What Spare Engine Parts to keep
While environmental concerns grow, the reusing of materials is becoming very fashionable in society. Many neglect to realize that the art of salvage has been practiced for quite awhile in the garages and workshops of America. While there may not be a heroic "green" agenda motivating the movement, the conservative practices used by the average shade tree mechanic are both cost effective and environmentally friendly.
With some ingenuity and foresight, one can gather a nice collection of spare engine parts that will save time and money. Reusing parts means fewer trips to the auto store, and even if you never use these parts, they make some good decor for the garage wall.
You could make the argument that every old part is worth keeping. While this is true to some degree, it is not reasonable. Below is a list of the top five parts worth hanging on to after you've upgraded or replaced them.
5. Spark Plugs
An old set of spark plugs can serve as the perfect plug for blocking off the cylinder head's spark plug holes while painting an engine. After all, they were made to fit perfectly in place for this application. You wouldn't want your new set of platinum's covered in Chevy Orange, so those old fouled plugs make the perfect set of sacrificial lambs for your shiny new paint job.
If you've got some plugs that still fire but have been replaced anyway, you could use them to test spark on your next side project, like the neighbor's lawn tractor or that moped you found in the junkyard for twenty bucks. Heck, you could even make yourself a nice keychain.
4. Hose Clamps
You should always replace hose clamps whenever you replace a hose. That doesn't mean they're necessarily trash. Any functional hose clamp should be saved. They take up almost no space in a drawer or on a pegboard, and can really get you through in a pinch. Ever wanted to fire up that engine you just dropped in, but you don't have anything to secure the coolant lines? Now you can at least fire it up and get that sense of accomplishment. Don't reuse these unless necessary, and if so, only until you can obtain new ones to install. These also work wonders on washer machines and sump pumps around the house (usually at 1:00 AM when you hear that Niagara Falls sound in your basement).
3. Gaskets and Sealers
So these aren't necessarily "parts." But they are absolutely essential to have around. The best way to obtain these is to hunt online (perhaps on a popular auction site) patiently for a whole set until you find an amazing deal. Then you've got the ideal stash of gaskets for when that water pump seal blows out, or the intake-to-head seal becomes compromised.
Also, keep a healthy amount of RTV sealant and "gasket maker" around the shop just in case. Chances are good that they'll come in handy frequently.
Never re-use a gasket unless it's intended to be reused. Such gaskets are rare. When in doubt, use a new one.
2. Stock Parts
When upgrading to performance or show parts, keep your stock components. If you install a chrome alternator, under drive pulleys, electric water pump, performance camshaft, valve train components or ignition components, you should always keep the originals. Not necessarily for a lifetime, but for long enough to tune your new engine combo and be sure it is reliable and meets your goals. This sounds like pure common sense, but when you're low on cash, sometimes you dump your stock parts so you can afford the performance ones, then get stuck with a poorly performing heap of expensive parts. Keep the old stand-bys until the new stuff proves to be just as trusty.
1. Hardware
While not the most financially valuable thing to save, the nuts and bolts can be the most important. New hardware should be installed on high stress, torque sensitive parts like cylinder heads, but much of your hardware can be reused.
Sometimes something simple like putting an engine on a stand becomes a trip to the store because you lost the bolts you need. It's always nice to dig into the reserve and pull out what you need with very little hassle. Coffee cans of hardware can be the do-it-yourselfer's best friend.
Now that you're armed with this information, you'll never fear a job under the hood. There's nothing worse than when that bolt falls, but you never hear it hit the ground. Never fear, you've got a supply of them now. Why is the voltmeter only reading ten volts, even with that brand new chrome alternator? Re-install the original to troubleshoot the electrical system. With a lot of common sense, some old parts and a little bit of money, you can keep your engine firing on all cylinders with minimal wasted efforts.
