Everything To Know About Jasper Remanufactured Engines & Transmissions

Owning and operating a vehicle is an expensive undertaking. According to the AAA, Gasoline currently averages more than $3.50 per gallon in the United States, and NerdWallet lists the average payment for a new car at $738 per month. Buying a used car drops that average by about $200 each month, but repairs for used cars can be expensive and difficult to estimate.

The most expensive breakdowns involve engines and transmissions that fail, requiring them to be rebuilt or replaced. Your options for replacement include a new engine or transmission from the manufacturer, used ones from a salvage yard, or remanufactured assemblies from a company that will ship them to your door or a repair shop of your choosing. 

A manufacturer-supplied long block engine can cost $10,000 or more, buying a used engine or transmission is a huge risk even if the yard provides a warranty, and rebuilding isn't as complete a process as remanufacturing. If you decide to look for a remanufactured engine, a quick internet search will likely bring up Jasper Engines and Transmissions near the top of the results page.     

Jasper Engines and Transmissions was founded in 1942 by Ford dealer Alvin Ruxer (shown in dress clothes in the photo above), who saw a need for rebuilt engines as industry production was diverted to supporting the military's efforts in World War II. Ruxer dedicated a small space in his Jasper, Indiana dealership to remanufacturing engines, using mostly new, manufacturer-spec parts. Jasper began remanufacturing transmissions in 1957, and purchased the Indiana Tool and Dye company two years later to produce torque converters. Diesel engines were added to Jasper's product line in 1968, and Ruxer added more than 22,000 square feet to the Jasper factory in 1976. 

Ruxer sold the company in 1987, and it is now 100% associate-owned. Jasper entered the NASCAR fray in 1989 as Ken Ragan's sponsor, and it still makes engines and transmissions for Cup and Nationwide series cars. Jasper opened a 237,000-square foot facility in Crawford County, Indiana in 1998 and purchased a factory and warehouse in Willow Springs, Missouri in 2004. Around that time, Jasper was approached by a competitor with a buyout offer and decided to transition to an employee-owned model. 

Jasper's Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) was instituted in 2009, when the company employed about 1,800 people and brought in $280 million in annual revenue. Since then, Jasper has acquired Mac Motors Postal Parts, Weller Truck Parts, Diesel USA Group, D&W Diesel, and Jer-Den Plastics. Jasper Holdings, Inc. now employs more than 4,300 people and brings in over $1 billion a year. Jasper operates five plants in Indiana and Missouri, and its stock price has risen from $2.30 a share when the ESOP was established to nearly $900 per share. 

In addition to engines and transmissions, Jasper remanufactures transfer cases and differentials for hundreds of vehicles. A transfer case distributes rotational power between the front and rear axles on a four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicle, and a differential is a gearset at the center of each axle that allows the wheels to turn at different speeds while cornering.

Jasper also makes inboard marine engines, stern drives, and lower drive units. Most of Jasper's marine products are covered by a two-year warranty, while buyers of consumer-grade engines, transmissions, transfer cases, and differentials enjoy three years and 100,000 miles of coverage.