What mechanical part(s) in the car determines the life of the engine? I mean by like, as the odometer reading gets higher, which part(s) in the engine becomes weaker?

 

Engine life always depends on how hard you drive the car and the state of tune it is in. If you keep it full or good clean oil all the time, stay on top of maintenance such as spark plugs, timing belt, ignition timing set correctly, etc. then your engine will be happy and last a long time. A very important part of engine life is making sure your engine is completely warmed up before driving it hard. Driving hard on a cold engine is hard on bearings, seals, pistons/rings. Probably single most important part of ensuring a brand new engine has a long and happy life is to break it in properly. With the tight tolerances in todays engines, especially imports, you have but a very short time to properly seat the rings which has GREAT affect on how the engine operates throughout it's life. If it's new break it in quick and semi hard. If it's got more than 5,000kms on it, it's probably too late and you have to trust it was done correctly.

The parts that generally wear out are rod and crank bearings, piston rings, valve seals, after a while the valve springs start to lose spring pressure as they weaken through heat and stress cycling. Water pump also needs to be replaced usually around the second timing belt change, 200,000kms. At least valve springs, valve seals, and water pump are relatively cheap and easy to install. Valve guides usually take a long time to wear out as do the valves.......although you can always wear these out prematurely if you abuse your engine all the time.

Warm it up.......drive it hard.....keep it tuned.

 

wow, awesome. thanx dude!

I wonder cuz I surfed on Craigslist, and found a car that says something like "268,000 miles on chassis, 51000 miles on REBUILT engine". I thought I can find out what parts are needed to replace so the engine can have a second life or something.

 

Mugen is 100% Correct.

Beware of rebuilt engines though, or at least I would. I worry because all rebuilt engines are not equal. Questions I would ask would be:

1) Why did you rebuild it?

2) If you didn't rebuild it, who did?

3) What was replaced?

4)Who made the parts that were replaced?

5) Do you have reciepts?

6) Did the head need to be resurfaced?

I just really worry about buying from someone who rebuilt an engine in thier backyard with parts from a junkyard with as much engine rebuilding skills and experience as Martha Stewart.

 

Those are really good questions Scuzz.

Also, if the pistons and or piston rings were replaced ask if the cylinders were honed. If they weren't honed then good luck on ever seating the new rings correctly.

Rebuilt engines scare me too because everyone thinks they can piece one together after watching an episode of Two Guys Garage.

 

Also, if you buy a replacement motor, make sure you get the VIN of the donor car from which the motor came. Get a reciept. Keep a copy of it with you.

You don't want to end up buying stolen property and funding the a$$holes that steal our $hit to begin with.