Which engine would work best for my needs?
June 19th, 2017, 3:50 PM
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Which engine would work best for my needs?
I'm building an overlanding rig out of an older, smog exempt vehicle. I'm aiming for around 300-325hp and 350ish ft lbs, but more importantly I want range, simplicity and most of all, reliability.
I don't want diesel, I'm looking for an SBC solution. Here are my two options:
Gen III 5.3. I called a local engine builder and told them I want to bring them a junkyard 5.3, rebuild it and spec it out completely for reliability. The best fasteners, gaskets etc that exist. The guy said they would put in forged connecting rods as well, as that was apparently a weakness in those engines(?) He said they would do that for $5000 grand total, which is reasonable. With that 5000 dollar number in mind, that got me thinking about option 2:
Plain old Gen 1 SBC 350. Let's say 300 dollars for the base engine. Then I would get an MPFI system like the Edelbrock Pro-Flo 3 or the Holley Sniper system. Let's say $3000 for that. Other odds and ends, ARP everything, Vortec heads... probably comes to $5000 anyway.
So $5000 for a built, beefed up 5.3, or $5000 for a modified, beefed up fuel injected 350. This would be used for long distance trips, light to medium towing and hauling, and offroading, in a 3500-4000 pound rig.
Questions:
Which would you choose and why?
Which would get better fuel economy (all else being equal)?
Related question, are forged internals worth it on an N/A motor? Will it add to engine life and reliability, or is it overkill?
Thanks
I don't want diesel, I'm looking for an SBC solution. Here are my two options:
Gen III 5.3. I called a local engine builder and told them I want to bring them a junkyard 5.3, rebuild it and spec it out completely for reliability. The best fasteners, gaskets etc that exist. The guy said they would put in forged connecting rods as well, as that was apparently a weakness in those engines(?) He said they would do that for $5000 grand total, which is reasonable. With that 5000 dollar number in mind, that got me thinking about option 2:
Plain old Gen 1 SBC 350. Let's say 300 dollars for the base engine. Then I would get an MPFI system like the Edelbrock Pro-Flo 3 or the Holley Sniper system. Let's say $3000 for that. Other odds and ends, ARP everything, Vortec heads... probably comes to $5000 anyway.
So $5000 for a built, beefed up 5.3, or $5000 for a modified, beefed up fuel injected 350. This would be used for long distance trips, light to medium towing and hauling, and offroading, in a 3500-4000 pound rig.
Questions:
Which would you choose and why?
Which would get better fuel economy (all else being equal)?
Related question, are forged internals worth it on an N/A motor? Will it add to engine life and reliability, or is it overkill?
Thanks
