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87dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/14/2004
20:35:50
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 Subject: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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ok ill make this simple i came to this forum looking for a little advise and to do my homework on a v-8 engine swap in my 87 4x4 ive got nothing but bull so today i broke out the digital camera and the bull stops here. i am a wrencher and have been for 12 years in several high profile shops including a pro race team and i am the proud owner of a 1987 dodge dakota 4x4 pick up truck with a 3.9 that i have had since it was new. this week i will be going to the junk yard to purchase a 5.9 magnum motor and trans/case i will be doing this swap step by step including any fabrication that has to be done.i will be posting pictures any problems or great ideas that come about i will be posting here this is not my only project so it might seem a little slow but i can promise you there will be no bull just a honest engine swap with as much info i can help with including part #s and such well im gona try and post some pics of the truck right now i just took them so here is day one i will also be keeping tabs on my hours and cost also i dont have any plans on breaking the bank with this swap so feel free to drop me a message if you have any Q's soon as i get the motor and trans ill post the new pics
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cheaper
Dodge Dakota
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6/19/2004
04:14:55
|  RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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for most of us it would be cheaper just to sell the old rusty thing and and buy a newer one with the 5.9 already in it. do the math, an 87 is only worth maybe a grand on a good day and in the dark, you can at least around here, buy a 99 or so with the 5.9 already in it for under 7000, since most of us do not have your "expertise" or multi-thousands of dollors in tools, engine lifts etc. nor the ability to re-engineer the fuel system and swap out the computer and get it to work plus changing the front springs to handle the extra weight and would have ot hire out a lot of the work, it makes economic sense to just get a newer one, I live in the middle of the rust belt and can almost GAR UN TEE that a 17/18 year old frame around here would be so full of rust that it would have holes in it big enough to put a football through, it would also be much safer to go with a nwer truck. once cars/trucks around here get to be 10 years old or so, they literally fall apart and by the time the get to be 15 all are in the junk yard do to being rusted to the point the frame has broke. my next door neighbor used to have a 12 year old 78 nova that when it broke in 1990 the floor behind the back seat was draggin on the pavement and the roof buckled. he was doing 60 down the hiway at the time and still says he was lucky to not have crashed.
but if you are from down south or the great southwest where they dont have as big a problem, go for it.
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87 dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/20/2004
14:31:44
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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well since i live in the great salty road state of massachusetts and rust is a factor and my truck has seen hard use in the winter including sevral deep woods hunting trips. it has survived with minamal rust and it is a very well maintaned truck i have looked into a newer truck but somthing keeps drawing me back to my 87 maby because it was a graduation present. and it has been a great truck and i dont like to throw away anything that has served me so well.it has lived in 3 states all in new england (the rust belt)and has traveled to over 20 states and never left me walking or calling a tow truck. as far as having the right stuff to do this swap yes i do have the tools the knowledge and a heated garage but it wasnt always that way i learned by doing and often had to ask for help and was not afraid to ask if i didnt know, or admit i didnt know this is not going to be a engeneering masterpiece by any means. what it is going to be is a real world engine swap that can be done by anyone with the ability to turn a wrench and read a wiring scematic and as far as subbing out any work i would be hard pressed to pay somone $80 per hour for somthing that almost anyone is capable of doing. oh and by the way i went down to the junk yard yesterday with a few extra coffes and a box a doughnuts in hand and found a sweet 1995 dodge ram that was hit hard in the ass end with about 24000 miles on it for a mear $600 there letting me take what ever i want form it. since i saved a few bucks on the drive train im thinking of a mopar performance aftermarket pcm a set of headers and possably a cam swap and i should still be under my $3000 buget after all is said and done. this week coming up 3.9 out and pressure wash the engine bay and a few cans of black semi gloss paint total cost so far $600.00 for engine, trans , wiring harness, pcm, and radiator, $12 for 10 cans semi gloss paint, $10 for coffee and doughnuts for junk yard guys,total cost to date $622.00. oh and im working on my buddy to build me a web site (he needs a cam swap done on his camaro) hopfully it will be up soon
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spitz
Dodge Dakota
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6/21/2004
12:05:04
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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this sounds like a good thing to do. i was interested in swapping a 360 in place of my 3.9. please try to figure out what us with a magnum will need to do also if it's not too much trouble. i would think that i would only have to wire in two extra injectors and get a mopar pcm, along with the obvious drivetrain upgrades. anything regarding this swap will be appreciated by all i'm sure.
you should aldo post this on dakotausa.com too. it has more members than this site does, and it appeals to more than just this site.
