Two Options for Rebuild Kits

What does a rebuild kit consist of?

Most rebuild kits will include items such as gaskets and seals, bearings, antifreeze caps and piston ring. A more comprehensive kit might add pistons, an oil pump, and even camshaft and valve components. Before purchasing your kit, you need to determine your bearing size (or undersize), cylinder bore size, piston material required, and countless other factors.

Two options for buying rebuild kit

OEM engine rebuild kits

OEM stands for original engine manufacturer and refers to the company that originally made and/or sold an engine. The great thing about buying an OEM rebuild kit is that it contains the same parts as your engine, so you can buy parts for repairs and know they will fit correctly, such as, 12v cummins rebuild kit. This will save you money as rebuilding can easily become expensive. OEM parts usually have a warranty associated with them as well. Most OEMs offer a 6-12 month warranty, which meets most people's needs. However, OEM rebuild kits usually are expensive. As we all know, the big name brands are always much more expensive than generic or aftermarket alternatives. Also, their availability on older engine parts is spotty. The older the engine, the fewer parts the OEM carries to repair it.

Aftermarket engine rebuild kits

On the contrast, the biggest advantages of buying aftermarket diesel engine rebuild kits is that they are almost always more affordable than buying original rebuild kits. It's a known fact that aftermarket rebuild kits are less expensive, no matter what type you buy. At the same time, rebuild kits are also available for older engines but the OEM no longer carry parts for. When an OEM no longer offers engine rebuild kits for your old truck or tractor, you can turn to an aftermarket company. Whereas, not all aftermarket manufacturers have the advantage listed above, so you need to choose an aftermarket manufacturer carefully. Apart from that, aftermarket manufacturers cannot provide complete availability on parts for newly designed engines.    Aftermarket manufacturers can't design a part with a patent, and it takes a while to perfect a design, which means you may have to wait a couple years to get aftermarket rebuild kits for you brand new engine.

In short, we can’t deny that the original engine rebuild kits have got their big name because of high-quality. But if you don't want to be overcharged and you have a good supplier, the aftermarket is the way to go. You get the same or better quality with double the warranty for a fraction of what the OEM would charge for the same parts. However, the most important thing is  that you need to find the right supplier. A good supplier will find those quality rebuild kits for you and steer you away from the manufacturers who offer cheap and nasty engine rebuild kits.