If you do a used engine, you want the whole engine, not a short block. For one thing, I doubt it’d be worth the cost of paying someone to swap the heads. You also can’t compression test a short block or check the oil pressure. I suppose maybe a junkyard could test the engine, then pull the heads off and sell you the short block but I’ve never heard of that happening.
Of course another option is to buy a used engine… inside a used truck. The Denali is pretty snazzy, but big SUV’s in general aren’t exactly uncommon or expensive on the used car market.
When I was working (auto mechanic) we did crankshaft kits which was the cheapest way of repairing but I guess no one does that anymore. I haven’t heard of anyone offering this option.
@morgenstern & @GreasyJack
For the low-cost alternative I looked at craigslist. Look like a few good deals. Full engine for under $1000 and willing to install (I’m assuming for a price).
Everyone who has answered this thread, when you’re in my area I owe you a beer.
The one used car I saw that would make sense to buy for the part said something like “problem with the engine” :smack:
Just to be clear, by “a used engine… inside a used truck” I meant scrap this truck and just buy a new-to-you one. I’m guessing this truck is worth maybe $3-4k realistically. If you can get a used engine in there for $2k-ish, great, but I’d at least have a look-sy at what kind of other old big SUV’s are for sale out there before dropping $3.2k on this one, let alone whatever a new long block would cost.
So I think I’ve decided. Find a cheap long block for less than $1000 and pay for an install. Should run me less than $2k total and there seem to be a fair number of remanufactured Vortec 5.7s out there at that price point only a couple hundred dollars more than one just torn out of a truck. It looks like the deal for them is in the money they make off the install and the fact that they keep the old engine. As long as I get to keep the crankshaft position sensor I just paid for PLUS as long as a full engine is going in I’ll be putting in new spark plugs and wires too.
Which now leads me to this question - anything else that I should replace with new during this process? Gaskets? Water pump? Belts? Anything?