Why Buying a Complete Used Excavator Assembly Can Save You a Fortune (Engine, Pump, Final Drive & More)

A Deep-Dive Guide for Contractors, Mechanics & Fleet Owners in South Africa

Most contractors think about excavator parts in isolation:

• A pump here

• A swing motor there

• A final drive when it eventually taps out

• Maybe an engine overhaul when it starts crying for help

But there’s a smarter, more cost-effective way to keep your machines running hard without bleeding money:

Buy complete used assemblies — especially used OEM assemblies.

That means:

• Complete engines

• Complete main pumps

• Complete travel motor + final drive units

• Pre-assembled swing drives

• Rear axle and transmission assemblies (for loaders)

• Drop-in cooling packs

• Fully dressed valve banks

When you buy the whole assembly instead of individual parts, you skip 80% of the risk, 70% of the labour, and 100% of the guesswork.

This blog explains why complete assemblies are often the cheapest and most reliable solution — especially in the tough conditions South African equipment faces.

1. Assemblies Are Built to Work Together — Not as “Mix and Match” Components

When your machine leaves the factory, everything inside it is:

• Balanced

• Pressure-matched

• Calibrated

• Synchronized

• Harmonised

OEM engineers spend YEARS designing systems that work together:

• Engine + ECU + fuel system

• Pump + regulators + swashplate + control valve

• Travel motor + reduction gearbox

• Swing motor + swing gearbox

• Fan + radiator + hydraulic cooler + oil cooler

When you replace only one component inside a failing assembly, you’re sticking a brand-new organ into a sick body.

The surrounding parts are worn, stressed, and unbalanced — leading to:

• Premature failure

• Contamination

• Overloading

• Heat buildup

• Leaks and seal blowouts

• Higher operating temperatures

• Vibration issues

One weak link ruins the whole chain.

A complete used OEM assembly fixes that instantly.

2. A Complete Used Assembly = One Removal, One Install, Zero Guesswork

This is where contractors save massive time and labour.

Replacing subcomponents = pain

Example: You only want to replace the rotating group inside your pump.

But to do that:

• The pump must be removed

• Completely stripped

• Cleaned

• Inspected

• Reassembled with perfect tolerances

• Installed

• Calibrated

• Pressure-tested

And if ANY tolerance is off by even 0.02mm?Congratulations — you’ve built yourself a grenade.

Replacing the entire pump = bliss

• Remove old pump

• Install tested OEM pump

• Prime → Start → Check pressures

• Done

Less labour.Less risk.More uptime.

3. The Cost-to-Lifespan Ratio Is Far Better for Used OEM Assemblies

Let’s compare what you’re really paying for.

Cheap Aftermarket Pump (new):

• Lower price

• Lower lifespan

• High risk

• No reliability history

Used OEM Pump (complete assembly):

• Longer lifespan

• Factory tolerances

• Known performance in real machines

• Protected internal components

• Often HALF the price of new OEM

The pump was designed to last 10 000–18 000+ hours.If Vikfin supplies a pump with 4 000–6 000 hours remaining, that’s real value.

4. Assemblies Reduce the Risk of Contamination — The Silent Machine Killer

Contamination is the #1 reason hydraulic components fail prematurely.

Tiny metal particles inside:

• Cylinder rods

• Pumps

• Motors

• Gear sets

• Bearings

• Valve spools

Even 20 microns is enough to destroy a hydraulic system.

When you open an assembly to repair ONE item, you expose the whole thing to:

• Micro-particles

• Dust

• Dirty oil

• Tools that aren’t spotless

• Airborne grit

That contamination gets sucked into the system and can kill components months later.

Buying a sealed, complete used OEM assembly avoids all of that.

5. Assemblies Save You from “Surprise Failures” Inside the System

Here’s what normally happens when contractors try to save money:

You replace one part…and the part next to it fails 3 weeks later.

Common scenarios:

A. Replacing a swing motor… but the swing gearbox is worn.

Soon the swing motor overheats → seals fail → system crashes.

B. Replacing a rotating group… but the pump casing is already scored.

Your new rotating group dies early.

C. Replacing final drive bearings… but the planetary gears are worn.

Boom — gear teeth strip and your final drive locks.

D. Replacing a turbo… but the engine has blow-by.

Turbo dies again because of oil contamination.

This is why SANDVIK, CAT, and Hitachi often recommend replacing assemblies instead of repairing them.

6. Complete Assemblies Are Tested Before Sale — Individual Components Are Not

Vikfin tests complete assemblies:

• Pressure test

• Flow test

• Load test

• Noise test

• Temperature test

• Leakage test

• Behaviour under load

• Slow and fast response cycles

• Internal contamination check

If the assembly passes — it works.

If you build an assembly using separate internal parts?YOU are the test victim.

7. Assemblies Reduce Labour Costs — Sometimes by 50–70%

Let’s compare:

Replacing internal pump parts

Labour: 8–16 hoursSpecial tools requiredCalibration neededRisk of error extremely highWarranty harder to guarantee

Replacing entire pump assembly

Labour: 1–3 hoursSimple remove-and-replaceStraightforward testingMuch lower chance of error

Less labour = more uptime.More uptime = more profit.

8. Assemblies Prevent Mismatched Wear

A system fails as a system.

When you put one brand-new part into a 9,000-hour machine:

• The new part is tight

• The old parts are loose

• Pressure distribution changes

• Loading becomes uneven

• Heat increases

• Component life decreases dramatically

Complete assemblies give you matched wear, not Frankenstein repairs.

9. Complete Assemblies Maintain OEM Calibration

This is huge.

OEM assemblies are factory-set for:

• Flow rate

• Pressure relief points

• Neutral bleed-off

• Swashplate response

• Load-sensing

• Pump cut-off

• Hydraulic balance

When you rebuild pumps or motors using aftermarket parts, these calibrations drift.

Even a 10% deviation can:

• Overheat oil

• Reduce digging power

• Increase fuel consumption

• Create erratic movement

• Damage valves

• Damage cylinders

A used OEM assembly has factory calibration still intact — and that’s worth more than gold.

10. When Buying Assemblies Makes the MOST Sense

Here are the jobs where assemblies are ALWAYS smarter:

• The machine is older than 7 years

• The failure was caused by contamination

• Multiple internal components are worn

• The labour to rebuild the part is expensive

• The machine needs to be running ASAP

• The contractor can’t afford a second failure

• The owner wants long-term reliability

In these cases, paying for a complete used OEM assembly can save tens of thousands over 12–24 months.

Conclusion: Whole Assemblies Are Often the Cheapest, Safest, and Smartest Choice

Whether you're replacing:

• a pump,

• an engine,

• a swing motor,

• a final drive,

• or any major excavator component…

A complete used OEM assembly gives you:

• predictable performance

• matched internal wear

• lower long-term costs

• immediate installation

• reduced labour

• higher reliability

• better uptime

• higher resale value

• fewer failures

This is why smart operators — especially in mining, civil, and plant hire — choose complete used assemblies from Vikfin.

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