Well,engine work is easy,but if you aren't familiar on how things work you can quickly get in over your head. If you plan on keeping the truck and its in good shape. Spend the 2500 on a new engine (money permits) and roll with it. Hows the trans shifting? if fluid smells ok and clean. you should have a good driver.

 

Trans was leaking badly, now leaking less, still need some stuff to be replaced. But it is actually shifting smooth. Don't like it though it is a TH350, wil be looking for something else (TH400) in the future. I am not sure that even will fit on the transfer case but that will be another topic some day.

To do the block by a company will cost me around $750,00. So actually not so bad, but it will be bored to 0.060. I am also looking to import a new engine which costs around $ 1.500,00 for the engine, $ 300,00 for transport and when I am unlucky $ 500,00 in duties, so total $ 2.300,00. Buying a new engine here will be around $ 2800,00.

So I think machining the engine is the best and order the parts I need from the US. At that moment I can always postpone a new carb and headers to a later stage.

Another question that came up, when should the crankshaft be replaced? It has some marks on it (see pictures in this thread) and too much clearance, but would this mean I need a new one? I guess machining it is cheaper. Also the clearance you get on a crankshaft is that caused by the bearings or the actual crankshaft itself. I am around 0.009 which is slightly too much.

And last, does anybody can recommend me a camshaft that is slightly more performance but not exceeding the limits where I need to change something else, so all other parts can be stock (except for new heads and later on headers).