1st Gen Dakota Tech 1987 - 1996 Dodge Dakota Tech - The ultimate forum for technical help on the 1st Gen Dakota.

3.9 to 318 swap info!!!

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #11  
Old 04-23-2008, 07:51 PM
wink2873's Avatar
wink2873
wink2873 is offline
Record Breaker
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Norwalk, Ohio
Posts: 1,787
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Default RE: 3.9 to 318 swap info!!!

yea i know, but like i said it's something in the very distant future. I have a solid daily driver in my 01 dak so im in no hurry whatsoever to get it done. I had contemplated doing a 408 swap in my 01 dak but im in no position to buy another vehicle as a daily driver. Plus, I think a 440 swap in my 88 would be so much more bad ***. I've been wanting to get some body work and a paint job done on it for a long time so i figure why not just go all the way.
 
  #12  
Old 06-06-2008, 11:19 PM
Bad96_3.9's Avatar
Bad96_3.9
Bad96_3.9 is offline
All Star
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Crawfordville, FL
Posts: 867
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Default RE: 3.9 to 318 swap info!!!

here is the new link to the pics, the forum is not letting me edit it right now[:@]

http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/n...0swap%20stuff/
 
  #13  
Old 10-11-2010, 01:41 PM
Calogero's Avatar
Calogero
Calogero is offline
Rookie
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: indiana
Posts: 50
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default ecm trouble!!

i hate to ask but could you tell me the ecm numbers you used?? im doin the same thing you did but im usin a 5.9...i have a 96 2wd ext cab...SLT...thank you for any help!
 
  #14  
Old 10-11-2010, 02:02 PM
Crazy4x4RT's Avatar
Crazy4x4RT
Crazy4x4RT is offline
Hall Of Fame
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NM
Posts: 10,926
Received 16 Likes on 15 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by Calogero
i hate to ask but could you tell me the ecm numbers you used?? im doin the same thing you did but im usin a 5.9...i have a 96 2wd ext cab...SLT...thank you for any help!
You could find the part manuals in the FAQ in this section.
 
  #15  
Old 04-14-2014, 05:57 PM
lugnutz007709's Avatar
lugnutz007709
lugnutz007709 is offline
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Can you tell me if I have 2 complete vehicles one is my 94 dodge dakota slt 3.9 and I have a 98 durango 5.9 complete both vehicles can I swap the 5.9 into the dakota the durango is 4x4 dakota is 2x4 just trying to find out more information about this topic I really wanna fix my dakota was my dad's he bought new and I wanna get it back in shape to have as a remembrance of him cause I plan on holding onto this truck to the day I die. Thanks for any info anyone gives and God bless
 
  #16  
Old 04-15-2014, 11:59 AM
Crazy4x4RT's Avatar
Crazy4x4RT
Crazy4x4RT is offline
Hall Of Fame
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NM
Posts: 10,926
Received 16 Likes on 15 Posts
Default

Yes you can, it will bolt right in, but the wiring and the PCM in the Dakota will need to be updated to work with the new engine. Best to find a PCM from a 94-95 Ram 5.9 and add in 2 extra fuel injector wire connectors.
 
  #17  
Old 04-16-2014, 08:30 AM
lugnutz007709's Avatar
lugnutz007709
lugnutz007709 is offline
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Will the pcm from the durango not work or is it a whole different setup on that and thanks for the info.
 
  #18  
Old 04-16-2014, 11:09 AM
Crazy4x4RT's Avatar
Crazy4x4RT
Crazy4x4RT is offline
Hall Of Fame
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NM
Posts: 10,926
Received 16 Likes on 15 Posts
Default

Originally Posted by lugnutz007709
Will the pcm from the durango not work or is it a whole different setup on that and thanks for the info.
No completely different wiring and computer systems. OBDI is up to 95, it is quite simple. OBDII is 96 - up which involves more wires and more systems including under the dash and all around.
 
  #19  
Old 04-17-2014, 05:40 PM
lugnutz007709's Avatar
lugnutz007709
lugnutz007709 is offline
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: North Carolina
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default

Will I need to get the pcm rebooted or reprogrammed before I can use it or will it work like it is. And I thank you so much for the info. Also they keep talking about part numbers check your part numbers to see if this will fit. Do I need to worry with this or just need 94/95 ram 5.9 pcm/ecu and it will be good to go
 

Last edited by lugnutz007709; 04-17-2014 at 06:09 PM.
  #20  
Old 02-09-2018, 10:02 PM
Jocam75's Avatar
Jocam75
Jocam75 is offline
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Default Need info.

