Parts that NEVER shoud be reused no matter low mileage/couple of years mounted.

[Nacho-RT74]

Oftenly, ppl here, because economical situation or urgency and poor inventory, ends reusing someparts. Myself reused once the main crank bearings from the same crank from the donor engine and locating on place location in my block since searched by two weeks without succes.

which parts and why, NEVER must be reused  on an engine ?

[aifilaw]

bearings are so cheap...I never reuse them...they often get damaged during the uninstall as well, so even if they don't look worn at all, I would just replace them.
never reuse lifters
almost never reuse valve springs
never reuse gaskets
never reuse piston rings


those are just a few off the top of my head

[Nacho-RT74]

bearings are so cheap...

yes... that's not problem for a while you find them LOL...

never reuse lifters
almost never reuse valve springs

HAHAHAHA... I think half of ppl here reuse them ( myself including ) my engine does still have the originals LOL. I dissasembled lifters, cleaned and get joined again...

never reuse gaskets
never reuse piston rings

Gasket of course not... but piston rings... why not if you fit them on same cilinder  ( just asking )

[Rolling_Thunder]

Here is my list (it is debateable i know but oh well...    these are things I ALWAYS replace when doing rebuilding)

Never re-use:

- gaskets
- piston rings
- lifters
- camshafts
- bearings

spending a little more now will save you $$$ and time in the long run. 

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, about the lifters, was a joke about they never have been replaced... of course they did, but definitelly installed the ones from the donor engine what really was a REALLY LOW miles. they did look really like new... measured and checked internal spring comparing with some news lifters and REALLY there was no difference.

Camshaft ?

[tecmopar]

I've reused low mile camshafts plenty of times but only if I have the lifters that were on it AND they are marked as to where they belong, good luck.

[Lurker]

on a rebuild i don't like re using
bearings
rings
lifters
oilpump
intermediate shaft
rarely re use the cam not because they are worn but because i haven't tried all of them yet 

on an overhaul i won't reuse
rings
bearings
and smallblocks i change the oilpumps

and naturely gaskets for either

[Ghoste]

How do some of you feel about fasteners?  I know that in the past it seemed like all the bolts were reused but as these engines get older each passing year and with the availablility does it not seem like a good idea to replace at least head bolts, main bolts, and rod bolts?

[hemihead]

How do some of you feel about fasteners?  I know that in the past it seemed like all the bolts were reused but as these engines get older each passing year and with the availablility does it not seem like a good idea to replace at least head bolts, main bolts, and rod bolts?

I replace Rod Bolts but on the older engines I don't worry too much about Head Bolts.They aren't TTY like the new ones.I don't worry about Mains either.

[Nacho-RT74]

I've reused low mile camshafts plenty of times but only if I have the lifters that were on it AND they are marked as to where they belong, good luck.

yes I did that !!! since camshaft was also from donor engine

[John_Kunkel]

I have successfully reused every part mentioned sofar (yes, even some gaskets).

[Nacho-RT74]

I have successfully reused every part mentioned sofar (yes, even some gaskets).

Nice to have that experience... keep posting ppl

[whitehatspecial]

timing chain and gears.
waterpump.
thermostat.
oil pump.

[Nacho-RT74]

timing chain and gears.
waterpump.
thermostat.
oil pump.

so you are able to reuse rings and bearings  ? even gaskets ?

[Ghoste]

But even if you can, how many really think you should?

[Nacho-RT74]

I think there are posibilities on use everything except gaskets as reuseable stuff... of course after A REALLY AND DEEP INSPECTION, and labeling where did came from. Thats my opinion, not a fact.

NEVER talking about a performance/race car, just normal street use.

On my engine I reused EVERYTHING from donor engine except rings and rod bearings ( gaskets too of course ). Rings came out form donor engine damaged of course because somehow got water on cilinder walls and rings got rusted and stuck. Rod bearings found them new.

Maybe on an overhaul, tune up or upgrade job where you can get 15 years of use with new parts, with used parts you could get 13 years. As stated THAT'S JUST an opinion.

[Ghoste]

I suppose so, but my first question would be, if you are willing to reuse all the old parts, why tear the engine down in the first place?

[Nacho-RT74]

Right now, Just replacing pistons and camshaft.

on those says, I was trying to save the original factory block. The crank of that block went so bad that wasn't imposible to rebuilt. Got a donor engine, were I use all internals. To keep standart pistons from donor, I sleeved the original block, since on those days I wasn't able to find 030 pistons down here.

[tkkruzer]

hey nacho, a man has to do what a man can afford to do. when I was in high school I built a 292 ford motor, the only thing I got new was a gasket set. but I didn't know that,so I threw all my bearings and lifters in the trash only to have to dig them out and re-use them. that engine should not have run at all but she purred like a kitten,it accually ran better than any other engine in the shop. I was impressed. the answer is as long as nothing is damaged in disassembly and you are carful you can put her together and she will run. but there is no guarantee how long. I also build engines for the local circle track racers,and they dont want to spend alot of money so some of the engines they ran looked terrorble but they ran excellent. hope this helps TK

[whitehatspecial]

timing chain and gears.
waterpump.
thermostat.
oil pump.

so you are able to reuse rings and bearings  ? even gaskets ?

I was adding to the existing list of other posts. But since you asked....

Well that depends. I would have done  a compression test and a leak down test prior to pulling the engine, rings and cylinder walls may be OK. As far as the bearings, they may or may not need replacing. That would depend on the frequency of oil changes and how the engine was treated. A visual inspection usually confirms bad bearings if there was knocking or total failure. Gaskets, someone else mentioned and replacing them is cheap insurance IMO.

New parts don't always mean better parts, especially the quality of engine components sold nowadays.

[is_it_EVER_done?]

It's a simple matter of using your head. If parts comming out measure OK, then what is the point of tossing them out? If you were rebuilding the engine from the ground up, than replacing everything makes sense, but on an overhaul, or clean up/check out, I have reused every item (including head gaskets) at one time or another.

If you are resurfacing heads or block, than reusing head gaskets would not be logical, but if you are using the same cam and lifters in the same block, why would you replace them? The same goes for rings. If they aren't worn, and you are not boring the block or replacing pistons, what would be the point? They are already fitted to the bore parameters.

Even if you are a Millionair, some parts are a mistake to replace in a simple overhaul. A rebuild is another thing entirely.

[Nacho-RT74]

ok, for example, I'll replace pistons from standarts to some performance ones, both standart bore, but won't overbore cilinders. Would you replace rings ?

[is_it_EVER_done?]

ok, for example, I'll replace pistons from standarts to some performance ones, both standart bore, but won't overbore cilinders. Would you replace rings ?

Of course. This is why I say - use your head -. Keep in mind that if you replace the pistons and/or rings in a worn bore, you are inviting failure. The reason being that the pistons/rings from each bore are "wear fitted" to the bore. New pistons and/or rings can crush against the step in the top of the bore resulting in a failure.

If you are replacing the pistons and/or rings, the cylinders should at least be ridge-reamed and honed.

[Nacho-RT74]

OK, I'm just talking in case of extreme situation, I already got who has in stock down here the standart rings. Engine has just around 20K miles, $110 moly rings perfect circle.