please recommend a replacement engine for my 86 k5 blazer. came stock with a 305 v8 that is full of emissions. I will only be using it off road so I want to do away with emissions. I want to include fuel injection with just enough power to climb a hill on this big beast. I have about 4 thousand to spend on a motor, please recommend something live.

 

An aftermarket fuel injection system will run you around $2,500. If you piece together a stock GM TBI system you could put it together, assuming your mechanically and electrically advanced for under $800.

For the motor there's not much easier than a 350. Go find a machine shop, not one that has a glass parts counter with gauges and shiny **** with big price tags... and if there are valve covers and headers bolted to a wall out of reach don't go there. You want a greasy machine shop where you can back into the front door with your pickup and off load a block using their picker or crane.

Around here a built short block goes for $600 plus core. After that you can get a set of iron Vortec heads for somehwere in the $600-$800 range, add the accessories, water pump, intake manifold, and carburetor and you'll have another $1400 into the motor. My math says you're about $3,000 go get it together and running.