This is my second post so sorry if this is in the wrong place. I have a 1998 chevy c1500 with a 5.7 350 vortec, the issue is the engine was making a weird noise and was told by multiple mechanic friends I have that the engine is on its way out. I am personally not the most mechanically inclined, I am comfortable doing things like oil changes, brake/rotor changes, I have built a few go kart engines and mini bikes. So my question is what would be the best engine swap for my current situation. My list of priorities are as follows from most to least; reliability, difficulty, cost, power. My budget is pretty flexible but around 3500 would be ideal (less would be nice). I was looking for engines that directly replace my current one and a lot of them were remanufactured, is it worth paying the premium and shipping to buy one of those or would it be better to find a donor vehicle and rebuild the engine myself? Any input is appreciated!