Progress of sorts. 
On the 5.3 from the title that isn’t going into the truck from the title, I got 1 new valve spring installed and then realized that my c-clamp spring compressor will not reach any but the outermost springs. So I could get up to 4 done. Instead I removed 2.5 out of 4 broken head bolts and decided to take a head in to the machine shop for some professional surgery. But none of this could get me down because I really just wanted to work on the C10 anyway. So that’s what happened.
With a friend over to help we installed a line lock, connected the clutch master, routed the engine wiring through the firewall and under the manifold as well as mounting the fuel cell. 
I do not like its location size or really anything else, but for the time being it will suffice to get the truck going. Still a bit more work on basically everything but it feels like forward motion
Installed and torqued manifold. 
Found a home for the ECU and fuse block.
I found out that the battery is too big for the battery holder so choppy chop. 
And zap together so it fits
I put the truck on jack stands and installed the driveshaft; it seems too long. I was pretty excited about not needing to mess with one, but we will see.
The trans and motor mounts both can adjust some so that may work?
For the time being I will carry on with electric and fuel supplies with a running engine as my goal.
Old vs new valve springs. 1 head done.
Fancy billet motor mount was in the way of the power steering hose. Chop. 
Fits now
also, front sway bar is in
That actually took me some time to figure out since there were no instructions.
Also this thingy came with the truck but I don’t know what it is. Any ideas?
The infamous “keneuter” valve?
Its a hydraulic clutch quick connect for an input shaft mounted slavecylender. The male end gets an o ring and held in place in the slave via a roll pin.
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Cool. Thanks, I wanted to be sure it was an extra. I guess that it is not needed for the current setup since the clutch is working now.
Usually they get pulled when the factory line is replaced with braided line and Russell fittings
In reply to Dusterbd13-michael :
Exactly the case! You nailed it.
It is my peak season at work so I have not been spending as much time on my projects as I’d like. I did get the C10 cooling system somewhat sorted out. 
I made some brackets
Mounted this radiator from Eastwood.
Made some modifications to the water neck. I don’t know what this is made of exactly but it is pretty terrible to weld. 
The upper hose is a two piece since the water pump outlet is 1.25” and the radiator is 1.5”. 
So I chopped off the outlet from an extra truck pump and tig welded it to a piece of 1.5” 4130 I had lying around and used my shade tree flanger. 
I also wired the relays and fuse block for the fans. The FiTech has ground outputs for two separate fans so I set them up on a common ground and individual positives through this random connector in my box o’ wire. 
The idea is that the fan and radiator can be easily disconnected and removed as a unit because it annoys me when that isn’t the case. 
Wires tidy, clamps on and full of coolant. Floor=dry. Yay! 
HOLY SMOKES!
I have a Literal smoke machine. It started right up and came up to temp with no other drama but this engine is smoking like a member of the rat pack.
My hope was that driving it around some would sort it out but alas there is still a James Bond level smokescreen happening.
I pulled a rocker cover and there are valve guides installed and they appear to be the correct colors...
my endoscope in the #2 showed this. 
Looks like “rebuilt” meant done in the garage and no machine work. I am good with that except for all the smoke.
I’m no expert but that cylinder wall looks super shiny and possibly too slick for new rings to be happy with?
Well, at least I got to drive it around briefly and hopefully slightly reduce the mosquito population.
Ideas or suggestions?
My plan to quit smoking: 
step 1. Remove 4.8. 
Step 2. Install cam and springs into 5.3 that was pulled running and with good compression and no smoke. 
Step 3. Watch as no smoke happens because it is not put together enough to make any.
It runs. Smoke only comes from the tire now.
Went for a “legal” drive this evening. Insured, functioning brake lights, etc. blinkers don’t blink but I can move the stick. It is still pretty loud but with earplugs it is righteous. I stopped by to see my buddy who has an ls swapped RX-8 (as well as that speed3). We went to the gas station in preparation for some fossil fuel consumption. 
