If you’re in the process of restoring an old motor, or are faced with the prospect of replacing the engine block on your current daily driver, then you could well be left with the daunting task of what to do with the old engine once you’re finished.
Whether or not the old engine is still serviceable, you may be surprised to know that you can still make a little bit of money out of it – even if you know for a fact it’s never going to turn over again.
Can I sell an old engine?
If the block is able to be reconditioned or remanufactured, then you can be sure that someone will scoop it up on eBay or Gumtree, as there are always budding mechanics out there desperate for a challenge. Even if they cannot get it back into full working order, there’s a strong chance that they’ll be able to extract some useful parts to be used as spares or even reconditioned to be used in another vehicle.
What do I do with the old oil?
Did you know that just because oil has been in your car for a while doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s no longer usable? Oil doesn’t have a use-by date, and even if you might think it’s too old, it’s likely that the only real issue is that it’s going to be a bit dirty. If you manage to extract all the oil safely, you can take it to a reputable collection centre where they will be able to clean it up for reuse. Incorrect disposal of used engine oil, such as pouring down the drain or into soil, is illegal and must be disposed of at a specific location – you can find your nearest oil recycling facility at the Recycle Now website.
How do you recycle an engine?
Once the engine has been removed from the car, and you have safely and legally disposed of your oil, attention turns to breaking it down further. This can be an incredibly complex and laborious process. One of the first jobs is to separate out the higher-value materials, such as the steel frame that holds the engine in place.
Any of the smaller components, such as the compressor, elements of the ignition system and the alternator can continue to be useful elsewhere, so making sure these are extracted with immense care is key to ensure they are not damaged – if they are removed correctly these could fetch you quite a tidy sum and can be quite sought after for those repairing similar motors, but even the smallest bit of damage can see that price drop drastically.
Alternatively, you could leave it all to the experts, who will be able to do all the hard work for you, leaving you with no stress and just some cash in your pocket. Speak to one of our friendly advisers at National Scrap Car and they will be able to get you the very best quote possible for your car, and we’ll sort out all the rest, including coming to take the car from you free of charge. So get started today using our online quote generator and see just how much you could get by selling your car for salvage.