Help spec'ing out a new small block

lol, I'm gonna end up with more red X's from this thread than I have received since joining the forum!
Yeah, but they will all be in jest!

I’m enjoying your questioning of all alternatives and the responses from the knowledge base here. Many of the questions you’ve proposed are questions that I’ve had myself, but haven’t figured out how to group them in a coherent post! Blame it on Pittsburgh public education :p