reddingcruiser
Practicing for retirement
Just because......
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350 conversions got a bad rap starting about 20 years ago as many were just cobbled together with fly by night conversion kits and companies. In the last 10 years or so, there have been a few reputable conversion vendors which have these swaps very reliable
My sell on the 350 is the gen I or II: That's because it is one of the most common engines in the world. Try getting a water pump or a belt for a inline 6 Toyota engine in nowhere USA. I was stuck in the San Luis Valley with a broken belt on my 350. There was NOTHING in the area. A farmer pulls up and says a NAPA store is about 3 miles away, would I like a ride? (This NAPA was in the middle of a row of silos, NO other stores) in about 20-30 miles.
They are easy to work on, parts are cheap and available everywhere
Look at the above post. A LS style engine looks cramped in the engine bay, while a SBC 350 looks at home to me. I am rebuilding a FJ40 now with a TBI 350 in it and a 6.0 LS that could go in it. I decided to keep the 350 for simplicity. Yes the LS can tell me what is wrong with it but the 350 is already there. Since you already have a 350 I would suggest just replacing it and everything else will bolt up. Put fuel injection on it and call it a day.
I'll chime in, and yeah I am a bit bias. That said, if you are going to do the work of replacing an engine and have the time and means to do it, I'd go with the LS based swap. Reliability, easy maintenance and gobs of HP and torque are the benefits. Drive ability will also be improved.
A stock 5.3L Vortec will give you around 320 HP at the crank, stock. More than enough for the task at hand. It'll give you great off throttle response at any angle you'll put your truck and it won't give you a hard time just because you changed elevation. Parts and a wrench that can work on them can be found everywhere USA. Simply put, it's the SBC your Grandfather dreamed of, why use your Grandfather's SBC?
One man's OPINION
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I hear what you all are saying. I’d consider a 5.3 swap, but I’m worried I’d be out of my depth with the addition wiring and fabrication required. Also, the 5.3’s are much more costly and wont appear to line up with my existing exhaust/headers. I need to stay budget minded, as this is just a hobby/toy, and my wife will only bend so far, haha...