replacement engine choices?

I have a well used Dodge 1500 club cab 4x4 with a weak 360 (5.9L) engine. This is a farm truck that hauls firewood, pulls trailers, etc.

It looks like a general remanufactured short block is ~$1600 plus labor. What would you do for something high torque (i.e. heavy loads offroad, low ground speeds, up & down hills) that will still accelerate well at highway speeds?

What sort of prices am I looking at for common engine replacement options? I'm not looking for a 'crate' race motor but, I wonder about a more modern fuel injected motor? Is rebuilding my current motor a reasonable option?

I don't have the experience to rebuild a motor like this. I also don't have the tools to pull the motor either so, I need to consider labor in addition to assessing the financial impact of my engine options.

TIA,
Sid

The 96+ magnum engines are modern fuel injected engines, they just aren't current generation direct fuel injected engines, however neither are a lot of engines in new 2018 vehicles.

Cheap power is an oxymoron, if you want performance you're going to pay for it. However, you don't have to sell your arm to get some nice improvement in power.

First thing is to determine just how worn your engine is, that will determine if it is better to go get a junkyard engine or just use your own. Keeping in mind its not gonna be cheap to pay someone else to do the work. It's cheaper for me to buy all the specialty tools I have at work and do it myself at home then to take it into work and pay with the 40% discount I get to have it done. Thats counting having a basic but complete set of 3/8th in drive wrench and sockets with some extensions with swivels, a set of 1/2in impact sockets with either an air or electric impact. Assorted screwdrivers, hammers, pry bars, some sort of torch (preferably MAPP gas), an engine hoist and load leveler, a couple types and sizes of pliers, lights. Overall, everything you'll need tool wise will cost about 600, and you get to keep it when you're done or sell it (lots of people looking for engine hoists used).

Either way, before you go too far into getting another engine, i'd suggest checking out your engine to see whats up. On the list, inspect the ignition system, intake for plenum leak, spark plugs for plenum leak, compression test to check rings; valves and head gaskets, exhaust for clogged cats or other restrictions. After you have checked that out (you can rent/borrow all the required tools from Autozone), you can determine whether or not to keep your engine.

As for mods that will get you a bit more power and not break the bank, as well as prevent future damage. Plenum gasket, you really only need a decent gasket (i'm partial to fel-pro) and new intake bolts as you'll likely snap one or two and you don't want to reuse those old ones that have lost their coating anyway. Canned Tune from FRP tuning or HemiFever (just note HemiFever is pretty loosely thrown together). Either shorty headers and/or an intake either Edelbrock or Hughes. If you can find one for a good price and only after the intake, a ported stock throttle body or aftermarket 52mm TB. TRANSMISSION COOLER IS A MUST.

Things not to do as they do squat. Any intake system that isn't a supercharger or turbocharger. CAI are just a bunch of **** that do nothing, a washable filter is acceptable if you just want to wash instead of replace, but a decent cotton or paper filter is cheap and works just fine. A dirty/clogged air filter will harm performance worse than almost anything. Any electrical system stabilizer that isn't the main battery sitting on the driver's side of the engine bay. Underdrive or overdrive pulleys, they have their niche, but we will never see the RPMs or speed that warrant using them and the accessory drive components don't use that much power anyway (save the A/C compressor but that shuts off when the PCM detects high load conditions). Stickers that claim 50+HP per sticker (The 5HP stickers work though, I have 50).

Not too crazy to have somebody swap in a reman though i would at least get a longblock. Short block will need heads and you're 100% guaranteed to be told you need new heads because the old ones are cracked. They have a pretty guaranteed failure rate for cracks beteeen the valve seats and most mechanics don't wanna reuse em.

For cheap power, well that depends on your budget. Good hauling power for under $1000, hipotek 52 or 53mm throttle body. Either one. Throttle body's aren't like carbs, you can't go "too big". "Too big" it'll just be a slight but jumpy at initial throttle input, like from a stop sign. Other than that it'll act like stock should but slightly more power.
Shorty headers, you can honestly go with eBay. They're mostly the same as "quality brands", just cheaper metal. And if you're handy and dont mind the work, you can buy 4 sets for the price of 1 "quality" brand when the welds crack from rust in a few years.
Skip the aftermarket intake manifold, factory is MUCH better suited to your wants/needs and it'll save you $600. Only plug and play options are Mopar 2bbl M1 which hasn't been produced since 2014 and the Hughes Airgap. Both will trade low end for mid/top end. Granted mine pulls great with that but I've got a tad more in mine and budget wasn't an issue.
Tuning, go frp tuning. Water in your gas tank is worth more than Hemifever

For factory intakes, find one with a divider. Smaller plenum area with long runners makes for mega torque down low. That combined with a big throttle body should be pretty well all around.
Other than that, your biggest change will be gearing, gearing, gearing.

You might look into 4.10 or 4.56 gears depending on your tire size and max speed desired.

+1 to gears depending on budget, 2wd or 4x4, and as mentioned desired speeds vs tire size.

The gear ratio & tire size are pretty good right now for the speeds needed. The tires are slightly over stock size so engine speed on the highway is good and I can always go 4L on the transfer case to crawl up an incline or drag a load of firewood out of the trees if needed. I also don't run overdrive with a trailer or heavy load of firewood in the bed.