I know they are out to make money and you make a valid point. However if that were the case then wouldn't they also reason that it was a bad engine and not want to buy another. In addition to that the engine and manufacturer would get a bad reputation for having poor quality products and no one would purchase one. I know you are being hypothetical, but the stock engine is $115. It could go either way but I think HPI is a reputable company and would not want to do that to their consumers.