[DieselSJ]

Originally Posted by hatzie

If you already have a reasonably serviceable engine and you buy Chinese parts you can probably do it for $1,500... how long is it going to last running Chinese floor sweepings inside?

Mid 90's rebuildable running 454 cores are right around a grand. Decent quality parts to build em are quite a bit more than $1,200.

The 454 is a pig. I've never run better than 10mpg unloaded with a 454 and best towing was around 8.5mpg. Might as well get an 8.1L Vortec. Similar MPG and more power.

What chinese parts? You are going way out in left field to try to convince yourself that the LS will compare with the 454. There is nothing Chinese that I have put in my engine. Factory GM heads, Clay Smith cam/lifters. My dually now gets better than 12 (better than 13 on the highway) with these mods and the overdrive. There is no way you can swap in a LS and make the same power as a 454 without spending a ton more money. I'm not saying LS is a better or worse engine, you just need to get out of the fantasy that building and swapping a LS is somehow more economical than just modding an existing 454.