only so much your going to get out of a 6 everyone knows that. whats more important to you. keeping the 6 or scootin a little faster down the road
How much do you want to get out of one of these old trucks? Easy mods with a high-pressure 235/261 and a 3.55 R&P conversion allows you to cruise all day at 65 mph (with original brakes and high-profile LT radials).
If you want to scoot much faster (in acceleration and/or in top speed), better change a lot more than the engine in the truck. Nothing wrong with this desire and this approach - you just have to decide what you want.