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SHOULD I BUY A USED RACING ENGINE?
Ron Hedger
If you've asked yourself this question, you're not alone. And depending
on your circumstances, you might be considering one of the smartest moves
in racing.
"Most of the racers who buy used engines are guys having engine
troubles" explains master engine builder Kevin Enders. "They're always
looking for an engine because they don't properly maintain their
equipment, so they buy another motor and blow that up too. It's usually
not the engine's fault, it's theirs.
"The guys for whom a used engine really makes sense are beginners, teams
on a budget and someone who wants a reliable spare. If you buy the right
one, a used engine is an excellent value."
"Our used motors are great for beginners" offers Eckerd 200 winner Tim
Fuller. "You can buy a good used big block for $10-12,000 that might be
lacking 10 or 20 horsepower but a beginner doesn't need that anyway.
It'll be a reliable, top of the line motor they won't have to take back
until the end of the year. That's what you need when you're starting
out. You don't need motor bills, you need to spend your time and money
on the car and learning how to race."
The key, according to Enders, is knowing what you're getting before you
sign the check.
"If you buy a reputable builder's engine that's been maintained
properly, it's just as good as a new engine. Most of the professional
teams like to turn their equipment over after two or three years. They
want new stuff because they're racing for a living. And they're usually
the best at maintenance because they hate to drop out of races.
"You need to talk with the builder and, if he's on top of his business,
he'll have complete records for that particular engine. And I don't mean
off the top of his head. He should have written records of what has been
done to that engine, when it was done and a close estimate of how much
time is on it."
"A team without a lot of money can buy from a top shelf team who's taken
care of the motor correctly for about half price" adds Jody Gable, owner
of the Budweiser #1 that Brett Hearn drove to the Lebanon Valley Speedway
title in 2004. "People come to us because Brett wins a lot, they know we
take care of our motors and because it was an Enders to begin with."
And while motors used by such high-profile Enders customers as Hearn,
Fuller and Billy Decker are obviously highly sought after, other bargains
exist as well.
"You can buy a quality piece from any of our customers" counsels Kevin
Enders. "The main factor is maintenance, not who owned it. You have to
call us and get an accurate account. You can put the best motor in the
world in a poor chassis with a bad driver and you'll never win anything.
The motor, though, could be a great buy when they get discouraged and
quit racing."
Another oft asked question is whether Enders can take someone else's
motors and convert them to his specifications.
"It all depends on the particular parts used in an engine" replies
Enders. "Tony Feil, for instance, is a reputable engine builder and he
doesn't use substandard parts like we'll run into from time to time with
some other builders. If we redid an engine that he'd built, we would
have a good chance of making it very similar to something we'd done
originally."
Another common query is whether an engine offered for sale is really an
Enders?
"That's easy," says Kevin. "We serial number the blocks and the
cylinder heads. It's a simple matter to determine if it's one of ours or
not."
"Buying through a team is OK if you know them but if you talk to Kevin,
he won't tell you a fib," adds Scott Jeffery, crew chief for DIRT star
Billy Decker. "It's his reputation as a builder that's on the line so
you're better off to talk with him and get the true story. We're in a
situation where we can update every couple of years to stay on top of our
game but some guys have some pretty tired stuff they're trying to
unload."
How old, then, is too old? "I don't think an engine six or eight years
old is too old" declares Enders. "But that's assuming good maintenance.
We always come back to that. We've got enough data and experience over
the years that we know when parts need replacing, so even if it's old,
the vital components shouldn't be outdated. We can tell you what's been
changed and how much time is on the new pieces.
"A more important question is 'Where did they race it?' For example,
using a Lebanon Valley engine at Cayuga County would be pretty difficult.
With the Valley power curve, there's a lot more torque available.
Torque is what makes the rear tires spin and at Cayuga County, you're
dealing with a slick surface and you'll have a harder time hooking the
car up. But if you get an engine that's a good deal, we can convert it,
tailor it more to the type of surface you'll be on. There's not a huge
difference if it's a motor we built originally.
"Where guys go wrong with used engines is trying to take two or three to
make one good engine. That's way too expensive. They might better wait
for one good engine to come along. The other thing to stay away from is
swap meets or auctions. The parts are there because somebody wants to
get rid of them. What you don't know is why.
"You see six rods and you know there were eight originally. Did they
run it out of oil and spin the bearings or did two rods break in the
beam? Remember, if they were any good, they wouldn't be throwing them
away."
Once a quality engine is located and purchased, the real work begins.
Even a used engine represents a major investment and, like a house or
road car, ongoing attention is required.
"Most teams need to get educated a little bit" suggests Enders. "They
have to learn how to properly maintain what they buy. If they do, the
used engine will last a long while and turn out to be a very good deal."
"Read Kevin's newsletters and do what he says!" adds Fuller. "It works
for us."
The bottom line, as always, is the bottom line. "There are some lying
skunks in this business, just like any other business," says Enders.
"Before you buy anything, talk to the engine builder. Do it right and
you'll get a quality piece at a reasonable price instead of buying
someone else's troubles."
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