Josh Battles wrote:
> On Sun, August 5, 2007 11:11 am, Terrible Tom wrote:
> I'm with Barry here, I think it'd be easier to swap the 95 electronics into
> the truck and go from there. It's definitely easier when everything matches.
Well the research I did prior to starting this whole thing, made me
decide that probability of success was pretty good. I'm honestly at a
loss to explain why I've run into some of the problems I have.
The wire harness and computer pin outs are almost identical between the
89 V6 and V8 computers. The single solitary different I found was one
temperature sensor that the V8 uses that the V6 doesn't I have at this
point wired up that sensor and did not see much change in engine
performance.
Its clear to me now that the V8 computer I have is for a non-overdrive
truck. I'm trying to contact someone who knows quite a bit about the
SMEC to see if I can get more info on compatibility.
>
> Why did you decide to strip the 95 anyway?
Too many pots on the stove. I have Christine to try and get finished...
eventually I want to restore my grandfathers old 2wd 89 Dakota... plus
this 95 has a blown trans, and a blown rear axle... plus brake and other
problems. I have a roof to put on the house here, and I'm trying to fix
up the cabin up north. Last fall I had a roof put on up there and I
have the contractor (who I met with yesterday) writing up an estimate
for foundation and subfloor repairs. Just no time or money to devote to
rescuing another Dakota.
>
>
> What for? Pick a project dude. Once you've zeroed in on what you want to do
> with Christine, just go for it and see what happens. You already have all
> the parts to finish the 318 swap, why not just finish it out and go from
> there. If you change directions at this stage it'll be starting from scratch
> again.
>
I'm well aware of the fact that if I go diesel, its starting all over.
But what you are not aware of, is that I plan on tearing the truck all
apart again... for the last time... to properly restore it. I have
frame rot issues, rust issues... so no matter what power train I end up
with, the truck will still be apart once more. I had planned that from
the start. Perhaps not the best approach... but I wanted to prototype,
so to speak, the power train before I did everything on a final pass.
Figure out my drivetrain, pull truck apart and get the body and cosmetic
issues fixed - reassemble everything and done - good as new or better.
I think what I will just do is finish the V8 conversion, run this set up
until the engine blows... and perhaps look at the Cummins 4 banger swap
some years down the line. I've always had the goal of a "heavy duty"
Dakota - built for working... a Diesel seemes like a better way to go
about that. I wish I had known about the existence of the Cummins 4
banger... prior to starting the V8. I admit I didn't know they made
that engine until not that long ago. I would have started off in that
direction from the beginning, had I known.
I'm reaching the point where I don't think its going to be possible to
make this TBI V8 set up work - I don't have the resources to devote to
the R+D that would be needed to pull it off. In order to make the MPFI
work now... the fuel pump and tank, the intake manifold, and the entire
wire harness would have to be swapped over. Plus the shift linkage and
the kick down cables. One thought I had was instead of the MPFI
conversion... I could go low tech. I thought about going to a Holley
Truck Avenger carb, and perhaps even a universal Painless wire harness
for accessories, lights, etc... to replace the corossion prone factory
wire harness. That wouldnt be necessary to run the carb obviously,
just an idea.
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