"Travis Bailey" <dusterrt@msn.com> wrote:
: All I have to say is...man, what a b*$%&!
[...]
Heh! Sounds like fun. :-) Should be better from here on
out though. Oil changes are pretty easy on my '96, but I have a
2wd, so maybe you have less clearance up there.
: Alarm: I hate it and will be removing it ASA(conveniently)P. Or I'll try
: the disarm method someone mentioned first.
It sounds like the alarm isn't preventing you from operating
the truck, if that is the case, the easiest method might be to
just pop the hood (or wherever the siren is) and disconnect one
of the leads. On the alarms that I install on my vehicles, I
usually put a pain generator in the cab as well, if that is the
case you'll need to find that too but it doesn't sound like it
or the alarm would probably be even higher on your priority list.
:-) If your alarm is a DEI system (Viper or similar) another route
(once your key fobs have batteries and are working) is to open one
of your doors, then on the key fob, press "arm", "disarm", "arm".
That will do the same thing as turning the ignition off and pressing
the momentary switch in the cab I mentioned earlier. It will
disable the security portion of the alarm, but still allow you
to lock and unlock the doors from the key fob (assuming you have
electric locks and that feature has been wired up of course.)
Anyway, that would allow you to keep the alarm on there
without having to spend the time to remove it (and probably will
help with the insurance since you can say that it has an alarm) :-)
: As far as economy increasing modifications, what would those be? Intake?
: Headers? I was looking at the throttle body; will a normal 4bbl open air
: filter fit? Sure looks like it will but I haven't measured the neck.
: FIPK's are expensive and, well, those aren't, lol. Also, as luck would have
: it, I have a set of headers and copper gaskets for it already (I was going
: to try and make them work in my '71 Duster project...RIP). Pacesetter brand
: (sold as house brand from Summit), worth the time and trouble? I've always
: heard the magnum manifolds flow really well as-is. Cams are cool but a pain
: and waaay too pricey right now. Oversize tires might help with the 3.90
: gears, but I know they would help with appearance and performance, lol.
: Can't think of anything else simple n easy off the top of my head but you
: guys know these better than I...well I think that is more than enough for
: now!
Yep, in general, most power adding mods will also add fuel
economy, assuming you keep off the loud pedal. :-) A free flowing
intake and exhaust are the usual first steps, and there are more
involved things like the intake manifold, etc. which can be done.
As far as headers goes, they probably aren't worth the expense and
trouble unless you're looking for every last little bit. You are
correct in that the Magnum exhaust manifolds are actually decent,
as exhaust manifolds go. As Kyle correctly pointed out, because
your truck is a '92 (IIRC) your exhaust manifolds, Y pipe, etc.
are already the best flowing that are available on a stock Dakota.
(92-93 are the desireable years for that).
As far as the air filter goes, yes, you can drop a 14x3 round
air filter on there, but the experiences of folks on this list has
been that it is better to stay with a sealed air filter and a cold
air intake similar to the stock setup. (Some people have added a
second tube to the stock air can and dropped in a K&N filter.)
The best of both worlds is an air box that seals off to a ram-air
or cowl induction hood.
Anyway, if you are looking for some easy, relatively inexpensive
things to increase power and fuel economy, the intake would be a
good place to start (get it flowing more and keep the intake air
colder) and you might want to look into a high flow cat along
with a cat-back exhaust. A cooler (180 degree) thermostat can
help, especially if your motor shows any tendancy towards pinging.
Check out the plug wires, make sure the cap and rotor are in good
condition, and a set of fresh plugs with the proper gap might help.
(For plugs, you don't need anything fancy, a set of Autolites
or Champions will be just fine.)
As far as the tires go, larger tires will effectively make your
gear ratio taller, but the extra rotating mass will probably offset
any gains in that area. A more fuel efficient route might be to
just use the short gearing to your advantage to get moving easier
and shift sooner.
--
-Jon-
.-- Jon Steiger ---- jon@dakota-truck.net or jon@jonsteiger.com --.
| 1970 Barracuda - 1990 Dakota 'vert - 1992 Ram 4x4 - 1996 Dakota |
| 1996 Intruder 1400 - 1996 Kolb FireFly - 2001 Ram QC 3500 CTD |
`------------------------------------ http://www.jonsteiger.com --'
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