Engine reconditioning

How to get your engine back to as-new condition without falling foul of British Standards.

In the early days of motoring, many cars had to have their engines dismantled periodically, not only to remove carbon build-up but also to attend to worn components. At major service intervals, owners expected a typical garage to conduct some repair work to the cylinderhead or engine block, with a cylinder-boring machine, jacks, valve lapping sticks and grinding paste being essential items in mechanics’ toolboxes.

Even after companies were established to specialise solely in remanufacturing or reconditioning engines, quality was so variable that a group of concerned professionals formed the National Association of Crankshaft and Cylinder Grinders in 1937 to enhance the industry’s reputation. The Association was renamed the Federation of Engine Remanufacturers (FER) in 1968.

Half-a-century on, the FER continues to have an important role in representing the industry and ensuring that car owners are offered engines that are built to the same specification as a brand-new unit, albeit at a significant cost advantage.

Setting standards

Perhaps the FER’S most important contribution was establishing the formal technical specifications and procedures that define what can be described as a ‘remanufactured’ engine. The Code of Practice for the remanufacture of spark and compression ignition engines (BS AU 257: 2002) was created with the British Standards Institution (BSI) and is evolving continually.

The FER’S operations manager, Owen Laurenson, explains to CM readers why they can trust any engine remanufacturer, or machinist, that is an FER member: “I visit existing members on a regular basis, to ensure that the BSI standard and our own FER Code of Practice are being upheld, including all FER members providing a warranty scheme for their customers. Should you, as a consumer, have a dispute or concern with a particular FER member, the FER has a complaints process that I administer. If needed, we look at arbitration and can instigate an independent inspection and report.”

While it is possible to repair an engine at home, remanufacturing it yourself to BSI specifications might be more expensive than buying a replacement – choose your options wisely.

Access to official data for any engine is critical. This includes not only tolerances and specifications of replacement parts, but also torque and/or angle settings of fixings.

Original equipment (OE) parts must be used. This means choosing components that meet the specifications of the original parts. If you shop wisely, you should not be at the mercy of a main dealer parts counter.