Overview

Engine Overhaul

Machines break down and moving parts wear out, that’s just a fact of life. Engines are no different and sometimes an overhaul is needed to restore the engine to optimum performance.

So what does an engine overhaul entail?

With so many moving components, there will be inevitable wear and tear that goes on inside the engine. An overhaul means taking the engine out of the car, and taking it apart to get to the insides, particularly the pistons, piston rings, rods and bearings, which all need to be replaced with new parts. The engine is like an air pump, and when the piston rings and bearings are worn out, air doesn’t get pumped as efficiently as it did before.

So how do you know if your car needs an overhaul? Excessive white smoke coming from the exhaust is an almost sure sign the engine needs it. Another sign is that the engine doesn’t idle smoothly and seems like its sputtering, often on high mileage (200,000km +) vehicles.

An overhaul can also be called an engine rebuild and for the performance oriented person, it involves replacing the stock internals with something significantly stronger like forged pistons and connecting rods to withstand higher levels of power. With the exception of the component costs, machine shop and labor costs are pretty much the same.