The Engine That Drives The World
It should come as no surprise that the internal combustion engine is the king of transportation in the world today. It is estimated that over 600 million vehicles are driven in the world and over 250 million of those are in the United States. And the highest percentage of those vehicles are powered by the internal combustion engine. Since 1885 when Karl Benz put a small gas engine on a 3-wheel cart, vehicles have been running because of this engineering marvel.
The basic principles involved are really quite simple. The spark plug ignites fuel (usually fossil fuel like gasoline) causing high temperatures and pressure gasses which applies direct force to pistons, generating mechanical energy which propels the car. In other words, potential energy becomes kinetic energy which becomes mechanical energy.
Refinements to this process have obviously been made over the years but the basic principle remains the same. Most drivers can drive with confidence knowing that the engine that propels their vehicle is capable of several hundred thousand miles of performance if proper maintenance is given to it regularly. The leading manufacturer of engines in the world is Honda Motor Company making a staggering 14 million engines each year, and judging from the number of Japanese engines produced it is safe to say that reliability of those engines is a key component in explaining their sales success.
With the current state of the economy more and more car owners are considering and attempting to do engine maintenance and repair themselves. The reason is simple: to take an engine to a mechanic and have it re-built or replaced can cost between $2000-$4000. To do the work yourself will cost a fraction of that cost.
If money is indeed a factor then stay away from car dealerships. The cost is just too much for the average car owner. If you should choose to do the work yourself then buying parts is your first step. You can always buy the parts you need at an auto parts store but again you are paying premium price, and since saving money is your goal you might want to consider going to a salvage yard.
Replacement engines or replacement parts from used engines is really the way to go. Reputable salvage yards sell premium engines and parts at a fraction of the price you would pay at a parts store. Often the savings is fifty to sixty percent and savings like that are hard to ignore. You can shop with confidence at a You Pull It salvage yard because the trusted ones will give a warranty on their engines and parts.
If you have never done this kind of repair yourself it can be a daunting task, but if you forge ahead and learn on the fly the savings can be considerable. Remember that the internal combustion engine has been around a lot longer than you; the basic principle has not changed in 126 years and over that time they have become more and more efficient. All you have to do is pull the part and replace it and because of that effort you can be saving thousands of dollars and feeling mighty good about yourself along the way.
