The Powertrain Products Remanufacturing Process: A Video Guide

We talk a lot about the process of remanufacturing an engine here at Powertrain Products. But there’s nothing better than going into the process and seeing it for yourself. In this article, we do just that by covering Sarah’s rebuild of an old, discarded Jeep engine.

The AMC Jeep 4.2-Liter Project – Day 1

Sarah’s engine rebuild project idea began when she came across an old AMC Jeep engine core discarded in the warehouse.

After getting the go-ahead from her boss, she enlisted the help of Dustin and Ken to carry out the rebuild. Check out the video above and watch the time-lapse insert as they start dismantling the engine.

After taking it apart, the team identified the block as being used on AMC Jeeps built from 1979-89. Despite its age, there were no obvious issues with it. All they noticed was the normal wear and tear on the lifters and cams that come with any high-mileage motor.

The diagnosis: A 100% rebuildable engine.

Cleaning The Heads And Block

Next up was a thorough cleaning and blasting of the head, valves, and cylinder block. Once dismantled, it was clear that the head and block were pretty dirty. The cleaning process is as follows:

• First off, the grime was washed off cylinder heads, valves, and block
• The cylinder heads were then blasted clean
• Next, the entire block was placed in the washer again
• Once cleaned, all surfaces were sprayed with WD40 to prevent rust buildup

The end result was quite something. The decades-old block looked like new, and the valves were shiny and clean. Take a look at the cleaning process for yourself in the video above.

Valve Day

Each part of a PPI remanufactured engine is stripped, cleaned, and reassembled. In this video Sarah covers the process the valves go through before they are ready for reassembly. The process involves:

• Blasting
• Polishing
• Grinding
• Washing

To ensure a smooth finish and a perfect fit, the intake valves were ground down to 29-degrees and the exhaust valves to 44-degrees.

This was Sarah’s first rebuild, and she made a small error with one of the valves during the grinding process. The resultant gash on the valve edge may look small, but it can make a big difference once reassembled. It shows just how precise you must be when rebuilding an engine.

With this sort of damage, you can try to lap the valve or replace it.

The Finished Product

With the entire engine dismantled, cleaned, polished, and washed, it was time to begin the reassembly process. Sarah enlisted the help of her colleagues to get all the bits back together.

With the 4.2-liter block secured on a metal stand, the team carefully reassembled the engine. The process is fascinating to watch, as the time lapse video of the build above shows.

The Remanufacturing Process

The video diary of Sarah’s Jeep engine rebuild gives a great insight into how thorough the remanufacturing process is. Here’s the complete AMC/Jeep video list:

• Day One
• Head and Block Cleaning
• Valve Grinding
• Engine Reassembly

Each one of our remanufactured engines goes through the following steps:

1. Disassembly And Cleaning – Iron components are hot-tanked, while aluminum parts are thermally cleaned. The cleaning process is repeated until all deposits are removed.
2. Inspection – We use a magnetic particle inspection process (Magnaflux) to check for cracks or fissures in ferrous components. We also conduct a thorough visual inspection of all non-ferrous parts.
3. Machining And New Parts -We use precision CNC machining to ensure perfectly even surfaces. We replace items like the bearings, pistons, rings, lifters, and timing chains or belts.
4. SIM Testing – Once the engine is reassembled, it is compression tested. Cam actuators on engines equipped with variable valve timing are tested to ensure proper engagement and timing. The cooling system is pressurized and tested. Finally, the crank assembly is spun at 750rpm to confirm everything has been assembled correctly.

Powertrain Products Is The Nation’s No.1 Supplier Of Engines, Transmissions, Diffs, And Transfer Cases

Do you need a replacement engine for your Vehicle? Perhaps it’s suffered a terminal failure, has overheated, or maybe it’s done starship mileage. Whatever the reason, Powertrain Products has a replacement engine for your vehicle.

We stock thousands of quality rebuilt engines, all fully assembled and updated to correct any factory faults. We offer up to a 7-year million-mile warranty. And can deliver to most of the continental US in 1-3 days.

Contact us at 1-888-842-0023 or leave us your details online. Our friendly staff will help get you a replacement engine in no time.