Hey Sarge...
Sounds like you may have already found the source of your power loss.
Those holes in the headers/muffler could be enough to reduce the
backpressure to a level that will drive down your performance.
Replacements? Well like anything, it depends on how much you want to spend!?
Gibson makes a nice exhaust system (catback) but it is a little $$ (same for
the Borla, but even more $$$). You could just get a Flowmaster muffler, and
put it on with your old pipes (but it sounds like you're due for a complete
new exhaust). Headers, a few options out there, primarily
Mopar/Thorley/Leech (Thorley & Leech fabricate the Mopar Perf. headers) for
full length headers. JBA for shorty style headers. Hooker was also making
headers for Dakotas for a while, don't know if they still are.
A '93 with 127K is probably ready for a bit more work too, just to keep it
really peppy. Think about new plugs, good plug wires, upgraded coil, new cap
& rotor. Clean the TB, and or tear down to the heads and replace the head
gaskets? A nice drink of fresh Mobil 1?
You can beat on these trucks for a long time... but eventually they want a
little attention. A little time and $$ now will get you a lot more happy
miles out of that '93.
Duff
'95 SLT 4x4 CC 318 4spd/OD - 3.55 LSD
MSD 6AL - MSD Blaster Coil
MSD 8.5 wires - K&N FIPK - F&B Stage I TBI
-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Buehman [mailto:vsarge@netscape.net]
Sent: Monday, March 06, 2000 11:36 AM
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net
Subject: DML: X-Mailer: USANET web-mailer (M3.3.1.96)
Hey DMLers,
I've got a 1993 4x4 with the 3.9 in it with 127K miles on right now. It has
been a great truck so far even though I have very truthfully abused it the
entire time. Now I'm beginning to pay for that and would like some thoughts
from the list.
Power seems to have dropped considerably. Up to about 8 months ago I could
smoke the back tires in first/second and chirp in third (new it actually
smoked third also). It pings under acceleration but not WOT. Top end sounds
a
little noiser than before also. The exhaust has developed a small leak in
the
headers and one small hole in the muffler.
Any suggestions on what to look for on the power loss? Any recommendations
on
replacing the exhaust? I'm looking to stay fairly low buck as my daily
driver
is a motorcycle. Currently only things non-stock are: K&N air filter, Ranch
RS5000 shocks, new all metal radiator.
BTW I broke the same shock bolt that was addressed earlier and an easier way
to replace it was with a dremel tool. The dremel bit followed the bolt as it
was slightly softer than the chassis. Total time was about 45 minutes.
Peronally I would (and did) replace it with a grade 5 vice grade 8. 8's are
high tensile but lower shear and shock bolts experience high shear forces.
Thanks
Sarge
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