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11:54:36 - 04/19/2024
V8 Dakotas
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PLarkinJr
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
12/19/2004
15:20:12
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 Subject: BEWARE: MSD plug wires 31309 vs 32979
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OK, so pretty much everyone here agrees MSD 8.5mm Superconductor wires are about the best you can get. It was time for new wires on my '98 5.2L Dak, so I looked up the partnumbers for what to get on both MSD's website and AutoZone's website. Both specify 31309 for all 318 cid engines since 1973. Special ordered them and installed them... but found the ignition wire was too short, so I ran the OEM wire. Next business day, I emailed MSD to clarify, thinking they'd packed the wrong wire for that set. Also mentioned that the the fit on the distributor end boots was a bit disappointing for such premium wires. MSD emailed back stating that in fact 32979 is what I should have ordered. I pointed out that 32979 is specified only for 97-up 5.9L engines, and they said that had I emailed them before purchase, they would have told me that I should have ordered 32979 for my 5.2L (WTF???). Longer story shortened: MSD refuses to acknowledge that their website, catalogs on dealers' counters and such are wrong. I ended up getting 32979, but AutoZone had to punch in my truck as a 5.9L into their computers in order to get it listed as something I could purchase. The 32979 wireset has the right length ignition wire, and the distributor ends are MUCH better than on the 31309. AutoZone refunded me the money for the 31309's. Total elapsed time between initial order and finally getting the right stuff installed: 29 days.
DONT Believe MSD's printed matter: for 5.2L Dakota's, you NEED 32979, and NOT the 31309 they specify. I STRONGLY urge any potential buyer to call/email them to confirm that each part number is correct for their application, and cross-examine the MSD tech to make sure they are not just reading the catalog/website info, but are referencing the "super secret" one they don't want customers and dealers to see.
Both sets come with wire markers (I bought a set not knowing they were included), but do NOT come with wire seperators (I bought a set of those too).
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rtdkota
R/T
12/20/2004
15:22:37
|  RE: BEWARE: MSD plug wires 31309 vs 32979
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Message:
Long story real short--- MSD is correct 32979 is for 97 and up 5.9L--- Coil location is different on earlier year Dakotas. The 5.2L technically has the same arrangement as the 5.9L--- Autozone, Pepboys websites are about a useful as the Daily Enquirer to find factual information when looking for parts. 9 out of 10 times they generically label a part for a particular application, when in fact they've never checked/tested the fit/finish.
Sorry you had to go through that.
Sam
www.socaldakota.com
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Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
12/20/2004
15:25:50
| RE: BEWARE: MSD plug wires 31309 vs 32979
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Alternately you could have done a search here or on the other Dakota websites for the correct part number. That is what I did. For the record, the part number I ended up with was 32189, which worked fine on my 92.
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PLarkinJr
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
12/20/2004
15:42:07
| RE: BEWARE: MSD plug wires 31309 vs 32979
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rtdakota: I think you misunderstood. It was ONLY AFTER EMAILING MSD that they said 32979 is what I needed... their website and printed catalogs (and therefore AutoZone's system) indicated 31309. If MSD had listed "97+ 5.9L and 5.2L" for 32979, there would never have been a problem. :)
Sneezer, I did search, and did not find anything as specific as the warning I posted. No offense, but given a manufacturer's parts-list matrix and folks "on the net" posting stuff, I'd tend to lean toward the manufacturer in cases of discrepency. The main reason I made this post was to hopefully get it to come up if someone else comes along and does a search in the future.
P.S. I emailed MSD a followup with links to this post, and also emailed a "heads-up - MSD gave you bad info" to AutoZone, also with a link to this post.
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Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
JOIN HERE
12/20/2004
16:22:58
| RE: BEWARE: MSD plug wires 31309 vs 32979
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Well, after looking at the part matrix on the MSD website, it makes sense to me. 97+Dakota is listed for 5.9 engines. The 5.2 and 5.9 are identical in mount points and plug wires. Same with coil locations. I would be leery of ordering a set of wires that specified 1973 and up. The engines were totally different back then, as were many of the ignitions. At the very least I would contact the manufacturer to confirm before placing my order.
In addition, any of the vendors that specifically support the Dakota community, such as Sam at socaldakota.com, would have made certain that you got the correct part, and likely at a savings over Autozone or any other local parts store to begin with.
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