Along the way I checked craigslist and similar sites religiously in hopes of finding a complete donor truck, I could have just found and pulled a junk yard motor but I wanted a complete truck to take my time and work with. Eventually I found a lowish mileage (~150k)2002 Chevy 2500hd 6.0 auto posted online. the body was rough and the idle was off (intake gaskets) but the truck had been a fleet maintained vehicle for a plumbing outfit its whole life. Another trip across vermont in a flat bed and it was at its new home.
Eventually when the time was right the motor transmission and transfer case were pulled out, valve covers were pulled and the inside of the motor appeared clean but was still stripped down and block send out to be checked and hot tanked along with new bearings and cylinder hone and crank polish.
Ended up selling the transfer case out of the truck for $500
seeing how driver side drop transfer case wasn't going to work with my gm 60, and I'd prefer not running a ford axle on this one
