Question about lS engine vs gen 1. SBC

[garyd1961]

Originally Posted by SBTork

I will also say that I have an '83 K5 blazer with a 350/700R4 and it's going by the wayside next summer for a 4.8/4L80E. I love the reliability and lack of oil leaks of the LS engines, for those reasons alone it's worth it to me. BUT...by all means to each their own, I respect the heck out of the old small blocks too

My L31-R doesn't leak oil and has been very reliable.

[SBTork]

Originally Posted by garyd1961

My L31-R doesn't leak oil and has been very reliable.

That's great to hear. I've had several old small blocks in squarebody trucks with good results, but always dealt with leaks. But, after doing some research on this particular one, if I were to have one of these L31 small blocks in a square, I bet i'd love it. I had a '99 Tahoe in the past and that was great, didn't ever leak and had more than enough power to get around and tow. For the money and almost direct replacement aspect, that engine is tough to beat!

[DieselSJ]

Later 350 blocks with 1 piece rear seals seem to hold oil well. On my 2-piece rear seal block I upgraded to a 1-piece oil pan gasket and used the valve cover gaskets with the steel core and had zero leaks after that.