Automotive and diesel
Engine Repair and Replacement
Engine work is where a shop earns or loses your trust, because you cannot see it and the number is large. We tell you what we found, what it will take, and what happens if you wait.
What it usually turns out to be
You do not need a diagnosis to call. Describe what it is doing and we will tell you whether it is a shop job.
A knock or a tap that follows the engine speed
Noise that tracks engine speed rather than road speed is internal, and where it sits in the rev range narrows it a long way. We listen, we check oil pressure and condition, and we do a compression and leak-down test before anyone gives you a number. A tap on cold start that goes away is a different conversation from a knock under load.
The oil light flickers, or comes on at idle and goes off when you rev
Stop driving it. Pressure that drops at idle is telling you something about clearances, the pump or the oil itself, and continuing is how a repairable engine becomes a replacement one. This is the single most expensive warning to ignore.
White smoke, blue smoke, or the exhaust smells sweet
Color is genuinely diagnostic here. Blue is oil, white with a sweet smell is usually coolant, and black is fuel. We confirm it rather than reading the tailpipe alone, but it tells us where to look first.
You are adding oil between changes and there is no puddle
It is going somewhere: burning, or out of a leak that lands on something hot. Both are worth chasing at the pint-a-month stage rather than the quart-a-week stage.
It runs rough, and the check engine light is on
A code is a starting point, not an answer. We read it, then we test the thing it points at, because a misfire code names the cylinder and not the reason. Replacing the part a code mentions is how people spend money twice.
What we do
- Engine replacement, gas and diesel
- Timing chain and timing belt service
- Cylinder head repair, valve work and grinding
- Internal gasket replacement
- Oil leak diagnosis and repair
- Compression and leak-down testing
Will it fit
The question owners ask first and almost nobody answers on a website.
- Service bays
- 7
- Sized for a Class A
- 4
- Yard entrances
- 2
Two yard entrances is what makes a long rig easy to get in and back out of. Call with your length before you drive over and we will tell you whether it fits and when the bay is free.
What we do not do here
- We will tell you when an engine is not worth repairing. Sometimes the honest answer is that the repair costs more than the vehicle is worth, and you should hear that from us before you spend anything, not after.
- We do not publish a rebuild-versus-replace policy, because it is genuinely a case-by-case decision about your vehicle, your mileage and what you want to do with it. You will get both options and both numbers.
- We do not quote engine work over the phone. Anyone who gives you a firm number for internal engine work before looking at it is guessing, and the guess will be wrong in one direction or the other.
- We do not estimate turnaround on this page. Engine work depends on parts and on what we find once it is apart, and a date on a website is not a date.
Before you call, have this handy
None of it is required. It just gets you a real answer on the first call instead of the second.
What it is doing, and how long it has been doing it
Noises, smoke, temperature, oil use, and whether it came on suddenly or crept up. Sudden and gradual point at different things.
The service history, honestly
Especially oil changes. Nobody is going to lecture you. It genuinely changes what is likely, and guessing wrong costs you diagnostic time you are paying for.
What another shop has already told you
If you have an estimate or a diagnosis from somewhere else, bring it. We would rather agree with it and say so than charge you to rediscover it.
What you want to do with the vehicle
Keep it five more years or get through the winter. The right repair is different, and it is your call to make with real numbers in front of you.
Questions
Questions we get asked
Should I repair it or replace the engine?
It depends on what failed, on the mileage, and on what you want from the vehicle. You will get both options with real numbers rather than a recommendation dressed up as the only choice. Sometimes the answer is neither, and we will say that too.
How do I know the diagnosis is right?
Ask us to show you. Compression and leak-down numbers are numbers, not opinions, and we would rather walk you through them than have you take a large repair on trust.
How long will you have my vehicle?
Longer than any other job on this site, and it depends on parts and on what we find once it is open. We will give you a realistic date when we know one and update you when it changes, rather than promising a day now.
Do you work on diesel as well as gas?
Both, under one roof, which is unusual for an independent around here. That includes the diesel in a pickup and the diesel in a motorhome chassis.
Can I claim this on an extended warranty?
Often, and engine failure is exactly when those policies matter. Bring the contract. We write the estimate and deal with the carrier, and there is a page on this site about how that works.
Is it safe to keep driving it until you can take it?
Ask us, because the answer really does vary. Oil pressure problems and overheating are the two where continuing to drive changes the size of the repair, and we would rather tell you to stop than have you arrive with a worse job.
Talk to someone who works on these
Call the shop and we will tell you the soonest realistic date rather than book you and hold your rig. Mon-Fri 8:00 - 5:00, Saturday 8:00 - 12:00.