Inside SBT

The world's largest supplier of remanufactured PWC engines

When some people trash their engine, they assume their PWC is toast — or at least, become one expensive repair project. But about 12 years ago, another option was thrown into the mix. That’s when SBT, or Short Block Technologies, began remanufacturing PWC engines, taking tired old cores and making them new again. Today, the company is by far the largest supplier of remanufactured PWC engines worldwide.

What goes into the process? I recently paid a visit to the SBT headquarters in Clearwater, Florida to see for myself.

Step 1
When broken engines arrive at SBT, they’re torn down into their individual parts — crankcase, cylinders, head, crankshaft, and fasteners.

Step 2
Cranks get additional attention. They’re further disassembled, glass-beaded to remove corrosion, then ultimately given new bearings and rods. SBT’s patented assembly process holds tolerance on both trueness and phase.

Step 3
Remaining parts get the glass-beading treatment, and then are inspected to determine their condition. Parts needing extra care are sent for additional machining and repair. Cylinders are re-sleeved if necessary, and all damaged parts are repaired with TIG welding. Cylinders are then bored and honed on high-tech CNC mills.

Step 4
All bolt holes are individually tapped. Cylinder heads are given a new squish band and domes are re-cut.

Step 5
Engines are reassembled, then checked for compression. Once they pass, they’re packaged for shipment. Four-stroke engines get a little added attention. They’re run on the dyno for a minimum of 15-30 minutes. All results are carefully documented.

Step 6
Completed engines are shipped to the customer, who removes their old engine, then packs it up and ships it back to SBT…to live another day.

Interested in seeing the process in action? Check out our video.

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