasket you’re totally right
the novel you wrote is a given,obviously......check for simple fixes first.like any flipper would
Great video and good advice. Keep in mind though many engines even if blown sell for a good bit still so you can recoup some cost back
The engine he is working with is popular right now.
At the end of the day, there’s a few options with old engine after you’ve swapped. You could rebuild the engine and flip it or have it ready for another car when it’s ready, or just scrap it
you are right, and there is another number at which the sell price of the car after an engine flip is just too low to make any profit.
and those cars get sold to the salvage yard or sent back to auction or parted out online.
I like how he concludes his remarks about his strictly rational approach to car flipping by noting that he spent “the entire last week making this [Pontiac Aztek] perfect again.”
But the jeep doesn't need any of that, its body/interior is perfect .
The Aztek probably generates more views, so it is worth the extra effort to produce multiple videos. Flipping a dime a dozen GC probably wouldn't do that, so a flip and couple videos is the way to go.
I go with low mile used engines because:
Factory OEM parts (bearings, seals, rings and gaskets
Newer OEM components timing set, oil pump, water pump, injectors and coils
I'd say, for a daily driver, do a partial rebuild on the new-used engine. Hone the cylinders and throw in some new rings, new rod and main bearings, new head gasket and head bolts, new valve seals. And clean all the carbon out. The total cost of this would be under $500 and it would extend the engine's life dramatically. But this is if you were to keep the car for a long time and use it as a daily driver. Since you're flipping it, it would make more sense to just swap in the used engine as is.
Great video for people who are told they have the option to rebuild or replace an engine. Makes the decision a lot easier.
Thanks for explaining all of that. I have an excellent mechanic in Florida who replaced my valve cover gasket last year. He told me that he doesn't do head cover gaskets anymore. Now I understand why. Thanks for the simple and great explanation.
This is how I've always felt. That being said a simple engine like a toyota 22r are really nice with a fresh rebuild.
The Toyota 3F is a really good engine too, pretty much bulletproof. My dad had an 85' Fj60 with 500.000+ km and we just did basic maintainance and repairs, at about 350.000 km we decided to do a complete rehaul, took the whole thing apart and put in new pistons, rings, crankshaft bearings, push rods, honed the cylinders, etc. And they were all good, we just did it cause we wanted to restore the vehicle and we had the time and money to do it.
@Darrin R. depends on where you live my 1983 sr5 4x4 longbed only has a little rust at the front and back of the bed because it hauled a slide in camper most of its life. My step-dads 1979 short bed had a canopy it's whole life and was MINT too bad he sold it 12yrs ago for $3000 now it's worth $15000+ lol
I rebuilt mine.
You aren't going to find many 22r's in salvage...you aren't going to find many on the road
As a person who is a amateur car guy that has only done bolt-on's This was a fantastic education. Thank you.
Years ago, when I was "young & dumb", my friends put me onto an old clunker for $300 (1980). Stupid me tried to fix it and it nearly sent me broke, as I was a student at the time. My friend said later, "why didn't you tell us? We would have just got you another clunker." So my dad and his mechanic mate, bought a whole same car for $50, swapped the engine out and put it into my car. Ran really well after that and I got a few more years out of it. Sadly, it had no air-con, and traded it in for the biggest lemon of all time, a VOLVO 164!!! OMG, that car broke me.
Keep doing what you do JR, it only makes sense. Get rid of that Cube!!
I can relate. Being on a mac n cheese budget, and shopping for cheap transportation at the auto auction. Where your rolling the dice. Typically, friends were eyeing up, bidding, and buying tired sports cars. I'm focused on cheap runners like the 5-speed 88' Chevy Corsica with the 2.8L six, low miles, two shades of blue budget paint, overspray, and side mirror barely attached. The follow week, i'm car pooling everyone to class with the only running vehicle.
Nice presentation JR. Agreed, let the Cube crap go. Hear lotsa high cost horror stories from former late model Nissan owners. Older Nissan's were all right.
As a “car guy” I appreciate the honesty in this video. It’s just what I needed to hear, to push me in the right direction on a looooong overdue decision, about one I’ve wasted time on..
Thanks! Keep up the good work!
Also ask yourself what business you are in. If you are not flipping cars for a living, or if you don’t have a shop with tools and lifts then spend your time doing what you do to make money. Otherwise you will over spend on fixing your car and take away from your primary means of income.
In the world of flippers with common vehicles and engines where junkyard engines are readily available at a cheap price, you're a hundred percent right. But when it comes to my vehicle that I intend to keep for a long time, it's a different story. If I'm going to go through the trouble to pull the engine, I might as well go inside it and make sure everything is right. Flipper cars are like flipper houses - caulk and paint make it what it ain't, cover it up and get it sold.
