So I have another post discussing a hemi swap. I constantly go back and forth between the Hemi swap and Just building a 5.9 and dropping that in.
So to finally decide for good I think the best way to do it is a cost analysis since that’s what everyone’s critique is other than Hemi tick.

main cost I’m trying to find is intake manifold. I plan to do EFI and want to get an M1 style intake but obviously those aren’t sold new anymore. Is there really only two options? Hughes modified intake or LA head swap?
Pretty much every other cost I’ve found already and I just need to throw expected HP into it to find price per pony

 

They are both great engines, I've had multiples of both. You'll want to figure out what rpm you want to emphasize for peak performance. This would be dictated by your intended use. Don't get wrapped up in maximum HP rating at 6000+ rpm. Look at the HP/Torque curves and make decisions from there. If I were to build one with new pistons, I'd probably setup the compression for a supercharger and go that direction.

 

my thinking is to go 360 and maybe get a 408 stroked kit with high compression and stay NA but I have thought about going with a supercharger too. I want decent low end which is why I thought the aftermarket intakes would be better because of longer runners but I can’t find them for efi

 

My take....worth exactly what you paid for it.....virtually everyone I've ever known with strokers (with the exception of Chevy 383s) has had a host of issues. Idle, throttle response etc and overheating is a big one.

Rather than trying to make something it's not you'd be ahead to just do a crate motor or a "stock" swap from an existing platform. The idea of a blower sounds cool. The idea of a stroker sounds cool. In reality you'd likely make more power and actually spend less with a crate motor....Hellcat, Ford 7.3 gasser, GM 6.0 LS, even a twin turbo Ecoboost.....

 

Can't go high compression and supercharger with decent boost... well you can do anything, but the engine won't last very long. Low end and long runners are generally incompatible. If its your first time building an engine, there are some recipes on the web that should guide you to a targeted success for your intended use. Developing a plan that includes tire height size, transmission + rear end ratios, and intended use, needs to be considered so that the entire setup works together to achieve overall system success. The cam shaft is a good place to start to understand the tradeoffs, you could call compcams or hughes and get some guidance.

 

I know high compression with boost is hard on the engine because it’s just too much pressure and you end up bending rods and windowing blocks. I thought long runners was good for low end torque because it gave the air enough time to smooth out its path and increased air velocity. What I want is a high torque engine for off roading mainly, so naturally big tires and tall gears.

 

I’d be shocked if a lot of people on this forum didn’t just curse you with a poor harvest for even referring to eco boost swapping a 2nd gen.
move thought about crate motor swaps but to me it’s almost too common of a swap for anything that it seems lame almost. I mean LS swap Miata’s are a thing. But I’ve definitely thought about it and just not sure it’s the path I want to take.

 

Stock magnum is a torque monster. If you look at the torque curves at lower rpms, factory is very hard to beat. Maybe instead consider going stock, but blueprinted. "Tall gears" generally refer to highway gears, that is not what you want for low end grunt and offroad activities. I run stock 4.10s with 33s, tends to stay very street-able and still retains alot of pulling power. Consider spending the left over $ on diff air lockers front and back.

 

my bad I thought tall gears were high ratio torque gears. I might do that and keep the internals stock. I might use the saved money to get a Holley écu because I really want to convert it to coil near plug instead of distributor. Mostly so I could install a flex fuel system down the line but also because it runs more efficiently when timing is variable.

 

You could go with an aftermarket intake and holley efi setup, that might give you some hands on tunability - rather than working with someone who is over writing fuel settings in your stock computer. When I was considering modifying the 5.9 magnum in my 2000 3/4 ton, I went through the options for my intended usage and came to the conclusion that factory was really hard to beat - I'd just be wasting my money and time. The 5.9 is a solid engine, probably one of the most durable engines Mopar ever built.... they had that engine since the early 70s and kept making improvements.. I think the only real issue was the magnum head crack problem, but that was solved by the aftermarket.