Automobile engine replacement

An automobile engine replacement is an engine or a major part of one that is sold individually without any other parts required to make a functional car (for example a drivetrain). These engines are produced either as aftermarket parts or as reproductions of an engine that has gone out of production.

Use

Replacement engines can be used for many purposes, but mainly they are used to replace classic car engines that are in bad condition/broken, or to install a more powerful engine in a vehicle. Replacement engines are also often used to make an old car more reliable for daily use. Classic car hobbyists may also install reproductions of a rare powerplant in a classic car (this is most often seen in Mopar muscle cars that have the legendary 426 Hemi installed into them).

Aftermarket engines are used in many forms of motorsport. Some late model racecar series use "crate motors" which are made by independent firms. This ensures that drivers all have similarly powered racecars.

Replacement blocks

New castings of some engines are sometimes produced by independent companies. These blocks commonly replace rare or popular designs for aftermarket rebuilding, especially when the original is no longer produced. They are sometimes available in aluminum instead of original iron, or in stronger alloys. Often they imitate the larger available displacements that were produced in small numbers or allow for displacements never available.

Terminology

• short block - everything between the cylinder head and the oil pan (excluding those items).
• long block - a short block, with mounted and gasketed cylinder head, valves and camshaft.
• crate engine - often more than a long block, including intake manifold, and carburetor or fuel injection system, and perhaps an alternator.

See also

• Engine tuning
• Engine swap

External links

• GM crate engines
• Ford crate engines
• Mopar crate engines