ORIGINAL: HerrSavage

I think, unless the OP has deeper pockets and more setup and tuning knowhow than average(in which case go ahead and get a modded Picco from supertib, which IS the ultimate engine to get...), the LRP Spec 3 or Losi 454* is the way to go. That and an XXL tranny - or at least the output gears(you can get those for like 8 bucks..) The XXL has better gearing and will make the truck faster.

I had an LRP Spec 3 in my LST2 and loved it. I have a new LRP 30 waiting to go in.. But I kind of suspect the 28 is better, with more top-end. The 30 will be torquier, but IMO the 28 has enough of that unless you're into climbing or pulling tree-stumps or something. (Beyond the power of the 28 I personally suspect much of the added torque just amounts to added wear and tear on your drivetrain..... Would be surprised to see a 30 pull away from a 28 in a race...) And the 28 rips mid to top.. Also very, very easy to tune, AND it loves the stock LST2 pipe, which is dirt cheap too...

* I hear here and there about carb issues with the 454. I recently picked up a new 454 on ebay for dirt cheap - $105 - and put a new LRP carb on it I'd had laying around. Besides the color though, I can't notice a difference in the carbs... And my LRP Spec 3 was really very easy to tune. Said it before, saying it again - if it weren't easy to tune, I wouldn't have liked it, and obviously wouldn't praise it.. For the money, good engines...

BTW, I have a Dynamite Big Red in my basher LST2 now. Good engine for the price, and though I don't have enough fuel through it yet to really fairly say, it seems at this stage that the LRP Spec 3 has a bit more power - especially that it revs higher and harder.. Afaik, the Big Red is based off the LRP Spec 2, and the 454 is identical to the Spec 3 - which has more ports than the Spec 2.