As for the starter issues, have you looked into a reduction starter? They are commonly used for high performance applications with high compression ratios. Being an LS series motor, you can probably get one that would fit your truck. They use a smaller starter motor running through a gear reduction setup to minimize the strain on the motor itself.
MSD DynaForce Starters 5096 - SummitRacing.com this is just one example, there are less expensive ones out there.