Opinions on a small block Chevy

notsobigjoe wrote:


Will the smaller engine create a larger payload capacity?

Than what? The same truck ( a GMT 800) with a 8.1L or Duramax?
Yes, on paper, it will, but the weight reduction will be all off of the front axle, which doesn't help your real world payload for a TC that sits over the rear axle.
And the difference is relatively small, maybe 100+ lbs for the big block and a few hundred for the diesel.

NamMedevac 70 wrote:
Always go big block. Better

What is going on with all your replies lately?

I think it will be ok. You won't win any races, but you know that.

Grit dog wrote:
I didn’t look at the add, but am very familiar with those trucks in general.
Obvious cautions about buying any older vehicle with high miles apply, but LS engines that are cared for are generally 250k + mile engines. Sure, sensors, injectors, accessories, etc may/will not all last that long.
The 4L80again if maintained and not abused is a 200k+ mile trans.
At 300hp/400tq, and a 4 speed, it is not a powerhouse by todays standards. But it is more than adequate to haul a big TC and even a light trailer behind it. In Florida or in the mountains. LS engines like to rev and you don’t have to worry about putting your foot to the floor and doing 4500rpms all the way up a mountain. And it will have more power than any stock 70s/80s 454 truck.

That and GMT 800 trucks are considered quite solid and reliable.
We have a lot of 150-200k mile 6.0 Chevy trucks that get beat on daily as construction vehicles. Basic drivetrain components are as solid as any vehicle.

My one suggestion is if you can budget to get up a few years and into one with a 6 speed. However I’d take a lower mile nice 4L80 truck over a higher mile 6l80.
Good luck, the market is not a buyers market currently.

Will the smaller engine create a larger payload capacity?

Always go big block. Better

Isn't calling a 6-liter engine a 'small block' kind of an oxymoron in today's world? :h

KD4UPL wrote:
The Chevy 6.0 is probably one of the most reliable trouble free engines out there. I've had an '02, an '09, and a '15. They were all in towing, hauling work trucks. The '02 needed a cam position sensor replaced once. The '09 just had the exhaust manifolds replaced because they warped. That's the sum total of all engine repairs between the 3 trucks.
What truck and engine do you have now? I presume it's something with the same body style as a 2002 Chevy which would be a 2001 to 2007 Chevy. They would have only had the Duramax diesel, 8.1L, 6.0L, or 5.3L if it's a 1500.

I have a 1996 Chevy Cheyenne crew cab. The only parts I really wanted to trade off was the Tow beast hitch with 4 foot extension, The home made belly bar for the front tiedowns and the universal bump stops as well as the front and rear sway bars. Everything else can go with the truck. Here's a pic of it and you can see it's been modified extensively. I did not do this and the person that did do it really didn't do a good job. I have been in constant battles with two overwhelming problems because of that funky 1/2 thick front end. One, It over heats and two the motor has been exposed to the elements for so long that the wiring harnesses are cracking and creating parasitic drains. I have another parasitic drain I have to track down and I really don't want to do this anymore. Otherwise the truck is a hauling beast.

I didn’t look at the add, but am very familiar with those trucks in general.
Obvious cautions about buying any older vehicle with high miles apply, but LS engines that are cared for are generally 250k + mile engines. Sure, sensors, injectors, accessories, etc may/will not all last that long.
The 4L80again if maintained and not abused is a 200k+ mile trans.
At 300hp/400tq, and a 4 speed, it is not a powerhouse by todays standards. But it is more than adequate to haul a big TC and even a light trailer behind it. In Florida or in the mountains. LS engines like to rev and you don’t have to worry about putting your foot to the floor and doing 4500rpms all the way up a mountain. And it will have more power than any stock 70s/80s 454 truck.

That and GMT 800 trucks are considered quite solid and reliable.
We have a lot of 150-200k mile 6.0 Chevy trucks that get beat on daily as construction vehicles. Basic drivetrain components are as solid as any vehicle.

My one suggestion is if you can budget to get up a few years and into one with a 6 speed. However I’d take a lower mile nice 4L80 truck over a higher mile 6l80.
Good luck, the market is not a buyers market currently.

You could get something with a 4.8L; it's not going to stop in the middle of a hill and refuse to go any further. It may not roar its way to the top at 70MPH, it may not make it there first, but it's going to get there. That 6.0 is twice the engine the 4.8L is.

The question is are you one of those rage-a-holics that's going to be screaming expletives and pounding on the steering wheel with your fists if the truck shifts out of overdrive? If yes, you should continue looking. If no, this is your truck.

The Chevy 6.0 is probably one of the most reliable trouble free engines out there. I've had an '02, an '09, and a '15. They were all in towing, hauling work trucks. The '02 needed a cam position sensor replaced once. The '09 just had the exhaust manifolds replaced because they warped. That's the sum total of all engine repairs between the 3 trucks.
What truck and engine do you have now? I presume it's something with the same body style as a 2002 Chevy which would be a 2001 to 2007 Chevy. They would have only had the Duramax diesel, 8.1L, 6.0L, or 5.3L if it's a 1500.