Teerev77

First let me start off by saying I am slightly new to engine building but very mechanically inclined. With that being said bear with me as I ask a few (obvious?) questions. Well I started this journey off with a 5.3 with a cracked 706, bent rod, spun rod bearing, engine was destroyed. So I purchased a used junkyard 5.3, I always wanted to have a cammed chevy small block simply because of the sound, always loved it. so thats what i did, we threw a BTR stage 4 truck cam in it, along with ls7 lifters, TSP dual valve springs, and got the heads resufaced. also put a 2600 stall in it (that i quickly figured out wasnt near enough stall) but it still did alright with the tune, 1 7/8 headers, cai, and 4:10s. well its journey lasted all of about 2k miles when i spun a rod bearing literally as the engine was starting. so i have another gen3 5.3 at my shop that had a bad lifter, and a gen4 with a bad piston. the plan is to take my cam/lifters/valve springs and put them in the other gen3 block and the 243 heads that were on the gen4. also thinking about taking the rods and flat tops out of the gen4 to put in the gen3(obviously having to order one new piston) and fresh rings and rod bearings. already have plans for atleast a 3200 stall. What i am getting to is from my understanding, the 243s/free floating rods/and flat top pistons are the way to go so that is most likely what i will do. what i am worried about is i am extremely weary about not doing anything to the factory crank/crank bearings in the gen3 although i am told they hold insane amounts of power, i just dont want to be in the same situation in another 2k miles. let me know what you guys think. it is not a race truck by any means, just a 4 door cruiser that sounds mean, and has a little pep in its step. you can also find a similar post on my thread in the new members section.

thanks, Trevor

RedXray

Going that deep I'd do new main bearings, polish the crank, ball hone the cylinders, new oil pump and timing chain.

Teerev77

already planned on pump and chain, forgot to put it in there, and okay i will probably bring block with me to the machine shop and let them hone the cylinders, polish crank, and deck the heads. thanks for the input man