You can get some power from the 2.8, however not with the stock heads, cam, or intake. The heads need porting, the intake and cam needs replacing. These engines were used in sprint cars for years. I myself would at a minimum pull the intake and heads, fire up the die grinder and open the ports. while your that far, pull the mild economy cam and put something a bit more aggressive. GM front drive 60 degree engines have aluminum heads which flow slightly better stock than the cast iron units.
The 2.8 has the corporate narrow pattern (also known as front drive pattern). Flywheel housings from a 2.8, 3.1, or 3.4 are the same. The T5 bolts to this engine without any modifications as this is the engine that GM put the T5 behind (as well as the 2.5 tech-4)
If you have it and are on a budget, then use it. If you have some spare cash, sell the 2.8 to someone with an S-10 and take the cash to put something with a bit more displacement into the truck.
