Gearhead Engines
Gearhead Engines is a U.S. remanufacturer of automotive powertrain components, supplying rebuilt engines, transmissions, axles, and cylinder heads to individual vehicle owners, repair shops, fleets, and marine buyers across the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1990
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Gearhead Engines does
Gearhead Engines is a U.S.-based remanufacturer of automotive powertrain components, founded in 1990 and operating as a private company headquartered in Chicago with 11-50 employees. Its core operation is the full remanufacturing of engines, transmissions, axle assemblies, and cylinder heads, in which used cores are stripped to individual components, cleaned, machined, and rebuilt with new wear items to meet or exceed original equipment specifications; each unit is hot-run tested before shipment. The catalog spans more than 25 vehicle brands and model years from 1957 to 2024, with dedicated lines for gasoline engines, diesel engines (including commercial-truck platforms), automatic and manual transmissions, cylinder heads, axle assemblies, and marine engines, supplemented by hybrid batteries offered through a sister company, GreenBeanBattery.com.
The business model is direct-to-consumer and B2B, with quote-based pricing, nationwide U.S. shipping, core pickup included on most orders, and optional Affirm financing. Customers are individual vehicle owners, independent auto repair shops and mechanics, commercial fleet operators, and marine owners; the company also operates a content marketing blog, an SEO-driven website with VIN decoder, and a phone/email sales channel. Warranties run up to 4 years/unlimited mileage on most products. The company appears to operate as a subsidiary or affiliated brand of LKQ Corporation, holds MERA (Manufactured Again) sector certification, and has no disclosed AI, software, or platform technology stack beyond a basic website and VIN lookup tool.
Gearhead Engines firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gearhead Engines
- Legal name
- Gearhead Engines
- Website
- https://gearheadengines.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1990
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gearhead Engines is a U.S. remanufacturer of automotive powertrain components, supplying rebuilt engines, transmissions, axles, and cylinder heads to individual vehicle owners, repair shops, fleets, and marine buyers across the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gearhead Engines industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Powertrain Remanufacturing
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Gasoline Engine and Engine Parts Manufacturing (33631), Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing (3363)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Motor Vehicles & Motor Vehicle Parts & Supplies (5010)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Engines (Diesel/Gasoline/Natural Gas) Rebuild & Remanufacturing (TLAKALAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Transmissions & Transaxles Rebuild/Remanufacturing (Automatic/Manual/DCT/CVT) (TLAKALAB), Cylinder Heads, Blocks & Rotating Assemblies Machining/Rebuild Services (TLAKALAG), Differentials, Axles & Final Drive Rebuild/Remanufacturing (TLAKALAC)
Keywords
Where Gearhead Engines is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gearhead Engines business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Remanufactured Engine Sales: One-time sale of remanufactured engines for various vehicle makes and models ranging from 1957 to 2024 model years. Revenue generated from product sales with core charge refund upon return of old part.
- Remanufactured Transmission Sales: One-time sale of remanufactured automatic and manual transmissions. Core charge applies.
- Powertrain Component Sales: Sales of remanufactured cylinder heads, axle assemblies, transfer cases, diesel engines, and marine engines. Each sold with core charge policy.
- Hybrid Battery Sales: Sale of hybrid batteries through sister company GreenBeanBattery.com
- Financing Services: Financing options through Affirm for qualified buyers, enabling customers to pay over time.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Core charge policy - customers pay a refundable deposit on old engine/transmission core |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Gearhead Engines product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gearhead Engines remanufactures and sells automotive engines, transmissions, axle assemblies, cylinder heads, diesel engines, marine engines, and hybrid batteries, rebuilding each unit by stripping it to its components, cleaning, machining, and reassembling to OE specifications or better. The company sells primarily direct to vehicle owners across the United States via phone, website quotes, and nationwide shipping, with warranties of up to 4 years/unlimited mileage and core-charge refunds on returned old units.
Product overview
Gearhead Engines is a remanufacturer of automotive powertrain components offering a comprehensive product portfolio centered on remanufactured engines, transmissions, and related drivetrain parts. The core product lines include remanufactured gas engines supporting 25+ vehicle brands (Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Honda, Toyota, etc.), remanufactured diesel engines (International, Ford, Cummins), automatic and manual transmissions, cylinder heads, and axle assemblies. Supporting offerings include marine engines, hybrid/EV batteries (via sister company GreenBeanBattery.com), optional Premium Engine Install Kits, an online VIN decoder tool, and Affirm financing options. The company follows a full remanufacturing process—stripping products to components, cleaning, machining, and rebuilding to OE or better specifications—with warranties up to 4 years/unlimited mileage on most products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Remanufactured Gas Engines Remanufactured gasoline engines rebuilt to OE specifications or better, sold for vehicle makes and models including Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Hyundai, Subaru, Lexus, Cadillac, Jeep, GMC, and more, supported with nationwide shipping and warranties up to 4 years/unlimited mileage.
- Remanufactured Diesel Engines Remanufactured diesel engines for commercial trucks and passenger vehicles, covering International, Ford Power Stroke, Cummins, Chevrolet, Dodge, Freightliner, Kenworth, Mack, Peterbilt, Workhorse, Ram, and Volvo diesel applications.
- Remanufactured Transmissions Remanufactured automatic and manual transmissions rebuilt to OEM standards for vehicle makes such as Chevy, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Jeep, Nissan, Pontiac, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen, sold with a 3-year unlimited-mile warranty and core charge refund on return.
