need advice for top end rebuild

[chvy=power]

x3 on newer motor...why put heads, cam etc on a 200k mile motor? thats just gonna put more stress on the parts that are already worn out

[bangbangskeetskeet]

x3 on newer motor...why put heads, cam etc on a 200k mile motor? thats just gonna put more stress on the parts that are already worn out

Thats why you replace the parts that are wearing the most...I have 248k on mine. Just did a cam swap at the end of the year. Also swapped lifters, springs, pushrods, timing chain, and oil pump. The cylinder walls still had FACTORY CROSS HATCHING on them after 235k+ miles. These motors will last forever if you take care of them. Ill be adding a new set of heads as soon as I can to this thing too.

I guess its up to each person....there are a lot of people out there that will say its dumb to do it, get a new motor and so on. But at the same time there is no reason why you cant do it.

[kerrige]

x3 on newer motor...why put heads, cam etc on a 200k mile motor? thats just gonna put more stress on the parts that are already worn out

Guess it depends on how worn it is.... Like trav stated his truck has way over 200k miles the bottom end is prolly fine replacing the top end will most likely do the trick. I wouldn't have recommended less than replacing all the worn stuff. If he is going to pull the whole motor might as well swap in a 6.0 80e combo. I am sure his tranny isn't in the best of shape either.

[chvy=power]

low mileage 5.3 bare long block= apprx $300 maybe more maybe less... like ducky said they are a dime a dozen. That would be the way i would go just my .02

[NAREJEPP]

well i haven't planned on pulling the motor completely. i have a connection through my dad's shop that can get me good machine work and clean up on the heads for cheap, which is why i'm thinking on going this route. planned on keeping the cam in there too, so basically just the heads.
i recently pulled the oil pan and front cover and replaced the oil pump, timing chain, oil pan gasket, etc. and could see some of the cylinder walls up through the bottom, and what i could see still had factory cross hatching. not to mention when i'm cruising i still have well over 60psi oil pressure (idle never goes below 40) even with this 100+ degree weather we've had. this was the case with the old oil pump too.

this all leads me to believe that overall the motor is still in good shape.
tranny is untouched factory 4l60e. so i don't really want to go very far over factory level performance.

if this is what i do, what do i need to replace exactly. (sorry, i don't know alot about heads/valvetrains) i'm assuming lifters, pushrods, valve springs for sure. what about the valves themselves? or the rocker arms?

[kerrige]

valves should be fine same goes for the rocker arms but dont forget to budget for some good bolts some ARP bolts would be an excellent investment since they can be reused if you ever want to pull them again.

[NAREJEPP]

Thanks for the help
I'm planning on getting this going pretty soon I hope. A couple more questions though

I was looking into swapping the cam while I've got it apart, but I have little knowledge on cams as far as measurements go.
I would like a pretty mild cam, one that I don't have to worry about a stall or tune or anything, not to mention my completely stock tranny.
What kind of options are there? Or would it not be worth it?

And second, when I get the machine work done, I thought about getting the heads milled a little, but again, I only know the theory behind It and don't know exactly how that is going to translate. I know it is supposed to raise the CR which would equal more power, but again, I don't want to have to worry about a tune or any of that. Would that be worth it?

Educate me

[NAREJEPP]

bump

[skeet]

anytime you start upping parts from factory spec's youre gonna need a tune to compensate for the gas consumption and the idle issues and air flow and all the other BS that comes with it, sounds like youre better off leaving what you have alone and just clean things up, you start milling heads to up the compression, putting in a MILD cam, then probably wanting other things done cause you noticed gains like headers lol, you'll end up needing a trans

[kerrige]

If you are looking for a somewhat mild cam a 220/220 is generally a very acceptable cam. It will give you good power without being over the top. Your right on the money about the heads if you get them milled it will raise the compression and give you more power. You will need different length push rods with this change. Depending on how extreme you go might have to run high octane all the time but if you keep it to 11:1 or lower you should be fine to just run premium pump gas although E85 is a fun alternative. I would say you should get it tuned no matter what cam or head changes you make. It will net improved gains and actually make it safer to run. I would recommend some kind of upgrade to your transmission which I am sure is getting tired by now. A corvette servo is simple to install and will cost in the neighborhood of 30$. A good cam and tune package will make your truck a whole new animal for sure. If you stay somewhat small you won't need a stall, but for the great deal you can get from Circle D might as well save your pennies and toss one in there. A cam and stall will help you hang with most people you will find on the street and eat rice all day long. You can still tow and DD with the right setup. Don't cheap out or wimp out most of the time you will regret it.