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wade
Dodge Dakota
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4/10/2005
22:16:38

Subject: injector sync one last time
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Ok i'm gonna attept to explain this through the eyes of a knucklehead (thats me) pics will follow in a few days.... ALSO PLEASE READ THE WHOLE THING BEFORE YOU START

tools:
1-1/4" or 30mm socket and breaker bar or a big ass cresent wrench!!
1/2" box end wrench (12 point works best) or the 12 point 1/2" ratchet style wrench
#2 phillips screw driver

step 1:
remove lower plastic guard, and upper fan shroud (only if you need a better vision of your Top Dead Center mark will you need to remove upper fan shroud)and remove the cover over your throttle body and set it back out of the way...

step 2:
locate dampner pulley (below fan) it will have 4 marks on it at 90 degree's apart....

step 3:
locate distributor (behind throttle body) and remove the center wire (coil wire) and set it back out of the way, and starting from the front most wire (should be from #2 piston)and number it as #2 and remove, then working in a clock wise motion skip one wire and remover the 3rd (after marking) and then the 5th (of course after marking...

what this will do is enable you to remover the distributor screws and set the distributor off to the right with minimal rmoval of the wires... as long as you remember which wire goes where once you re assymbal it will be alot easier on you than tracing them all down...

now back to the TDC thing
step 4:
(if you can set you motor at TDC right off the back then good for you, but im gonna explain this the way i did it, as though i dont know a single thing about TDC)
assistance is not required, but will be handy, have your assistant look from the top of the engine compartment, and you go under, and turn the damper pulley untill your assistant see's one mark (any of them for right now) lined up exactly at TDC mark on the engine block...

step 5:
once at least one mark is set to the TDC mark on the engine block, remove the 2 screws holding the distributor cap down, and lift the cap off and note the placement of yourpointer (pointer is the plastic "arm" with a little brass tab called the pick up) see where it is pointing, also note that right under the the pointer on the black part of the distributor there is a scribed line (from factory) with a #1 beside it.....(this is the #1 spark plug wire pick up point) you want your pointer to be as close to that as possible (it will actually be just past it by about 1/4") if your pointer is exactly 180 degree's away, turn your dampner 360 degree's around and back to the TDC mark, if it is off by less, turn your dampner untill the next mark on the dampner lines up, then check your pointer again, continue doing this untill your pointer is right on or just past the #1 line scribed on the black part of the distributor

got it so far???






good, now the hard part is done...

step 6:
just under your distributor on the passenger (going straight down into the engine block) there is a 1/2" nut (i could not see mine, i just felt for it, once you have the general idea where it is its easy to find) put your 1/2" wrench on it and loosen it about 1 full turn, then watching straight down on the distributor, turn the distributor (not the pointer) counter clockwise untill the #1 reference line is just before the pointer) .......

please refer to previous post about the exact location of +3 or just wait for my pics...

and thats it!!!! tighten the distributor back down, put the cap back on, and the wires, (dont forget the center one the coil wire) put your air cleaner back on the throttle body, and the lower plastic protective piece (mine was ripped off from a 4 wheeling accidet so i didnt need it) and of course your upper shroud, (if you removed it)


any questions feel free to ask me at cstmdak@aol.com

like i said, i will post the pics as soon as i can



93dak4x4
Dodge Dakota
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4/10/2005
22:40:27

RE: injector sync one last time
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wade,
all is well, but there is absolutely no need to remove the fan shroud or any of that. its a little difficult to get to the harmonic balencer bolt. but it can be done and still only takes about a half hour.



wade
Dodge Dakota
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4/10/2005
22:48:18

RE: injector sync one last time
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true, but i have a 3" body lift, and if i didnt remove the fan shroud, i could not get a look at the TDC mark on the block.....besides that it was just 3 lousy bolts, and it made a world of difference getting a flashlight in there to see the mark, that and my wife was bitching cause she couldnt see with it on...



wade
Dodge Dakota
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4/10/2005
22:48:20

RE: injector sync one last time
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true, but i have a 3" body lift, and if i didnt remove the fan shroud, i could not get a look at the TDC mark on the block.....besides that it was just 3 lousy bolts, and it made a world of difference getting a flashlight in there to see the mark, that and my wife was bitching cause she couldnt see with it on...



streetdak93
Dodge Dakota
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4/13/2005
20:47:26

RE: injector sync one last time
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ok so i followed the steps, did evrything and come to find out my arm is already perfectly lined up when at TDC. kindof a waste of time, but thanks for the very detailed instructions.

what does this hafta do w the injectors anyway?



