Core Charges

When you purchase a rebuilt engine or other rebuilt components from Petro Works, you are required to pay a deposit called a "core charge" until we have assessed the condition of your old parts (your "core"). We get a lot of questions regarding this policy (which is, by the way, an industry standard), and we want to take the opportunity to explain our core charge procedure thoroughly.

Our engines are sold on an "exchange basis." This means that when we send you a rebuilt Petro Works engine, we have to get your old engine in exchange. Your old engine is then stripped down and rebuilt from the ground up. Without this exchange process, the supply of engines to rebuild would quickly dry up. Thus, a rebuildable engine core is very valuable. This process literally recycles Samurai engines, which is incredibly important to those of you who need a replacement engine.

So, your engine has given up the ghost, and now you need a Petro Works replacement. There are numerous reasons why your original engine failed, and we have to address those issues before we begin the rebuilding process. If you've had a catastrophic failure, such as a rod blowing through the side of the engine block, you can probably imagine that your core isn't as valuable. If you have some corroded head studs, we have to replace them before rebuilding the engine. Every part of your core has an assigned value—the cost that we pay to have that part replaced—and we strive to be as transparent about that process as possible. Our engine tear down checklist covers all the criteria and values of your specific core components. In other words, we're not trying to hide anything from you. Each part has a real-world value, a cost that we absorb to fix the issue, and one that we pass along to the customer.

"But," you say, "My engine was running just fine when I decided to replace my motor to a rebuilt engine. It should be a perfect core. Why am I getting dinged for these things and not getting my full core deposit back?" We do whatever it takes to make the engine we provide to you as perfect as humanly possible. Think about it this way: Let's say we get a "strong running" engine back as a core exchange. When we break it down, we find that two of the head studs are corroded. Now, technically, these studs aren't "broken" yet. We could choose to leave them as-is, rebuild the engine, and get it out the door to you. But what if that was your engine? When one of those studs finally snapped—which would undoubtedly happen—you would expect Petro Works to pay to have it replaced, right? What if we simply said to you, "Oh, right, the head studs were not quite corrosion-free. Sorry that one broke, but you didn't actually pay for new head studs, so what are you complaining about?" Luckily, that's not how we operate. We choose to build our engines without cutting any corners. And since not every core needs the same work, we have a core deposit system that covers the worst-case scenario: that the core being returned is not rebuildable at all. The work that we have to perform on your less-than-perfect core comes out of the core deposit. That is exactly what happened to the core from which your engine was built.

Some of the core exchanges we receive are in great shape, and the customer is reimbursed the core charge deposit in full. But this is becoming exceedingly rare. Keep in mind that the newest cores we receive were built back in the 1980’s. The newest engine core is probably about mid-40s years old.

In the end, we want to sell you an engine that you can trust 100%. We have a fantastic track record, so the proof is in the pudding. If we were to turn a blind eye toward the quality of the cores we receive, the next customer in line would receive an inferior motor. The question is this: What if that next customer was you?

The key to this whole process is transparency, and we demonstrate that in every facet of our engine-building process. Hopefully—after reading this and considering the information put forth—you'll agree with us that the engine core charge is, quite simply, a necessary evil.