Rebuild bay
Remanufactured Engines
An OEM-quality rebuild against a tested used engine, weighed honestly, so the choice fits the car rather than whichever one happened to be on the shelf that day.
Chapter 01
When remanufactured is the better answer than used
A used engine is a real donor unit, tested and sold as what it is: a good example of that engine, pulled off a vehicle that ran fine until something else on the car ended its life. A remanufactured engine is built up to OEM specification instead, with the wear parts inside it replaced rather than carried over from whichever vehicle it came out of.
Neither one is automatically the right call. A common engine with plenty of good used examples on the shelf rarely needs the rebuild route. A less common one, or a car that is going to be kept and driven hard for years past the point most people would trade it in, is where a rebuild starts to make more sense than hoping the next used unit tested better than the last.
The counter at A-Affordable Auto Parts in Joliet, with Wall of Fame signage on the wall behind it.
What a rebuild actually replaces
A remanufactured engine gets its wear components replaced as part of the build, which is the whole reason it costs more than a used unit and carries more confidence going in. That does not mean every bolt-on part comes new with it.
The long block itself, the block, crank, pistons, connecting rods and complete heads, is what the rebuild and the warranty both focus on. Ask the counter exactly what is included on the specific engine you are pricing before you commit, because the answer can shift depending on what came with the core.
Chapter 03
The fitting condition still applies
A remanufactured engine has to go in the same way a used one does: installed by a certified mechanic, or the warranty is not in effect. That is not a formality tacked on after the sale, it is a condition of the cover itself, and it is worth saying at the counter before the engine leaves Patterson Road rather than after.
If your mechanic already has the certification, nothing changes about how the job gets scheduled. If you are choosing a shop, ask the question directly, because it is the one thing that can void an otherwise solid rebuild.
Lead time and the estimate window
A remanufactured engine is a build, not something already sitting tested on a shelf, so it runs on a different clock than pulling a used one. The free estimate still lands within one to two days, but that estimate is where the counter can also tell you roughly how long the specific build will take, so you know what you are scheduling around before you commit to it.
Call (815) 249-4215 with the year, make, model and engine code, and Joliet can start pricing both options side by side rather than guessing which one you meant.
A-Affordable Auto Parts, family-owned since 1989, rated 4.1 out of 5 across 121 Google reviews. Call (815) 249-4215.
If a used engine fits better
Plenty of jobs are better served by a good used engine than a rebuild, and the counter will say so rather than sell the more expensive option out of habit. Whichever way it goes, the exact warranty terms, returns and core policy are written out in full on our warranties page.
Not sure which one your car needs?
Tell the counter the year, make, model and engine code and Joliet will price the used and remanufactured options against each other, honestly, before you decide.