Bob Lincoln
Dodge Dakota
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4/13/2005
21:47:03

RE: injector sync one last time
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The idea is that if the rotor is perfectly lined up with the CYL index at TDC, you can rotate the dist body ever so slightly (about 3 degrees) counterclockwise, to advance the fuel injector timing so they fire earlier. This allows the exhaust, whose valve is still closing, to pull and swirl a little more fuel in earlier with the suction from the exhaust as well as the piston moving down on the intake stroke. It's said to give better power and fuel mileage.



moe
Dodge Dakota
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4/14/2005
19:58:05

RE: injector sync one last time
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I made it to the point where I have to loosen the 1/2 nut to rotate the distributor but I had to turn back because I was losing daylight. The reason is I'm not sure if I found the right nut, and if I did, I don't know how I'm gonna loosen it. Is it straight down from the left bolt of the cap, almost under the distributor? I don't know what type of wrench to use in such an awkward position. I also don't really seem to be able to see straight down over the dist. because of it being partly under the shroud under the windshield, it makes it kinda hard to even see the cyl. line.



DaKotaSLT
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
09:15:15

RE: injector sync one last time
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Lets see them pictures =D



N56629
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
10:42:05

RE: injector sync one last time
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Isn't there a way to set this electronically?



daddio
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
11:01:39

RE: injector sync one last time
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i think you could use a scan tool to read the "live" data on injector sync and set it that way. i have been thinking about just trying to up the sync until i get a code then back it down a little from there.

unless someone has a scan tool to offer me? HE HE



93dak4x4
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
11:31:41

RE: injector sync one last time
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the easiest way to get to that bolt is to use a "crowsfoot". as for the scan tool, yes you can see the injector sync but you still have to move the distributor manually to adjust, so you are still doing the same process just adding a step. its a little difficult on the gen 3's but if i can do it on a 93 5.2 then you guys can do it on a 3.9. (ever try to get a 5.2 with a tranny cooler right by the tdc mark to tdc...not fun)



daddio
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
11:37:00

RE: injector sync one last time
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for me, loosening the bolt is the easy part. i've got an old school dist wrench. works perfectly.

the hard part is trying to see those marks to line them up.



N56629
Dodge Dakota
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4/15/2005
17:01:43

RE: injector sync one last time
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"i have been thinking about just trying to up the sync until i get a code then back it down a little from there."

That would probably work good if you knew exactly what degree it occured.



BrandonG
GenIII
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4/15/2005
19:15:08

RE: injector sync one last time
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When i advanced mine a week ago i advanced it a little too far cause when i would get on her and when the rpms got to around 4500 it would cut out and then back in and go another couple hundred rpms and then cut out and so forth. Tuned it back down a bit and she ran good...gas mileage is lookin a little better already. Used to get around 200 miles on a full tank and i'm at 178 with just under half a tank left.

TIA-
BrandonG

mmkkpro
Dodge Dakota
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2/18/2013
17:27:35

RE: injector sync one last time
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I just bought a 1997 dakota with a 3.9 and it has a random misfire,ive been a mechanic all my life but im old school carb,msd ignitions anyway,this engine has great compression i put new plugs,solid copper core racing wires ,cap rotor on it and it helped nothing,it seems like the sync between injectors and plugs is off,im going to pull intake off put aftermarket pan and new gasket on bottom and check distributor while ive got intake off,for the life of me i cant see why all these sensors are better than the basics just makes more headahes,i feel like id be better off finding an 1970s 318 and put it in the truck,holley carb msd ignition problem solved,ya know one sensor can cause 100 different problems,ive got a 1972 455 h.o. bored and stroked to 540 c.i. holley 950 msd ignition and it is indestructable starts in all weather conditions period,i like my dakota just want it to run right,i found a1972 440 for 550 dollars will it fit,bolt to the automatic transmission,im sick of sensors



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