Re: Old 1989 Dakota needs some help

From: WiLieR[SS] (waffle787@gmail.com)
Date: Wed May 09 2007 - 17:49:05 EDT


Welcome to the Dakota world! I miss my 88 Gen-I dakota but won't part
with my 96 Gen-II either.

On 5/9/07, carychip@hotmail.com <carychip@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> I have an old 89 DAK 3.9 V6 2Wheeler and am trying to keep her on the road.
> Cant afford a new car and my Dad gave this to build my character he said.
>
> There is a rubber hose hanging loose from top of the
> left rear axle. Someone told me its the axle vent hose but what its for or why
> its hangin down has me scratchin my head. Its about 18 inchs long and has
> a diagonal cut on its open end. Should this be attached to something and if so
> what?

That is the axle vent hose. It should have a little cap on the end of
it to keep bugs from building nest in it. You should be able to find
one at an autoparts store or just get one off a hose in the junkyard.
To reattach it just jack up the dakota and let the rear axle hang all
the way down, then use a zip tie to fasten it to the bottom of the bed
or the frame, which ever is easiest.

> She 120k miles on her and I never changed the O2 sensor and am afraid
> to try and take it off because its probably rusted on. Engine runs fine.
> Should I try and maybe make a mess of the threads or just leave it alone?

Soak the O2 sensor down with a penetrating oil such as PB Blaster,
Kroil, etc... but not WD-40 as it is not a penetrating oil and is
actually designed to just displace water. Do this over several days a
couple of times a day. It should work its way in and help break the
rust loose. Even if it isn't throw a code it can still provide a
false reading and keep the engine from running at its peak efficiency.

> One other thing: there is a heater hose I need to replace that has a metal
> gizmo
> in the middle of it (I think its a temp. sensor and right next to a prestone
> flush T). Should I just insert this gizmo and the T into the new hose?

That is the heater control valve. It should have a vacuum line
attached to it and will open when you move the heater controls to the
right to blow warmer air. If it is opening properly then just put it
back in place between the pieces of new heater hose. To test and see
if it is opening, put the heater controls on cold and let the engine
warm up. Move the heater control to the hottest position and feel the
heater hose on both side of the valve. If it is cold on one side but
hot on the other then the valve isn't working. It could be the valve
itself or could be a vacuum problem. We can dig further into that
after finding out if it works or not.

> I'm not much of a mechanic but am trying to learn enough to keep my DAK going.
> I love this truck like an old dog.

You've got a good vehicle to start learning on. There is plenty of
room under the hood to work and there aren't 4000 miles of wiring
harness to mess with either. Again, welcome to the Dakota world!

WiLieR



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