Good info, thanks!
People are commenting a lot on my 3" exhaust comment. What threw me off
on the exhaust was the comment on Allpar.com on the Dakotas:
http://www.allpar.com/trucks/dakota-1987.html
"In 1994, the exhaust manifolds were shrunk to 1 5/8" and the exhaust
was reduced to 2.5" from 3", eliminating 5 horsepower but no doubt
saving some money; the torque curve was also adjusted via cam timing. In
1996, EGR was eliminated."
I assumed that was the exhaust size from where the downpipes merged
back... I guess Allpar is wrong. Wouldn't be the first time. :)
On another note, how "bad" are the 5 speeds prior to the 1993 models?
As in, 1980's Dodge Ram 4 speed manual bad, or just "not very smooth"?
A friend of mine's Dad had an '87 Ram with the 318 and the 4 speed...
it's like moving the earth every time you shift. :)
Thanks again,
MattB
Mike Sykes wrote:
>
> << Thanks for all the assistance for those who commented>>
>
> woohoo! Fresh meat!
>
> Seeing a new Dak enthusiast has brought me out of lurk mode once again.
> So.. here is a quick "what you need to know about Daks" to get you up to
> speed =)
>
>
> Gen 1 - 87-91. This is the TBI engine. Not a lot of power,
> unfortunately. The V6 is rated at 128hp and feels like less. Not many
> aftermarket engine mods out there (although a lot of stuff can be
> "adapted" to work). As far as suspension goes, not a whole lot changed
> in Dak-land up until 97, so there is a little hope for suspension mods.
> 1st gen daks had wheels that were 6" wide, so big tires are a lost cause
> unless you go with aftermarket wheels.
>
> Gen 1
> Pros -
> ---- Sweet 4.5 on 5 wheel bolt pattern with low positive offset... makes
> 4x4 wheels easy to get.
> ---- Old Skool 727 based tranny... easy to work on.
> ---- same Suspension as 92-96 Dakotas, so there are lift option
> available
> ---- Let's face it, the front end looks sweet =)
> ---- The only Convertible Truck ever sold =)
>
> Cons -
> ---- V6 is a slug and a gas hog. Not many parts available to wake it up.
> ---- 7.25 rear and front diff limits your options for offroad fun. No
> lockers avail.... boo
> ---- Mopar has stopped making many parts for this engine... just an FYI
> ---- the V8 throttle body school of thought doesn't work on this
> engine... it's just too big...
> ---- 3" exhaust is baaaaad news... 2.5 is almost too big... =(
> ---- no Club cab until 90... and hard to find
> ---- no aftermarket clear lights for the front... zero - zip - zilch..
> but they share the same headlamp (sealed beam) with a for probe, so all
> hope isn't lost.
>
>
> Gen II - 92-96. Many have labeled this the hotrod of all Dakotas. Light,
> available MPFI Magnum engines (318! W00t!) with a 5 spd manual.
> Lightweight as far as pickups go, and just plain sweet. Little changed
> between the Gen I and Gen II except the front clip (core support and
> sheet metal) and the addition of the Magnum Engine. The magnum motors
> make a TON of power and respond well to mods. The '95 Magnum is
> considered by many people to be the best truck if you wanna go fast
> because it's the last year to OBD1... but that's a whole different
> post....
>
> Gen 2
> Pros -
> ---- Easy to find parts for suspension as far as lift/drop goes.
> ---- a V8 in a 3300lb pickup? Come ooooonnnnn =)
> ---- front end looks almost as good as the Gen 1 (ok... I'm biased)
> ---- swapping in a 360 is literally a direct bolt in. (shares many parts
> with the Ram)
> ---- still using 727 and 518 based trannies... parts are in abundance
> ---- very common truck... lots of em' in Boneyards
> ---- the aftermarket may have ignored this truck, but Mopar Performance
> didn't! Head to the dealership and order up!... oh... you may wanna cash
> in your 401k to afford the parts tho...
>
> Cons -
> ---- 6 on 4.5 bolt patter blows... there are 2 other vehicles that share
> that bolt pattern... Durango and Viper... the aftermarket has not
> embraced it even to this day...
> ---- composite headlights tend to dull and turn yellow... it's lame
> ---- V8 available in 91 models, but it's not a magnum... so expect the
> same sorry gas mileage and blistering power as the Gen 1
>
> one thing to remember about Gen 1 and Gen 2's... the interior didn't
> change... so those parts are easy to come by. Also, from the doors
> rearward didn't change...
>
> Gen III - 97-04. This is by far the most common and best selling of the
> Dakotas. The Durango is also based on this platform. This Dakota offers
> the widest range of engine, transmission, and differential options thus
> far. You can get a 4 banger, V6, 318, 360, and in later models a 4.7
> with multispeed tranny. This is also the first model to offer an
> overhead console, 9.25 differentials, a 360 (no manual tranny with the
> 360... sorry folks), and an R/T model that I happen to be quite fond of
> =) There is so much to say about the Gen III that I do't have the energy
> to put It all into 1 post, but I have to say there were a lot changes
> under the hood of these trucks and the outside changed significantly as
> well without there being a large change in styling.
>
> Gen 3
> Pros -
> ---- The aftermarket finally realized there was a Dodge that wasn't a
> Ram... you may actually find something!
> ---- 360... and 360!
> ---- Quad Cab is good for some
>
> Cons -
> ---- it's heavy...
> ---- lots of em' still on the road... individuality is hard to achieve.
> ---- still a 4.5 on 6 bolt pattern
> ---- OBD2 can really throw a monkey wrench in your modding...
> ---- big changes from one year to the next make finding parts a pain...
> but your trusty dealership can help... refer to the 401k thing mentioned
> above
>
> Gen IV - no comment
>
>
> There you go. Hope this puts you on a track to know what you're looking
> for. We are a group that loves our Daks for good or for bad... but we
> also want to help. Feel free to ask anything you need. And if you need
> to know anything about 96' Daks, ask Jon =)
>
> - miggity
>
> 00' R/T CC - 13.92 on skreet tires.
>
>
>
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