Motor Refresh Options

[swissarmychainsaw]

Here's the short version:
1973 Suburban 350/350 4x4

Considering motor upgrading. Refresh, crate, or newer engine?





Here's the detailed version:

Stock 350 ( I think )

• - Unknown miles
• - Rochester Quadrajet
• - Headers
• - The box of parts I inherited seems to show that it might have had a cam/lifter swap at some time
• - Runs good and is reliable as anything
• - I have not even tuned it up

Goal:

- Reliable
- Decent Power
- Decent MPG
- Simple ( so I can do all the work myself )
- Pollute less

Problems I would like to address:

- Feels low on power.
- Burns oil ( about a quart per 1,000 miles? or about 4 gas stops, not necessarily empty to full )
- Exhaust Stinks ( like you can’t leave the rear window down due to exhaust fumes )
- 8 mpg ( indicated, but I’m not sure I trust my speedo, it could even be less! )

What I love About this Thing:

- Rock Solid reliability
- Simple
- Stock ( no guessing what part’s going to work )

Solutions I have thought about:

• Crate Style Motor, essentially replacing what I have with a “new” one.
  
  - Pro
  - New is good
  - Con
  - Expensive?
  - Not great power

• Freshening up the Stocker; here I’m talking about buying a kit from Summit and putting on “Ram’s Horn” manifolds.
  - Con:
  - Might take a while
  - Relatively expensive ( $2400 )
  - What about Pistons and Rings?
  - Pro:
  - Keeps it simple
  - Do all the work myself

• Dropping a Newer (Vortec) Motor in it ( 5.3/6.0/7.4 )
  - Con:
  - Electronic Control = complexity ( beyond my skill set? )
  - You drop the motor in and it does not run, then what?
  - This seems like the most complicated option, from selecting the engine to figuring out the electronics
  - Pro:
  - better gas mileage and power
  - Probably the cheapest bang for buck