Are rebuilt engines reliable?

[smart guy]

And if so, what makes them reliable? Also, if I have an old car, (like from the 1950's or 1960's) is it better to rebuild the original engine, or is it better (and maybe slightly more efficient) to get another engine for it? I personally don't care if the engine is original or not - I would just want it to run reliably and safely.

Also, if it is better to get a new (or another engine anyways,) where should I look to buy one?

If it's better to rebuild the engine, then what are the best parts to get, and where would I go for those parts?

(The same question will apply to transmissions. However, for transmissions, if I have an old car with a push-button transmission, how would I install a new transmission and still be able to go into gear by using the push-buttons? That's assuming that it is better to get a new transmission.)

 This is just a hypothetical question. I'm only in high school, after all. But I would like to buy an old 1950's car some day. But if you could answer, I'd sure appreciate it.
I will say, of course, that if I had my way, I'd try to keep the original engine, since I would know that it fits in the right place. And, the type of car I'm acking about is a late 1950's Mopar.

[belairjr]

A. buy American   B.get something that places have parts for {Chevy Ford Dodge etc.} C. find a good machinist. D. DONT OVERBUILD THE ENGINE!......theres lots of book catalogs etc about engine building and design. good luck have fun.

[deepak jacob t]

yes strictly speeking one can rebuilt an engine fo 2 to 3 tymes, yes a rebuilt engine can obtain as good as the same efficiency as that of the old engine , because at time or rebuilt or major overhauling of an engine we can we completely change all the defective parts and bring the engine back to its younger life

[dodge man]

yes now days they are more reliable than they use to be ,they also come with a warranty with them so if you do have any problems they replace them so really you cant beat the rebuilt ones these days,jasper engines sells one of the best rebuilt their is on the market these days,with a 3 year 75 thousand mile warranty on them thats real hard to beat,when you decide on that and the car you might want to check in to one of their engines,they have them to fit about any car made now days,good luck.

[Peggy R]

I wouldent trust it

[pedito]

as with anything, you get what you pay for. a cheap rebuilt engine will not last long. on the other hand, a quality rebuild, is actually better than a new engine. since the block and associated part are seasoned . they are more stable and will hold their tolerances better than a new block. of course, you can choose what parts are used in the build. high quality parts are far superior to factory parts and will give better performance and life. but, expect to pay for all this, it's not cheap.......

[Mustanger]

Rebuilt engines are as reliable as the person who does the work and the parts he uses. If done right they are every bit as reliable as a new engine. On old cars from the 50's putting a new engine in it may be a good option if you plan on driving it a lot and want good gas mileage. The old carbureted engines didn't get nearly as good mileage as the newer engines with fuel injection and an ECM. Ford and Chevy both sell full engines ready to drop in. Not cheap but they're readily available. Not all transmissions use push buttons and any one you buy could be outfitted with an appropriate shifter. If you use a modern engine then you should also avail yourself of a modern and superior transmission. Personally I like to keep the old ones original. They're much easier to work on that way.

[HyperDog]

It depends on who rebuilt the engine.   If it is done by someone who really knows engine rebuilding, and who will go the extra mile to ensure bearing and piston ring clearances are optimal, that the head is not warped, the block is not cracked, oil passages are clear, bearing lands and rod caps are properly torqued, etc, etc., the engine can actually be BETTER than it was off the assembly line.  

If you have Joe Screwdriver "rebuild" it for cheap, you might end up with an engine like a friend of mine once paid about $700 for (back when $700 was an almost fair price).   The guy drove up to his house and left the engine running, collected his $700 cash, and took off in a car driven by his friend, who had followed him.      My friend parked the car in his driveway and shut it off.     When he went to re-start it about 1/2 hour later, the engine wouldn't crank.  Oh it TRIED to crank, but the yokels who rebuilt it didn't bother to hone the cylinders and check the ring gap clearances - the engine was "ring bound", that is, the piston rings were SO tight the car had to be push-started - the starter, even with an auxillary battery hooked up, simply didn't have the torque to crank the engine.    We theorized that the rebuilder must have realized something was wrong when he went to first start the car and that was why he left it running.    My friend was never able to get in touch with that jerk.   I think he eventually managed to get the problem to go away by driving the car a hundred or so miles and it apparently WORE away enough metal that he was able to start it without having to get a push.  

[Dan W]

USED ENGINES COME AS :
used: old parts , old designs;
R ebuilt: old blocks and old parts built up to stock specs;
Reconditioned  old blocks with new and used parts;
For years the best builders used old blocks because they had set thru repeated heat cycles.
The most expensive are the "Crate motors" brand new and built by factory technicians to almost any size or HP.