DISASTER on my way home the other night...

[epashhans]

So the other night on my way home from work; disaster. Long story short...actually, its long, the push rod broke at the rocker arm, jammed behind the guide plate, and then wiped a lobe in my cam...all before I could find a place to get off the road in rush hour. Not until after getting the truck home and that side torn down did I find this out. Come to find out, the PO or whoever built it had this particular engine had the push rod upside down. The end on the lifter had an arrow and "top" stamped in it...? So I am guessing that is why it snapped the tip off at the lifter. Drained the old...the dreaded metallic fleck! Darn it. Although that is not exactly what I said. So, this engine is coming out...and I have only owned the truck for a month and a half. I wanted to cry! Especially because I am new to chevy's (I have a mopar and fords).

So...today I got on the horn and found a local guy with a 454 out of an '89 chevy pickup. Says it ran before it was pulled. Hasn't done a compression test. Its the TBI...he doesn't know if its stock but it has the TBI edelbrock intake and a different timing chain cover than stock so he isn't sure. He wants $500 but I think I can probably get it for $400. So, now the question is, can I put my intake and carb on this engine and swap it in and be back on the road (given it actually IS a running engine)? I hate to have it off the road since I just got it and its my only driving project out of 3. Is it worth that money? And the time? Or should I just take the money and time and put it into fixing this other engine? One of my friends said to fix the parts, pull the pan and clean, flush the engine a few times with magnets on the filters and pan, and then swap filters every 100 miles and just drive it. I just don't trust that really. But I don't want to have to take it out and tear it down and all that. It will be winter before I get it rebuilt and back in. Any advice? I have quite a dilemma...