[Onuma]

This isn't an immediate musing, but I'm considering replacing my engine in the distant future. It seems to run alright (mediocre) when the carburetor is rebuilt & clean. Ethanol gas (10% here in VA) really does a number on it though, so it gets very difficult to start and running smoothly can be a PITA if your carb is gunked up, etc.

For the record, the original engine in my '66 is gone. Someone, once upon a time, replaced it with an 1977 GM 305 V8. Woefully inadequate engine for just about any purposes; 140 hp, not much more torque, and equally lacking gas mileage. No advantages, with the exception of it being easy to work on and having tons of replacement parts available.

Here are the options as I see them:
A.) Deal with the constant degradation of engine & related parts due to ethanol -- This will probably be the most costly option in the long term.
B.) Upgrade key parts of the current engine to be more resistant to modern fuel, and/or provide additional performance. I know for a fact that this block can manage to drink modern E10 or even E85 with the right mods, as well as being capable of pushing out ~300 horses or so. Getting it there may be tricky, but will also save the headache of replacing the entire engine.
C.) Replace w/ a modern gas engine which readily accepts E10/E85 gasoline. I'd pick something GM, preferably GMC, just to keep things within the same family. I know I can find a wrecked Sierra engine on the cheap -- maybe $800-1200 tops -- and in working order. This means it will be injected, of course, but that just takes away the hassles of carburetors and puts in place future injector troubles.
D.) Replace w/ a diesel engine. This completely eliminates the requirement for an "ethanol friendly" engine, which is nice. It also means solid MPGs and a ton of torque, even with a relatively small displacement engine (in the high 4L or low 5L range), and basically guarantees that the darn thing will run forever.

Either way, I have a lot of time to consider my options. Any choice involves a lot of work and a decent amount of money (at least). I like the idea of keeping this truck original, there are already so many modifications, replacements, and other things which were done, that a bone-stock truck isn't even on the table anymore.

Just musings. I'll go back to my hole

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