Remanufactured vs. Junkyard Engine vs. JDM engine

Junkyard Engines:

Purchasing from a junkyard is a risky venture because you don't know if that engine even works.  Most junkyards will offer a warranty on the engine (for an added price), but that warranty doesn't compensate you for pulling the engine, installing it, pulling it back out, returning it, pulling another engine and installing it. The top two reasons a vehicle is in the junkyard is due to expensive mechanical issues (such as engine or transmission failure) or due to a wreck.

JDM Engines:

Purchasing a JDM motor seems ideal because of common misconceptions sellers will tell you to move their product. Such as:

1.) Japanese engines have less than 60,000 miles on them and are generally well taken care of.

This is a common misconception with reasons varying by JDM shop. We've heard reasons that sound plausible (ex. Japanese drivers are taxed on the number of miles they drive) to very farfetched reasons (ex. Japanese law requires engines be replaced every 60,000 miles). Both of these, and many other reasons, are lies.

Japanese car owners are taxed heavily for vehicles, but the tax, or Shaken, is dependent on vehicle age and engine displacement, not the mileage. The older the vehicle and/or bigger the engine, the higher the tax. Shaken is also includes a very stringent inspection that looks for illegal modifications, unsafe or out of spec components,  and parts requiring replacement. This tax can exceed $1600 biennially and more than doubles as a car reaches in excess of 10 years. As a vehicle's value drops and more repairs are required to pass Shaken, it no longer become economical to repair a vehicle and they're sent to a recycler/dismantler. 

Fact of the matter is that the Japanese culture doesn't provide for many opportunities for vehicle ownership and those who do own vehicles don't have sprawling interstates, like the US, to drive on. Many Japanese rural roads are converted dirt trails or very poorly maintained, so vehicles are subjected to higher than normal wear. Finally, Japan uses sea salt and other chemicals to melt frozen roads in the winter, so corrosion is a very real concern, especially with unpainted surfaces. 

2.) JDM engines are tested before they are shipped.

This is a common myth and another marketing ploy by JDM shops to entice buyers into thinking they're getting a guaranteed working engine. Fact of the matter is, very few dismantlers in Japan actually test an engine. Testing of an engine could simply mean it started and ran. Engine noises, leaks, faults, and other failures are almost never noted. Most JDM shops do not perform testing on the engine once it is received. Very few actually do compression tests and even fewer do leakdown and cylinder pressure tests. Some shops will give a 30 day warranty but have a long list of exemptions and caveats to ensure you're probably going to be screwed if the engine is defective.

Our commitment is to provide high quality engines at an affordable cost. We don't just sell used engines. Even our engines that are classified as used go through a stringent inspection and certification to ensure they're in top notch shape. 

Unlike JDM shops and junkyards, we have the time and ability to test and engine to determine if it should be sold as used or remanufactured. No matter which option you choose, you'll trust in the confidence we have to sell you the best possible product.

Boxer Tech Performance ensures that all of the engines we build are built to stringent quality standards. We take pride on delivering a quality product that is better quality than any competitor. Every engine labeled as remanufactured is completely built from the ground up using new or remanufactured OE or better quality components. We don't just build a stock replacement engine for your Subaru, we make sure that every possible design flaw is corrected and replaced with an updated part with a proven track record of success. 

Each engine core is completely disassembled down to it's individual identifiable parts and completely cleaned and inspected. All serviceable wear components are discarded and replaced with new OE or better than OE components.

Used engines are tested to ensure that they perform in an acceptable manner. We perform compression tests, leakdown tests, and a basic run test on our computerized engine tester to ensure that there isn't any underlying issues.

The used engines are disassembled only to the short block (the cylinder heads are removed) and cylinder walls, pistons, and heads are inspected for abnormal wear. If anything is found to be out of spec, the engine is remanufactured as sold as such. After the inspection and cleaning, the engine is sealed with new gaskets, including the updated head gaskets, to ensure that they do not fail. Because the engine is designated as used, the savings is passed onto the consumer.