- Cylinder Heads Remanufactured cylinder heads for various vehicle makes and models, sold as complete assemblies with camshafts and rockers included.
- Axle Assemblies Remanufactured axle assemblies and differentials for trucks and SUVs, pre-filled with fluid and including backing plates and axle shafts installed.
- Marine Engines Remanufactured marine engines including Chevrolet 350 marine configurations sold for boat and watercraft replacement applications.
- Hybrid/EV Batteries Hybrid battery replacements including Toyota Prius Generation 2 and Generation 3 batteries, sold through sister company GreenBeanBattery.com and referenced on the Gearhead Engines website.
- Premium Engine Install Kit Optional installation kit sold separately from remanufactured engines to simplify engine replacement at the point of install.
- Financing (Affirm) Payment financing through Affirm offered at the point of sale, allowing qualified customers to pay for remanufactured engines, transmissions, and related products over time instead of upfront.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4-year/unlimited mileage warranty on most Acura applications
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gearhead Engines
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Gearhead Engines technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Gearhead Engines partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- MERA - Manufacturers of Remanufactured ProductscoreGearhead Engines holds MERA (Manufactured Again) certification, indicating quality standards in the remanufacturing industry. The MERA certification mark is displayed on their website.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Gearhead Engines competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Car-Part.com: Online marketplace connecting buyers to recycled and used auto parts suppliers across North America. Comparable as a discovery channel for used/remanufactured engines and transmissions, though not a direct remanufacturer.
- GreenBean Battery: Sister company selling remanufactured hybrid/EV batteries. Adjacent in remanufacturing expertise and direct-to-consumer motion, representing the company's most natural bridge product into electrified powertrains.
Direct peers
- Triad Racing Products: Remanufacturer of high-performance and OEM-spec engines and cylinder heads for domestic vehicles. Comparable in reman process, catalog of legacy GM/Mopar engines, and direct-to-consumer sales motion.
- ATK North America (EngineQuest): Remanufacturer of engines, transmissions, and related powertrain products serving the U.S. automotive aftermarket. Directly comparable in catalog breadth, core-based model, and B2B distribution to repair shops and parts retailers.
- Jasper Engines & Transmissions: Largest independent U.S. remanufacturer of gas and diesel engines, transmissions, differentials, and other drivetrain components. Closest direct competitor with overlapping product lines, customer base (repair shops, fleets, consumers), and warranty-driven GTM model.
- Balanced Engineering: Independent engine remanufacturer serving the automotive aftermarket with rebuilt engines and components. Comparable in process (strip, clean, machine, balance, assemble) and customer base of repair shops and consumers.
- Replace Reman (Borges Group / Replace Auto Parts): Online-first seller of remanufactured engines, transmissions, and drivetrain components with a quote-based, nationwide-shipping model. Comparable in GTM motion, warranty positioning, and core-deposit economics.
Broad incumbents
- LKQ Corporation: Parent conglomerate and one of the largest North American providers of alternative and recycled parts. Broadly comparable in product categories (engines, transmissions, recycled components) and operates as parent of the subject company.
- NAPA Auto Parts (Genuine Parts Company): Major U.S. automotive parts distributor and retailer carrying remanufactured powertrain components. Comparable in product mix and B2B shop-supply motion, though offered as part of a much broader parts catalog.
- O'Reilly Auto Parts: Large U.S. aftermarket auto parts retailer carrying replacement engines, transmissions, and powertrain components. Comparable end-customer base and category overlap, though distributed through a retail-store network rather than direct remanufacturing.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gearhead Engines social profiles
Digital presenceGearhead Engines compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Gearhead Engines financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gearhead Engines leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Gearhead Engines subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Gearhead Engines funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gearhead Engines M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gearhead Engines
What does Gearhead Engines do?
Gearhead Engines remanufactures and sells automotive engines, transmissions, axle assemblies, cylinder heads, diesel engines, marine engines, and hybrid batteries, rebuilding each unit by stripping it to its components, cleaning, machining, and reassembling to OE specifications or better. The company sells primarily direct to vehicle owners across the United States via phone, website quotes, and nationwide shipping, with warranties of up to 4 years/unlimited mileage and core-charge refunds on returned old units.
Is Gearhead Engines a public or private company?
Gearhead Engines is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Gearhead Engines founded?
Gearhead Engines was founded in 1990. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gearhead Engines based?
Gearhead Engines is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gearhead Engines make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Remanufactured Engine Sales are the primary driver. The others are remanufactured Transmission Sales, powertrain Component Sales, hybrid Battery Sales and financing Services.
Who are Gearhead Engines's main competitors?
Others on record are Car-Part.com and GreenBean Battery. Direct peers are Triad Racing Products, ATK North America (EngineQuest), Jasper Engines & Transmissions, Balanced Engineering and Replace Reman (Borges Group / Replace Auto Parts). Broad incumbents are LKQ Corporation, NAPA Auto Parts (Genuine Parts Company) and O'Reilly Auto Parts.
Does Gearhead Engines have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gearhead Engines.
What industry is Gearhead Engines in?
Gearhead Engines's product category is Automotive Powertrain Remanufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKALAA, Engines (Diesel/Gasoline/Natural Gas) Rebuild & Remanufacturing, with a secondary code of TLAKALAB, Transmissions & Transaxles Rebuild/Remanufacturing (Automatic/Manual/DCT/CVT). Its NAICS code is 33631 and its SIC code is 5010.