87_squarebody_ls

I picked up a 2004 5.3 truck motor yesterday, it has around 200,000 miles on it. I scored it for $200 & its going in a 1987 C10 pickup. This is my first motor build ever so I'm nervous & don't really know what to do. The motor had a small oil leak on the front so I know I want to take care of that. So I'm gonna throw some questions at yall & if anybody can help that would be awsome!

Should I take it to a machine shop & have it bored & sleeved & all that or what?

It has 706 heads on the motor, are those good or should get some other heads?...or would those be fine with some machining?

My goal for the motor is I want to have somewhere around 400 hp to the rear wheels....and not get 8 miles to the gallon. I expect to have to do a cam, something with the heads, & a tune.....but what else do I need to do?

99VetteFRC

A turbo would work on a stock motor. Agood freshen would be smart on an engine with that many miles. I bought a 4.8 with 177k on the clock and when I got installed it knocked bad. Had to get another and put it in.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmKsw...2&feature=plcp

This is after I changed the engine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=779K_...1&feature=plcp

I have a pair of T70's for it just waiting for injectors and a tune.

rouseyss

Ive always been like you and somewhat nervous about doin **** to motors. Well im in the Coast Guard and we had two motors take ***** on us and me and 3 others were the ones assigned the task. I learned a ton and the motors run so if I can do it you can do it man. Just trust yourself and take pictures of everything just incase you forget what goes where.

5.3's do awesome on boost so see if you can find where the leak is coming from. I'd replace your oil pump timing chain water pump and other accessories since your at 200k miles. As frc99 said it would be a good idea to get a gasket kit and get the torque specs and freshen the motor up. Im sure others will jump into this convo also

99VetteFRC

I am a technician, rebuilding the engine is no problem, I just bought an engine from a yard and it was supposed to be a good one so I made them stand behind there products. They let me keep the noisy engine so I will build a stroker out of it.