You have to take into consideration, it all depends on what the budget will allow. Those cyls don't look non-runable. Most of the rust looks like surface stains from your cleaning.
If the budget is super tight, I'd say crank and run it around the block and change the oil, if there's a little wiggle room...Pull the pistons and do a light hone to clean it up and new rings and put it back together if the bearings look good.
The oil staining is normal.

 

That would be awesome, but it just isnt in the budget. IMO, if he needs to spend that much then he would be better taking it back to the place (assuming they will take it back) and buy another one somewhere else that is in hopefully better shape.

We are hoping it will be fine with just a hone/ring job.

 

Well ****. I saw pics of the crank weights but none of the actual bearings surfaces.

I got an aluminum 347 he can buy. $300 plus shipping. Still needs a hone and the crank needs a polish, bout $100 for those. Also needs one new piston and rings

The boy is gonna have to spend SOME money before its all over.

 

Everybody on here acts like I've got an unlimited budget on this thing, I'm already 2 grand deep into this and now we find out the engine basically needs a rebuild, it really sucks. I understand to do it right, it needs a lot of money and work, but I just don't have the money. Hopefully a good honing and replacing the piston rings, and it will be good to go...(crosses fingers)

But since I'm in college and my dad is helping me pay for the swap, I can't do everything I liked to do at the time, I just need to get my truck running again.

 

Did your old motor blow up? Something isn't adding up. For under 2 grand you could have a whole Nother motor in there and running. Hell the last 350 I rebuilt I spent like maybe 700 , and that was with 300 worth of machine shop work.

You need to take the motor apart, take it to a machine shop. Have them mic cylinders, this will tell you if you can use stock pistons. You need to have crank checked for warping and mainly have them look at the bearing surfaces. It costs nothing to have them look at something. They can do it while ur standing there. If the crank looks good, they will give you new stock bearings for mains and rods. We are talking very small dollars. If the cam bearings look bad, have them put new one in.

You paid 2 grand for a worn out lq4? Or what.

To swap out cam bearings, new main and rod bearings, a hone and new rings, my shop would do that for like 200. That's basically a new motor if the pistons, rods and crank all looks good.

Take it to a machine shop and get their opinions, like I said they don't charge to get you advice

 

I think it may be going in a two door blazer. I don't know for sure but i think i have seen the same screen name on another fourm. Which if it is explains why he is in it for so much money right now with all the parts and everything.

 

Yea hes putting it into his 99 tahoe (obs) so the rest of the budget is in new conversion wiring harness and engine mounts.

The old 350 had the main crank bearing fail.

 

Big mistake right there. Doing a conversion when you don't have the money.

 

Why not when it would be just as much to have a reman 350?

 

Summit has at least two complete crate 350s for like 13-1500 bucks. No worrying about harness