Engine Replacement at Johnny's Automotive
When an engine is past economical repair, you deserve a straight comparison of remanufactured and used, what the swap really includes, and a decision made with you.
Is my engine worth fixing, or is it time to replace it?
Every engine reaches a point where repairing it stops making financial sense. Where that point sits is different for every vehicle and every owner, and it is not a call we make on our own. What we owe you is an honest picture: what the engine needs, what a replacement actually involves, and what each path likely costs you over the next few years of owning the car.
Replacement usually comes up after a specific finding. A spun bearing, a cracked block, scored cylinder walls, a rod knock, or the aftermath of an engine that ran without oil pressure. Those are not gasket and seal problems. When we find one, we show you what we found before anyone talks about options.
From there you generally have two honest paths. A remanufactured engine has been fully disassembled, machined, and rebuilt to a specification with new wear parts, and it carries coverage from the builder. A used engine comes out of another vehicle with a history you cannot fully verify, mileage documented as well as the supplier can document it, and usually shorter coverage. Remanufactured costs more up front and carries less risk. Used costs less and carries more. On a car you plan to keep two more years, used can be exactly right. On a truck you intend to drive for another decade, it usually is not.
A proper swap is more than lifting one engine out and setting another one in. Whatever killed the first engine has to be dealt with, or the new one inherits it. That means the cooling system, the mounts, belts and hoses, fluids, and the seals and gaskets that are far easier to reach with the engine out of the way. We go through exactly which parts are in your quote before the wrenches come out, and we would rather talk you out of the job than sell you one the car does not deserve.
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Problems we fix
Our experts diagnose and resolve any issue.
There is a deep knock that changes with engine speed
A knock tied to rpm often means a rod or main bearing has failed. That is internal damage, and driving it gently does not slow it down much.
The oil light came on and I kept going for a few miles
Bearings wear quickly once oil pressure is gone. How far the engine ran that way is usually what decides whether this is a repair or a replacement.
It overheated badly and it has never run right since
Severe overheating can distort or crack parts that cannot be fixed with the engine in the car. We measure the damage before anyone uses the word replacement.
There is metal in the oil or on the drain plug
Metallic glitter in the filter or on the plug means something inside is wearing away into the oil. What the metal is and how much of it there is tells us how far along it has gone.
Another shop said it needs an engine
Sometimes it truly does. Sometimes a single failed component mimics a much bigger problem. We would rather test it ourselves than pass along a diagnosis we did not verify.
The repair estimate is close to what the car is worth
That is the moment to look at the whole vehicle instead of just the engine. Transmission, body, tires, and how long you actually want to keep it all belong in that math.
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Learn moreEngine Replacement questions, answered
Common questions about our engine replacement services.
How do you decide between a remanufactured and a used engine?
We start with how long you plan to keep the vehicle and what the rest of it looks like. Remanufactured is the lower risk option and costs more, used is the opposite, and both are legitimate depending on your plan for the car. We lay out what each one comes with and let you pick.
How long will my vehicle be down?
It depends on the vehicle and on how quickly the right engine can be sourced, which is the part neither of us controls. Once the engine is located we can give you a real timeline instead of a hopeful one, and if something changes we call you rather than let you wonder.
Is a replacement engine covered by a warranty?
There are two pieces of coverage and you should see both. The engine itself carries whatever the builder or supplier provides, and the labor we perform is covered by our 36 month, 36,000 mile nationwide warranty. We put both in writing with the estimate so there is no guessing later.
Can I see the old engine and what failed?
Yes, and we would rather you did. If a bearing spun or a cylinder is scored, that is something you can look at with your own eyes. Nobody should approve a job this size on our word alone.
Is it ever worth putting a new engine in an older car?
Often, yes. A paid off vehicle you know the history of can be worth keeping, and an engine is usually cheaper than several years of payments. It stops making sense when the rest of the car is tired too, and we will say so if that is what we see.
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Decades of trusted service