We had an absolute blast and were responsible with our shenanigans. This truck still needs a ton of work but it feels good to do some road testing.
Going by the title I haven't bothered to read this discussion until today, so I was surprised to see the change to the early C10. 
If you haven't already watched them, check out Lucky Costa's YouTube videos on his LS swapped C10. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsAaakmE0dAtG7AVFb7oUEA/videos
In reply to stuart in mn :
Yep, neither the truck or the engine from the title are directly relevant anymore. In fact, the 5.3 from the title now resides under the hood of the RX-8 in the gas station photo. 
With a stage 3 cam, more compression, and long tube headers.
The truck is still all old and busted and does the occasional dump run. No photo
Funny how project cars can go. I will check out that build. Thanks
This is the shifter that came with the truck. I don’t know how it came to be like this but it is decidedly not sweet 
Replaced with this:
this one also returns to center which is nice.
I was cleaning out all the junk from the front corner of the passenger fender and now I have a key to the doors. This is much more convenient than what I had planned to do; take out a lock cylinder and bring it to the locksmith. 
I braved the most wasp infested pickup I have ever seen and grabbed a turn signal cancel cam today which fit after some modifications 
And in the column:
Non cancellation of turn signals was a real irksome issue and it made me “that guy” driving around with a blinker on for no reason. Now the signals cancel and the horn also works. I need to find a cooler horn button or put on a sticker or something. 
I also put in a gauge cluster that is currently not showing anything helpful but it fills the hole in the dash. I put the Fitech handheld display on a quickie bracket made from a license plate to tell me things that are helpful while driving: speed, water temp, rpm and voltage currently.
Since I no longer need to pull a lock cylinder the door panels are installed again. I have not got any armrests but it looks better than the regulator openings. 
Now I only have a couple hundred more things to do before the interior is presentable.
Big Red has now officially left the fleet and added back a small trickle of cash into the “cars” envelope. The wife expressed her interest in a 4x4 version of dump runner so I am currently keeping an eye out.
Also:
In reply to GoLucky :
Oh yeah, that’s the stuff. Boost makes everything better.
Friday night: house to myself. I really wanted to go straight into building turbo bits, but this broken exhaust bolt has to come out first. I really wish that I had noticed it BEFORE the motor was in but I’m somewhat not smart/was in a bit of a hurry trying to beat the rain. I am however the owner of this Lisle drill jig and a right angle drill adapter both on their maiden voyage.
Lots of stopping and spraying in WD. The second size hole went way faster and the included extraction tool did its thing. Overall this process was still in no way “fun” but it did work and I didn’t have to pull the motor so I will call it a win . 
Now on to more enjoyable work: I decided to try the driver side manifold first because it has some obstacles to go around. First, chop the flipped exhaust manifold. 
Fits. 
I am not %100 about any placement yet so here is where I stopped for the night.
excited about turbo sounds in my future
Adding turbos before bed. Priorities! :D
A momentary rant on cheap v-bands: they suck and it takes a lot of work to make them fit over the tube size that they allegedly are for. Rant over.
I came up with a new plan for the turbos that involves the stainless headers:
V bands > 3 bolt flat gasket 
and the other part on the exhaust pipe. 
and then the new turbo placement: 
yes! Turbos are going in the bed. 
Only one in for now until I get more exhaust pipe.
It occurred to me as I was positioning turbos, wastegates and the cast manifolds that all that E36 M3 is heavy! It weighs a lot and it is right at the front of an already nose heavy vehicle. (Yes I know I still need a bed) The weight weeny in me revolted. Heck, I put the battery behind the cab because of the weight placement. I am going to try a remote mount turbo system for the first time.
I haven’t got a scavenge pump yet so open to ideas and suggestions. Anyone ever done a stand-alone oil system?
In reply to ClemSparks :
Totally all part of the plan.
