Metal pellet looking things an my oil pan!

[EARNHARDT#3]

Good advice! Complete engines at my local you pull it are only $140....$30 extra and they'll burn it out for you and sit it in the bed of your truck.

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

During hard times, I rebuilt a 350 with parts from several donor engines selecting the best heads, crank, block, piston/rod assemblies, cam/lifters set. I did spring for a cheap timing set though. Chevy used a letter system to fit the pistons and you might mix/match and get a good fit on all like I did and just do a re-ring overhaul. As long as the pistons are the same casting numbers you can do that. Look out though for the dreaded "shallow oil rings" and get the right parts.

And some people just want a "new engine" when all they really needed was a set of valve seals or a new cam.

At the u-pull-it I've seen countless good 350 .030 flat top short blocks that already had the heads removed. If I needed an engine assembly I'd pull a head until I found a nice one then select the set of heads I wanted, snag a serpentine set-up with all the accessories, bolt it together and pay the just under $300 dollars then go home and re-gasket and maybe paint, maybe change cams on it. Actually a 1 pc seal 88-95 truck engine with serp would be nice just get good heads not the swirl port and a nice aluminum quadrajet intake and 80-89 quadrajet.

It's hard to snag the Vortec 350's with all the "parts hawks" floating around exploiting the yard for a profit. But, they have the right.

LT1 style roadmaster engines are easily obtained here.

This would make a nice build thread if I needed an engine, or a magazine article.