Bulletins > The Difference Between Rebuilt, Reconditioned and Remanufactured Engines

The Difference Between Rebuilt, Reconditioned and Remanufactured Engines

Remanufacturing and reconditioning are sometimes used interchangeably where engines are concerned, but in fact they have quite distinct meanings.

A reconditioned engine is one which has been stripped or disassembled, cleaned and may have some damaged parts replaced before being rebuilt.

A remanufactured engine, on the other hand, must meet a certain standard in order to be described as such under BS AU 257:2002, the British Standard which covers remanufacturing of internal combustion engines. The specification for this was created by the BSI (British Standards Institute) in collaboration with the Federation of Engine Remanufacturers (FER).

In order to qualify as remanufactured under BS AU 257:2002, an engine must be stripped completely and all parts cleaned thoroughly and tested for damage. The engine is then rebuilt using new gaskets, bearings, pistons and rings as well as machined cylinder head and block faces, often including extensive work such as re-grinding a crank-shaft or re-boring the cylinder block. The engine is then tested thoroughly for oil pressure and/or water leaks.

Clearly then a remanufactured engine is a superior product and involves far more work than a reconditioned one, although this does obviously come at a higher cost.