What goes into a rebuilt engine?

[jnorion]

When you talk about rebuilding an engine, what exactly do you mean? What is the process, what gets replaced? And when it is done, how much difference does it make? Is the engine as good as new at that point, and if not, how much life expectancy does it have?

I am looking at a 1993 Volvo with 263k miles on the odometer. It does not actually say it has a rebuilt engine, but the service records indicate that the gaskets, valves, timing belt, and a bunch of other stuff that I don't remember right now has been changed within the last 100k miles or so, although not all at once. My impression was that those things made up a good portion of rebuilding an engine, and that therefore the car should be a lot more reliable than another car with that many miles. Any input?

[91ProtegeLX]

well i think that depends....

Some people will say rebuild when just all the belts, gaskets, seals etc are replaced. I consider that an overhaul/refreshing of the engine

Personally when I talk about rebuilding an engine, I'm talking everything.
Whether it be aftermarket or OEM stuff....new pistons, rods, reboring the block, hot tank, honing, oil pump, all gaskets and seals and valves and so on and so forth basically getting the motor back the way it was when it left the factory.

But thats just me.

[Intruder]

Sounds like a valve job to me. They refreshed the cylinder head and changed all the belts, etc.

[jnorion]

So how much would that add to the life of the engine?

[Intruder]

Can't really tell you how much a valve-job extends the life of the engine as a whole. If the bottom end is screwed, the engine is going to die regardless of what condition the head is in.

[jnorion]

Hmm. The engine felt absolutely perfect while I was driving it, but I haven't gotten a mechanic to look at it yet.

[ThatCarGuy]

Volvos run forever... there is a chance that car has another 200,000 miles on it.