I was looking for a 5.7 GM V8 for one of my Chevy work trucks and the local shops wanted $1,000 Plus and their warranty was "if it's no good after you put it in pull it out I will find you another one!" Considering that I'm not a professional and don't have a shop with a lift and full set of tools, that's a heck of a lot of work for me to risk putting in something that may be no better than what I'm pulling out. additionally, I am using these trucks to earn my living I much rather schedule rather than swapping engine and have it down again four months later! I'm not disagreeing with your saying but I think it depends significantly on what your long-term plan for the vehicle is.
I have resurfaced so many cylinder heads with glass and sand paper. 10 years later they all still run great. Daily drivers too.
I'm with you on that if it's a flip just engine swap it and sale sale sale
You're right. I replaced a head gasket last year and went with the "while I'm in here approach". That turned into over 1k when all was said and done and I did all the labor myself except the head. Sent that off to a machine shop and had it completely rebuilt. Ran great afterwards but a lower miliage used engine would've been the best option looking back.
Similar story with my dodge truck with a magnum V8. Only my heads were cracked (very common issue) and I thought it was a blown head gasket. 2 remanufactured heads and some other parts cost me $1k in "while you're in there" parts. Haha She's still running strong 10k miles later.
Not sure how it's the best option looking back.... You have 0 information of the state of the engine that you purchase. It could have other issues you don't know about... The 'while i'm there approach' is completely your fault. Not a fair comparison when you're spending money on the rebuilt engine that you don't need to. I'd rebuild over purchase an unknown engine any day of the week assuming the engine I have is reasonably salvageable.
yeah because people just love to send their low mileage engine to the scrap heap for pennies
I just love how you bring in your AV/IT/Integrator experience to your content!
One thing I know for sure, there's a red jeep coming up for sale with a motor in it that came from a junk yard that I would not touch with a 10 ft pole. When I was younger, a 350 chevy from a junk yard was a gamble worth taking, but who knows what else is wrong with that jeep, and more importantly, that $800 junk yard motor. But I guess there are so many desperate people out there just trying to survive who might be enticed to take a chance. That's sad!
I love how it's so cheap in USA to do things like this. Cars are cheap. Decent wrecking yard engines are cheap. Heck here in Oz you need to mortgage ya house just for a second hand engine from a suspect wreckers let alone the cost of the car you need to stick it in. Flipping here sure ain't as easy.
Shhhhh! Don't let em hear you ! ;)
the state also reckons you need a dealers licence if you flip too many cars in a short time (like a few months).
One problem though... the stupid and destructive cash for clunkers program destroyed a lot of good used engines. One of the most idiotic and wasteful programs that originated under the inept Obama Administration and it hurt middle class and especially lower middle class folks.
@@dieterhauer8619 Politicians in general are a waste of space.
@@dieterhauer8619 Fucked up the whole industry for a decade and more. It was just corporate welfare anyway as it was really just a $5k voucher for a brand new car. The clunkers-which were far from that-also had the motors ruined adding to used car parts prices.
Does the parts yard warranty your time of swapping engines if you put the new one in and it has a rod knock or a bad head?
No. Your time is your problem.
Just like the Casino. The house usually wins. That the risk you take.
Man I had a coworker replace 3 transmissions in a row on his expedition using junk yard parts and gave up after the third one to save up for a reman. Felt so bad for the guy. He was doing it by himself too.
@@travispoulin252 I've been through the same,I never trust yard parts,if I get anything from the yard,engine, transmission it's basically just a core to rebuild,these 4 liters have crazy miles on them all the time,if I was going through the trouble of yanking an engine I would at the very least run through and re bearing it for the extra 100 bucks or so and a half hours time it's well worth it to not have someone sue me for selling them a car with a junk engine,these engines are notorious for cracked heads if they even get overheated once.
If I could help Watch JR Goes install the engine in the Jeep I would drink the cold Bartle Skeets and roll up the Number and get all schmoked up
As many scammers there are "flipping" cars, the title to this video should "Just get it running! Make it the next guy's problem!"
😁
Is there a national listing of trusted shops? I'm in Ga. I'd gladly drive 2-3 hours for a shop that local-ish folks have recommended from folks on this channel that sell reliable engines like this.
No, but any reputable wrecking yard should give 30 to 90 day warranties on engines. If they don't, move on to another junkyard.
@@Kro_man_tx some yards let you pay up for longer warranty coverage. Sometimes worth it, sometimes not.
Do a google search. if they are bad, there will be reviews made by people.
