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Dakota Performance
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Vince
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
03:29:33
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 Subject: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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Hello everyone, I'm new here to the website and don't have a membership or anything, but I thought I might be able to get some (free) advice.
I have a 1995 Dakota (5.2L Magnum, 2wd, 2-door, 3.92 rear, 5-speed) that my dad bought new back in the day, so I could have it when I got my license, etc., father-son yada yada. Well, things didn't work out as planned and I didn't end up getting into it until about a year ago (and I'm going off to college fall of '08), so I'd like to get crackin' on a restoration / hot roddin' project.
So here's what work HAS been done to it thus far (nothing too impressive... $$$ constraints):
Aftermarket intake/filter, replaced OEM spark plugs with Bosch Premium Plus, Hurst short-shifter, dual-exit Heartthrob cat back (dirt-cheap, sounds good, more on this later...), new wheels (lightly-used 16 x 7 Hollander 2188s) and tires, and an aftermarket rear valence/roll pan. Oh, and also new front calipers and brake lines (funny story behind that adventure).
What work NEEDS to be done:
Well, the truck doesn't seem to be pulling as hard since I put the exhaust on (which is well balanced, 3" up to the nicely baffled muffler, 2.5" after)... I'm thinking this maybe has to do with a rich fuel / spark curve issue with the onboard SBEC. I wanted to find someone to reflash the controller, but I don't know how much (if at all) that'd help. Might even be crappy spark plugs. Over the years, the elements and the important numbers of 318 cid, 300 lb-ft, and 3.92 have nearly inverted the leaf springs, so I need to have those replaced for sure.
So what pointers or advice might you guys have to fix my problems? What about relatively-economic options for performance upgrades? (That would mean swapping the 318 for a blown 360 is out of the question... for now.) Any help is greatly appreciated. Also, sorry for the long post hahaha.
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
05:13:26
|  RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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First of all, it sounds like you have too much
exhaust for a stock 318-Magnum, and that's cut
your low-end power. Where do you get a rich
fuel/spark curve in the stock computer? Aaaaand,
the '95 can't be "flashed" like later models. The
fuel curve is adjusted based on feedback from the
O2 sensor and MAP sensor primarily. If you're
running rich, replace them, starting with the O2
sensor. Reset the computer by pulling the battery
cables durng the sensor swap. If the sensors are
fairly fresh, you may just have a tired engine
(mileage?). ALso, be aware, ALL Magnums from '92
have the intake belly pan gasket that will fail
and cause issues. Later models have better
gaskets, and the replacements are equally good,
but they still fail eventually. The best way to
solve the problem is to go to an M1 intake...and
slap a better cam in there to make better use of
it. This will also allow your engine to make
better use of
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Vince
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
12:58:39
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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LEAN, I meant to say that I thought the issue was a LEAN factory setup. (I posted that at 3:30 in the morning after being up for many hours without coffee, sorry for the brain fart.) I wasn't sure whether only JTECs could be flashed or if SBECs could too, cause I've read yes and no before. I didn't know if it had anything to do with the controller or not.
I know it's not a milage issue, cause the truck has seldom been driven in the past 12 years (it has around 40K). But, it has been stored outside and endured all of Michigan's boiling, freezing, humid, and dry weather, so it wouldn't be suprising if the sensors are shot or something. I had no idea about the bad gasket either, I hadn't heard of that before.
Thanks for all the info gen1dak
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OBIO3
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
18:19:21
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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I would start by getting those baush plugs replaced.Dakota trucks don't run well on them as a rule. then add sea foam to the tank, through the intake and in the oil as directed. may need to do it twice. Spray a little starting fluid at the bottom of your intake . small area at a time . Don't need no fires. if you find an area that makes the engine speed up a little or a lot, yours is leaking and needs the gasket replaced. By the way. How long sense the plug wires were replaced. These are good logical starting points prior to spending bigger bucks.
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PB
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
18:54:30
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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that belly pan gasket won't necissarily go bad, i've never had an issue with them on either of my 93's. There is no one out there that can flash an obd1 pcm, the only way to go is a mopar pcm, but its not very good because i assume because your going off to college you want to be able to run cheap gas in it and you have to run premium. cam and m-1 are great for you. mopar makes a great cam, the R/T cam or if you want a little hotter i think the krc 206 will work also. you may also check out the hughes FI air gap manifold,
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/07/2007
19:22:15
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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Just to clarify, the Magnum RT cam sold by Mopar Performance is NOT the same cam found in later 360 Magnum RT Dakotas, so don't get rooked. Those 360's have the same cam as all the other 360 Mags. The cam PB mentioned is a fine cam (emissions legal through 2001 models, BTW). Works great with the M1 cam with or without the hotter PCM. And yeah, I'd agree, avoid it unless you like buying premium and aren't gonna do any serious towing. You can see if the belly pan gasket is bad by looking down into the intake through the throttle body. If it's shiney, you're ok. Oily, you're leaking. It'll get worse, then start pinging. The computer can adjust for mods. In fact, the stock PCM can support HP increases from a blower application, so that's a healthy 40% or more. They don't run lean. The PCM tries to keep the right ratio for best emissions (running lean increases unwanted emissions), which is seldom right for best power. They do run rich (full rich) at wide-open-throttle. To have ideal active programming, you need an aftermarket controller and wideband O2 sensor. In other words $$$.
PB, you're fortunate on the belly pan gasket issue.
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PB
Dodge Dakota
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10/08/2007
15:12:58
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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I know i'm lucky on the intake gasket, I had the intake off and replaced it anyway with a permatourque, I knew the pcm could adjust but i didn't know it would adjust that far, I have often thought of doing this stuff to my own truck but i wasn't willing to spend the money, especally on a truck that i may only have for another year. if you wanted to put heads on it go the cheap route and get a set of bare hughes iron ram heads, and put all your stock parts from your old head on it and that will really take advantage of that cam and intake, although you don't need it. Figure out your budget and your purpose for the truck before you do anything that serious.
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gen1dak
Dodge Dakota
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10/09/2007
00:10:17
| RE: 1995 Dakota 5.2L Project
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Yeah, one of the Mopar Mags did a 318 Magnum Dakota buildup with a '92 or '93 back then. Initially they did little stuff, then popped the blower on. They pulled the MP computer off and put the stock one back on because the MP unit dialed in too much ignition advance and would have blown the whole works. Later they added the Magnum RT cam since it's blower-friendly. Eventually they had to go back to the MP computer (head work, other go-faster mods) with a boost retard unit tied in to feed the required fuel, but not so much ignition, but that was for a truck that'd run high 12's at that point.
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