Q: My truck threw a rod, should i consider a crate engine to replace it with, or just a regular engine.

The question you should ask yourself is how much of a budget you are having for your vehicle. The difference between a crate engine and a new engine is that the crate engine will come with all of the parts including the intake and exhaust manifolds as it is used to swap out directly with the vehicle. Usually this is very costly. New engines come with long blocks (block and cylinder heads) and short blocks (just the lower end block) but nothing else. A remanufactured engine will be the same as a new engine but some parts (the camshaft and crankshaft) may be reused but ground down to clean up any old used parts. I recommend that you decide on what you want based on price and warranty that an engine specialist will offer. I recommend seeking out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you decide on which engine you would like if you are unsure.

Hello and thanks for writing in. When it comes to a "crate engine," most of these are not completely "new" in the respect that the entire motor is brand new from top to bottom. Typically what this means is that they are re-manufactured external engine components (i.e. engine block, cylinder heads, etc.), but the internal components (i.e. camshaft, crankshaft, pistons, etc.) are new. Re-manufactured engines are essentially "used" in nearly every respect as they are engines that have primarily used parts to the extent they are still within certain specs and re-usable. During the re-manufacturing process, the engine is completely disassembled, damaged components replaced, worn components replaced, the entire engine is machined to OEM specifications and then it’s reassembled and tested. There is also a distinction between re-manufactured and rebuilt where the re-manufactured engine is for nearly all purposes, new in almost every way. The rebuilt engine is not new and is simply put back together with new parts where needed. Ultimately, the choice depends on what the engine will be used for. If it is an engine that is subject to very stressful conditions, you may want to consider a re-manufactured motor over a rebuilt engine.