definitely had some trash pumped thru it. by the looks of it, this poor thing didn't get a lot of oil changes and cheap filters.
my 2 cents is are you in a hurry? while I would have no worry about those going another few 100k also what's the point. if you're all ready having to deal with a machine shop to have the block cleaned and new cam bearings, not much extra to have the crank polished and toss some new bearings in it.
I'm not in a hurry, no. This engine is going to eventually replace the 5.3 LMG in my Yukon that is currently running well, with no issues.
I was planning to have the heads refreshed (skimmed, hot wash, and if they need it - a valve job) once I figure out what cam I want.
After seeing the condition of the cam bearings, they will need to be replaced as well, which would make sense to have the shop do it (still haven't found a shop yet) since the block is filthy, and would need to also be hot washed at the least. And, I assume they'd need to mic the crank journals to recommend any undersized bearings, if needed. Or, does polishing the crank typically let you run standard sized bearings?
How much (if anyone knows) does it cost to have the crank journals polished?
So, it seems like I need to have my cam chosen before moving forward. That should give some time for the discretionary fund to build back up.