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cheaper
Dodge Dakota
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6/22/2004
18:42:48
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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but no mention of the higher spring rate front springs yer gonna need. As far as "anyone capable of doing,' I have two sons and a daughter, only the daughter is capable, seeing as how she is an Engineer and all.I showed this to several freinds and neighbors, and most of them say they won't even think of it let alone try, so I really feel you are way over simplifiing the process. Ya never know instead of being hit hard in the ass as you claim, maybe it struck the ground butt first after being pushed off a cliff because the engine did not work.
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87 dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/22/2004
20:11:44
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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im not sure why your so sceptical cheaper but to each his own maybe your just bored but anyway since 1987 dakotas are rated for 1 ton the spring rate is not a issue but if you think it is there are over 100 spring manufactures in the usa alone that would gladly sell you a set of springs for under $100 any coil wind or rate you need or can even imagine. and the reason i went with a 1995 drive train is because i didnt want to deal with the eletronicly controled hydro-govener that runs off of the trucks vss that was intoduced in 1996-97 with the obdII not that it couldn't be done. it's that the obdI system is much more versitile to "anyone" who can read and follow a line on a page.as far as the fuel system is concerned it was actully easyer than i thought all you have to do is order a sending unit for a 88-89 dakota it fits right in place of the sending unit in the 87 tank and a eletric fuel pump for a 88 will deliver all the fuel you need for any magnum motor its a pretty basic system a ground wire a hot wire and a inline inerta switch and a fuel pump relay. there is a great book for anyone who is afraid to try or even think outside the box.its called the little train that could. as far as your neibors cheaper is this the same one who neglected his nova so much it rusted in half if he couldnt look under the car once in a while i would't expect he would try anything harder than that.as far as your sceptisism i really dont have any desire to listen.so just please go stand in the corner with the rest of the folks who call a electrician when a light bulb burns out.for the rest of you progress will continue. and just so it has been said i dont know if im going to run into any snags with this motor swap if i do i will address them as they happen.
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87dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/22/2004
20:19:09
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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hey spitz what year is your dak is your 3.9 a magnum ?. there are a few things i have learned i am going to have to use two diffrent motor mounts one from magnum motor and one from a pre magnum motor the radiator clearance isnt a big issue a pusher fan from a previous project that i have will work just fine but if your stuck on a mechanical fan moving the radiator foward is possible. oh is your truck 2 wheel drive or four wheel drive?
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spitz
Dodge Dakota
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6/23/2004
02:46:05
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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i have a 97 club cab 2wd. everything as you know after 92 is a magnum. i would probably use the black magic 150 fan instead of the clutch fan, i'll be switching to it soon anyways. i'm sure the clearance isn't such a big issue for me, you have the before longer front fenders so it may be an isssue for you, i hope not. if they can fit a 360 in my gen 3, aka the r/t i know it will fit. plus there is plenty of space in there right now with the v6.
