I finally got the engine stand i needed to be able to get some work done on the spare motor. so far i now have:

oil pans removed
bearing caps removed (pain in the a** too)
pistons out
block completely stripped
and now it's at the shop waiting to get honed and cleaned.


i also determined that the 165k mile bearings should be replaced, and found a set of ACL race series bearings for the motor. the cost for a full set runs around $90. a set of OEM main bearings runs around $75. do the math, better bearings for just slightly more? or OEM expensive bearings?