This study utilized a high-pressure pulsed waterjet process and paired it with the plasma transferred wire arc technology to develop a novel technique to remanufacture worn-out engine cylinder bores and give the engine new life. The plasma transferred wire arc technology is currently being used for the engine remanufacturing process by major auto-industries to deposit the wear resistant top-coat. One of the steps during the remanufacturing process is to chemically deposit a nickel-aluminum pre-bond coat for a better top-coat bond strength. The idea behind this project is to eliminate the need for the expensive pre-bond coat step by optimizing the surface roughness profile of the substrate to provide acceptable mechanical bonding between the coating and the substrate. The desired outcome is a coating-substrate adhesion strength greater than 30 MPa, which is required for engine cylinder bore liners application. In this study, low carbon stainless-steel was plasma spray coated on a wide range of pulsed waterjet roughened surface profiles generated on grey cast iron and cast aluminum A380 alloy, two commonly used engine materials. The roughened surfaces greatly increased the adhesion strength between the substrates and stainless-steel coating. The increase in adhesion strength is a result of the formation of favourable mechanical anchoring points. Limitations exist on the surface roughness profile produced by the pulsed waterjet, such that, if the roughness profile generated was copious the coating mirrored the roughened surface profile. Additionally, if the roughness profile produced by the pulsed waterjet was insignificant the coating was removed in its entirety during detachment-based failure.