Quote: I've got 2 complete 05 5.7 cores, both with rod knock. I'm just sponging up info to put one together. My plan is to go with a basically stock motor first time around and get the car sorted out then go big later.
It really depends on what level of labor you are willing to put in to the build. If you can handle some basic cylinder head porting do a little bit of research and grab a die grinder and some bits and rolls. You can make the 5.7 heads flow almost as much as stock 6.1's. If you haven't ported heads before then just buy a set of either 6.1's (they may be pricey) or a set of Apache's ($650 last time I checked). I can make some cam recommendations as well depending on your requirements. Order a set of TTI headers, decide if your going carb or fuel injection and finish the build from there.
5.7's are beastly engines!
BTW - I have spare rods, pistons and cranks for sale in the classifieds if you want to use stock rotating parts.
