Crate Engine

I need a replacement 5.4l engine for my old Ford F250.

Just wondering if anyone has any recommendations and/or comments on the difference between Autozone & O'Reilly's rebuilt crate engines...

Those are the only two main auto chains around close (NAPA was quite a bit higher on quote).


Thanks for any info,
Howard

I put a reman engine in a '99 Grand Cherokee last year. I shopped around, all chain store prices were about the same. However Performance Automotive, who carries Marshall engines, had the best warranty, at 3 years, unlimited miles, nationwide. This was a deciding factor for me, as the field was basically level otherwise.

Unfortunately I later found out that you can also order Marshall engines from Rock Auto. Doing so would have save me about $500.

I do not know for certain if the same warranty applies if you buy through Rock Auto. I would assume so, as I was told it was a Marshall Engines warranty, not a Performance Automotive chain store warranty.

Hope this helps,

Anthony

try also summit racing on line, we have ordered engines from them , and check with your ford dealer on a factory reman engine, often they are price matched close to auto parts stores.

I installed a Jasper engine and am very satisified with it.

Harold H

How many miles were on the 5.4 and what year and what went wrong with it? Thanks

Good luck with the Marshall engine. Mine was the best junk boat anchor I ever had!!!!!!!!

I use Rock Auto a lot for small parts. But when you are talking prices here for long or short blocks, did you figure the shipping with Rock Auto?
Quite often Rock Auto is a bargain on heavy parts....until you figure in the shipping and the return core costs.

Typically "Crate Motor "Is defined as New from manufacture. For a reman,I suggest Jasper .They engineer in a lot of improvements over factory faults.

Chain parts stores are middle men if you have a issue you deal with the re builder not the chain store... I have seen and dealt with them it normally does not go well on a warranty issue,,, you are on your own.... Jasper is the way I would go are a Ford factory reman... I will not install a engine that comes from a chain store I don't need the headache...

Gambles, I was wondering that exact thing - about shipping to get the core back to them.

I thought that would be one advantage of dealing locally with the store and let them worry about that...

Howard

I had 209,000 on it. A lot of the last 50,000 miles were dragging tractors with it.

It developed a light knock at high revs and then "migrated" to doing it just going down the road. I stopped the minute it did that and brought it home on a trailer.

Took the belt off (in case it was a "chirpy" bearing) and started it and it had a definite light knock - sounds like on one cylinder.

The oil pressure never has fluctuated & it didn't have any metal in the oil, plus it idles smooth as silk, so I suspected maybe a timing chain was shelling out.

Pulled the timing cover off - and the chains are fine.

Took the "easy" valve cover off and everything looks fine, so I really think it must be a sloppy wrist pin letting a piston hit a valve.

Anyway, to get the other valve cover off, it would be just as easy to pull the whole engine from where I'm at with it now, so if I'm going to do that, I think I'll just put a rebuilt engine in it.

I've been burned too many times by the local "mechanics" back when I was farming to try to get it repaired, especially with that many miles, so I think this would be the best route.

I've heard a lot of good comments on Jasper, but their website seems to want to push you only to an "authorized installer".

I called one of the closest ones to me (130 miles away) and the mechanic there told me he'd about gone away from Jasper to just using Ford remans...

I don't use it as a daily driver, so I'm sort of just looking around at different options...

Howard

Be careful with Jasper. My friend is a machanic and he used Jasper for many years. Just this weekend he said he's had to quit using them because he's had to many problems lately and they are getting worse to work with on warranty. I know nothing about them, just repeating what he said.

Factory reman engines are usually the best. I never use chain store remans. If a Jasper salesman comes around my shop, I throw them out. The last Jasper I got involved in, a Toyota 3.0 in a Four Runner, it took three to get one to work. Never again!

My friend had a Ford bought new in 03 factory trans lasted 100000 put a jasper reman in 1st lasted 20000 2nd lasted about 30000 he sold the truck. I personally will never own a jasper because of this and my parent's issues with the 350 Chevy put in their boat 15yrs ago the Ford was a 7.3 diesel used the same and was chipped for the whole time all three transmissions where in the truck so take from this as you wish just sharing experiences with jasper rebuilds

I personally never had to put a reman in anything I've owned one truck was suppose to have a goodwrench engine in it when i bought it but never got any paper work with it.

Howarde,

Like I previously stated, I am very satisfied with my Jasper engine. Returning the core is no problem. They send all the paper work and you just bolt the return core to the same crate you received the rebuilt engine on and call the deliverer, UPS in my case, and they come pick it up. If I need another rebuilt engine for something, I would definitely consider using Jasper again.

Harold H

Marshall engines are made in Kearney,Ne and thats 45 miles from me and I'd never buy one. Too many friends have been dissatified with them. The kicker for me was a friend of mine was working there and saw a guy litteraly drop a head on the cement floor, pick it up, and put it on top of an engine and send it out. He finally quit that place because he was catching the buiseness from so many folks. That has been years ago but it got me to not get one. I had great luck with a 4star reman and have a friend running a motorcraft/factory ford replacement that like his.

Hello, we use a fair number of these engines, it is hard to beat a genuine Ford reman engine. Great warranty and pricing is really not too bad. Dave

I would go with a Ford "crate" motor. It is a new motor. The price is not that bad and you get good warranty.

I would not use a Jasper engine for anything other than a boat anchor. I have seen too many of theirs not last through the warranty period. They they are a bear to get the warranty from.

Before you buy be sure to check out a Genuine Ford Reman engine, I have purchased a 5.4 from Ford, good price, great warranty and good service, delivered right to my shop and they picked up the core when I had it ready. Engine runs nice,would use them again.

To a degree, you are correct. I price both online and locally. Usually online is still cheaper, even after shipping. Only a few times have I come out ahead by buying in town.

On the engine specifically, shipping was about the same both ways. It was something like $1700 for the engine, $150 freight through Rock Auto; $2200 for the engine, $150 freight through Performance Auto.

Anthony