You good, playa? Not normal for you to go 3 days without an upload
Took a couple days off, then failed yesterday... drops in a few minutes! 🍻
I am very leery about salvage yard engines , most places won't do a pre-test and print out the results for the consumer , but if they will I am willing to pay more than a couple hundred for a used engine . ( I DON'T LIKE DOING A JOB TWICE ) . Not to mention I would rather not have a person I sold a car to come back a month later and complain , or worse yet not complain but instead get even in a different way . I want them to come back again to buy another vehicle in the future . Yes I know about as-is laws and I find that if I show the purchaser receipts for a new long block or a new or rebuilt trans they are willing to pay more . But , yes you are correct the cheapest way to do it is buy a used engine and hope for the best .
Proud shop owner here. Rebuild and engine swaps are my bread and butter. Im currently replacing my 3rd Jasper engine due to failure. Ever since covid, old school builders at Jasper never came back to work. Im fonding that there are issues with the 6.2 engines. So be careful.
Jasper rebuilds in the 1970’s
we’re perfect, I worked for a
Ford dealership parts dept. as
a parts truck delivery driver. I
picked up Many Jasper rebuilds
and we never had a problem.
I remember the turquoise paint
color of each mill, bolted secure
to a 4 way square pallet, wrap-
ped meticulously in heavy gauge plastic wrap with paper
work wired on securely. CB
Great breakdown of costs and time! For a daily driver like this I can see how the swap makes the most sense. Also, those bad comment dudes may give you a good idea for a video now and then (explaining how all of this actually works) but I hope you don't take it to heart. There is a never-ending stream of people who have zero grease on their hands who want to suggest how you should run your automotive shop. Laugh at them, use their ignorance for good video ideas, but remember that YOU are the professional.
This is the first video I've seen from this poster. Indeed, I liked the content.
However, in the State of Kommienois, an individual is limited to 6 transfers of title/ 12 Rolling months. To avoid fines and possible jail time if you flip more than six titles then you have to get a "dealer license". Before you can get a dealer license you have to prove you have on promises shop to repair and inspect cars and of course liability insurance.
But with the equipment he has with the lift and the square footage of a shot he cannot get all that for just six cars a year.
Better if he was doing it like most of us who don't have forklifts and 500 square feet of shop space and hydraulic lifts. Then he'd be working pretty hard for his thousand dollars.
Thanks for sharing. Long time viewer. I agree 100% with your logic but you worry too much what the haters say. You get to decide how you do things and "oh well" too bad if others don't like it. Keep up the good work!
I learned something important today. Thank you very much!
Engine swapping can be a gamble, an engine rebuild (built right) can last much longer. Great content. Who can justify selling somebody a vehicle knowing nothing about the engine. The reason we dont have a comparison is a rebuilt engine is a new engine. comparison? nunya'. I do agree with you in regards to time, now that is no comparison. Machinist know they can get things done much faster: FIND A GOOD MACHINIST...
Glad to see the white board in action. A1
100% agree with this after putting 3k into a engine and 6 months later blew it up again the same way i did the first time
The part I hate is here in the Pacific North West everyone thinks they have gold. Your used engine in the PNW would probably be $1300 to $1500.
For a flip car this is likely the best idea. I don't flip cars, I drive them. I also won't do the engine swap myself, that means I'm paying someone else $1,000 - $1,500 to install the engine. If the engine is garbage the salvage yard will gladly exchange it but now I have to pay ANOTHER $1,000 - $1,500 and the hassle of going through all this crap again.
You didn't mention your 'labor cost' in the flip. R&R an engine of course involves hours of time. You have friends help you with a lot of your endeavors. I assume you let them use your shop in exchange for their 'free' labor? Your $1800 Jeep plus $800 used engine plus lights and fluids brings you up to maybe $3K? If you sell it for $4K and you consider yours and others labor time, you are at best breaking even IMHO.
Not to mention the labor to take it back out and get another one when it doesn't work 😖
“It didn’t work out for me when I amateurishly tried it once, so I’m going to convince people that the concept and task itself is flawed. Not me”
Nice use of the white board. Can you double the font size? Can't see what you put down.
Ah yeah, that would’ve been good 💯
Double your browser font size
Dude love the video and the breakdown. I try and explain the method of how I fix things all the time and it’s really cool how you laid out your price breakdown. I have a question though, I know your an a\v wiz and I love your touch screen setup. Can you rig it up where say you have the screen on screen in your editing and time sync it up someway where you can do it weatherman style so we can read the display of the screen easier in the video ? Don’t know if this is easily done but love the video as always keep it up
I blew a head gasket in my 96 xj changed the head gasket and nothing else and it's still running strong 50k miles later so not ever time as you stated