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87dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/23/2004
18:09:46
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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hey spitz i think your best route is to look into a few junk yards and find a harness and a pcm from a 97 with a 5.9 and grab the mounts to as far as a motor is concerned mabye a crate magnum wouldnt be a bad idea thay make a few differnt versions to fit a few differt wallets including a 406 stroker that will make pleanty of tourqe this is if you cant find a good doner at the scrap yard as far as trannys are concerned find out what they put behind the 5.9 in 97 it just might be the same as the 3.9?????if not you can fit a torqe flight behind it with very little work (drill a hole to mount the crank sensor in the bell housing i can email you a template for that i did make a call toa buddy about the differance in wiring harnesses for that year and ill have a hard copy of both scematics by weeks end mabye youll get lucky and only have to get a pcm and solder a few wires ill keep you posted
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spitz
Dodge Dakota
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6/24/2004
03:27:07
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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the 97 daks didn't have a 5.9, that came in 98 with the r/t. the tranny behind mine is the ax15 for the 4 banger and v6. the 5.2 has a stick option but it's the nv3500. the r/t never came with a manual tranny. i don't want to trust the nv3500 behind the motor i would build, it would have too much torque for it i'm sure. the viper tranny which would handle the torque, will bolt right up to the v6 and v8. but finding one for under 2-3k will not be easy. i was thinking of getting a mopar performance pcm, that way i'll alreeady be tuned for performance and not have to buy a used pcm. from there i would think it's only wiring the two extra injectors up, maybe there's more i'm not thinking about?
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SLICK106x
Dodge Dakota
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6/26/2004
17:16:29
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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I beg to differ, my black 91 dakota has the stock magnum 3.9 so actually 91 and up are magnums
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/26/2004
19:40:08
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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Either you have a late 1991 Dak with the first Mag V6 (production-line quirk....it's happened before...could be a real collector's item someday, or you're mistaken somehow. Magnums were "officially" introduced for the 1992 model year, so, actually, 1991's are not Magnums.
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87dak
Dodge Dakota
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6/27/2004
13:56:27
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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well i have the drive train have all the parts to get started and 3.9 is out i took lots of pics so far and will continue also somone from this forum has a 88 that ill be swapping out a 318 for there 3.9 starting monday they have the motor but want to use the stock tranny and are going to be running a carb this is a paying job and i will be doing this swap first hopfully gaining a little insite for my swap ill be keeping accurate records for a future post and i threw in a years worth of oil changes into the price so i can keep tabs on the work the truck was towed to me today not in bad shape with 318 in bed so tomorrow one of my employees and i will be starting my customer has also chosen to do a few mods including a alluminum intake with a holley carb and headers and a mopar performance purple camshaft(one from a 340)that should make a few more ft/lbs i cant wait to get my hands on this project.
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ed bremer
Dodge Dakota
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11/14/2004
17:15:16
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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87 dakota,
i was beginning to think i was the only person crazy enough to try this swap. I have an 89 dakota sport 4x4 that had a v-6 with auto. My son had an 98 datota rt that he totaled, i bought the entire wreck for 800.00 the only thing damaged on the engine was the pulley on the water pump, and the lower pully on the harmonic balancer, not terrible damage, just needed to replace them. i had the auto trans rebuilt and am now trying to get everything all hooked up. had everything together and in the truck when i found out that i need to use the flywheel from the 98 as that is how the fuel injection is metered, so now i am in the process of taking it back out to replace the flywheel. the 5.9 fits like a glove, oil pan works, engine mounts from the v-6 bolt right up, but i sure would appreciate any info you could pass on in regards to all the electrical hook ups. i have everything available to me from the 98 rt except the radiator .
thanks
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steveo27
Dodge Dakota
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11/23/2004
18:18:23
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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so how bout those pics?
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TIRESMOKE
Dodge Dakota
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11/24/2004
13:51:09
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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http://www.engine-swaps.com/ This link is an engine swap guide. they sell engine and tranny mounts that just bolt on no fabrication. I purchase a kit to bolt a big block into my 87 dak. the kit included all engine/tranny mounts oil pan and I spent an extra $135 for manifolds. good luck with the swap. and long live GenI and II dakota's
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another mark
Dodge Dakota
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11/26/2004
04:13:50
| RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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just buy a second truck
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hank the dog
Dodge Dakota
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8/19/2005
16:13:24
|  RE: 3.9 to 5.9 magmun swap
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HEY 87DAK ! Whatever happened to them pictures and updates? Better yet how the heck do I make the 5.9 work in my 69 D-200? Nobody knows nuttin' it seems? Hey anybody can do a simple bolt in swap, I just don't understand the hundreds of posts and threads about doing a simple engine upgrade in a Dakota. It aint rocket science. Oh well What the heck do I know
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