[Eagledriver]

I'll be the first to vote not to split. You are correct that the bottom end should last along time. If you had good oil pressure before removing the engine and no reason to suspect a problem like oil leaks, then keeping the case together will save time and money. There is also the possiblility of messing something up when you put it back together. The only difficult thing I see is removing the headstuds without splitting the case. The rods will be somewhat in the way and you don't want dirt to get inside the case.

-Andy