Hey guys. Looking for some advice on this.

I have the change to pickup an 05 3500 Express van with a 6.0 and 4l80e for around $700. The torque converter is trashed, but that would need to be replaced anyways. The engine also has 350K miles on it, and is showing low oil pressure (10 psi cold, basically 0 hot - warning light comes on). Owner claims they had the oil pump changed with no change and an assumption was made that it was the sender and\or gauge. I don't know if they decided that was the problem after testing with a mechanical gauge or not. They've put roughly 3K on it like this without any known ill effects. No knocking, lifter tick, etc.

I figure I can pull the engine and transmission and scrap the rest and get $200 or so back, assuming I just go straight scrap and not parting it out. This brings me to a total expenditure of around $500. My original plan was to pickup a 5.3, throw in some head studs, and throw about 10psi of boost at it. 10psi of boost on a 6.0 with the reliability of a 4l80e behind it sounds like a better deal. That being said, a 200K or so mile 5.3 with a 4l60e can be had around here for probably $700-$800 total.

Obviously the thing that scares me is the miles and the oil pressure. That extra displacement doesn't do me a lot of good at that price if I have to throw a bunch of money at it to get it up to par.

Thoughts?

 

When a cheapskate limps something along for 350,000 miles and decides it's done..... Then you know it's done.

 

To be fair, I've pulled apart 4.8s and 5.3s with 250K on them and aside from sludge and some bearing wear, they looked relatively unworn. Granted, there's another 100K on this one... Which is what makes me stop and think about it. If it were a 250K engine I wouldn't bat an eye at it. I'll probably pass on it but I thought maybe someone else might've had some experience with motors with this much mileage on them.