Anyone on here build engines? Build transmissions?

[whiskerz]

LS swap is the answer. But if you want to keep a small block by a GM crate engine real horsepower, a real warranty and they are all new parts or all new except the block. Buy a trans for someone like Winters or TCI and call it a day

 

[brad sweet]

Like all the LS guys said..LS all the way..you cant build a small block for what you can have in the 5.3 stock...with a small cam 350 rear wheel horse power is easy to obtain.

 

[roundhouse]

I swapped a old worn out LS motor with 270k miles on it into my 76 K-10 and it easily has twice the power of the old worn out 350 that was in there before

 

[greg vess]

Now if you know the engine is solid and not wrung out you can do a simple overhaul. You are still want to get the crankshaft worked and order bearings to match. Then just replace the freeze plugs, ream the ridges in the cylinders and file to fit rings to top it off. You can go a step further and get the block line honed and rods resized and replace the rod bolts with ARP so you can spin in up a tad. It's the damn machine work that cost so much. I did a lot of small blocks this way in high school and threw some performance parts in there at the customers choice.
Where you start getting into money is upgrading the top end. Cam and lifters and springs to keep for floating a valve, stronger push rods, double roller timing chain, high volume oil pump. Small chevys are really relatively cheap. You can buy that whole system for 399.