Originally Posted by Bad96_3.9
Well i have finnaly got around to being able to write up the swap info so everyone will know! My truck is a 96 2wd that had a 3.9 and i just swapped in a 318.

1. How much does it cost?
It is really up to you and how much you want to put in it and what all you can get your hands on. my selections were very limited when i started my project. i found one dakota in all of the junkyards we have that had a 318, and alot of the stuff was already gone off of it. I got a long block 318 from a guy for $800 brand new that he was not using, so got kind of lucky, also came with a 360 out of a ram that had the intake, valve cover ecc ect... needless to say my build cost around 1800 dollars, but if you had a doner truck it would be much less.

2. What do you need.
For the swap you can use alot of your factory stuff believe it or not. you will need a new fuel rail, fuel injectors(make sure the plug is the same), throttle body, PCM(computer), throttle cable(no longer made by dodge! j-yard only) or modify the throttle body, wire the run for the new injectors, flexplate, plugwires, oil dipstick, heater and radiator hoses, and a fan shroud, or you can cut your old one. I am sure there are some things left out, so if i think of them i will update it.

3.the swap...
To do the swap you needto know what you are doing, but if you have done an engine swap before it is really not too bad, at least for a 2wd it is not. disconnect and mark all of your stuff, it helps to take pictures of where everything is so you will know for later when the new one it going in. a tip is to take you crank position sensor off before you pull the engine, i broke mine and they are like $60 for a new one. when you get the v6 out go ahead and swap all of your front accesorys, sensors(except cps), plugs, wires, maniflods, and engine mounts(same as the v6, but if you have never changed them get new ones! they are a pain to change out in the truck!!!). If you could not find a throllt cable from a v8 truck just do what i did and take the butterflys out of the v6 and pull the rod out of it and change it to the v8 throttle body, with a little modifying from the diegrinder it will slip out, and you will have to open the groove up on the outside of the rod so the 50mm butterflys will fit, then you can use all the stock linkages! and be sure you have the new flexplate on, not the v6 one, it wont run and you will have to pull it back out!!!!! slip the 318 in there and bolt everything up, really not any harder than the v6, just longer! now that the engine is in the fun part starts, it is really not too hard though. To wire up the two new fuel injectors i just ran some 16 gauge wire from the pins on the computer to the different color wires. for my 96, which is obd2 and not the same as anyother first gen dakotas...sorry guys, it was pin b2 for injector 7 and b13 for injector 8. the b connector on the 96's is the white middle plug, just pull the plug apart and pull the two little white pins out and push some stripped wire trough there and then put it back together. then connect the other end to not green and orange wire for each injector, for the green and orange wire just splice into the green and orange one beside it, they all connect together. all of the other plugs should connect. i had to strip the plastic sheilding and loom off of the front of the harness and just barely got it around the intake! but everything else is just like the dissasembly except the fan. i am switchig to an electric fan soon, but to keep the clutch fan one you will need to cut pretty much all of the part that sticks out as you can see in the picture. the exhaust manifolds will bolt up to the factory y pipefrom the v6. and before you start the engine, just set the distributor at tdc if you removed it, there is no timing adjustment, it will set itsself! so double check everything and start it up!!!

4. What to expect.
it will sound alot better and make you smile everytime you hit the gas and i blows the tires off!!! it is worth every bit of the install!!! but if you reuse the v6 tranny expect to get a rebuild or new one soon because it does not like the extra torque at all, mine dies in 4 days, but it also had 181,000 miles on it.

5. Pictures
i just up;oaded all of the pictures to photobucket, there are so many there anyone should be able to do it! If you need more just let me know.

http://s305.photobucket.com/albums/n...rcer12/Dakota/

any more questions on stuff just let me know. thanks for looking.

I have a 96 Dakota 2 wd and want to put a v8 in it . if I get the wiring harness from a 95 dakota and the engine from the same truck . can I use the wiring harness in my 96
 


Quick Reply: 3.9 to 318 swap info!!!



All times are GMT -4. The time now is 09:08 PM.