+1 to that. If you can't find an answer to a wiring problem in the FSM, then you either aren't looking or don't know how to read the wiring diagrams. Either way, all we can do is point you in the right direction, the rest is up to you, and the FSM is exactly where you should be looking. Just because its a couple thousand pages long, it's organized in a manner thats very easy to find stuff. I'm getting the same feeling about you that I have about a lot of people that come on here... that you want us to fix it for you without doing the research. We can't reach through the computer and fix it for you. You said that you came here because we've probably done the same work, and we have, which is why we are telling you where to look for the problem. The FSM has never failed me for finding out what I need to know.

Sorry for the rant dude, and I have intentions of making you feel unwelcome, I'm just dumbfounded how you can say you looked where I told you to look and didn't find what you were looking for.

So that leads me to the same question Crazy4x4RT asked, what exactly is your project? If you are trying to find out if the '89 and '96 wiring harnesses are swappable, I don't think they are.

 

K lets start over. what I'm doing is a 87 koda with a 3.9 to 5.9 swap.
I'm losing the all the wire's not needed. like I said before I have the entire wiring harness out and there's a couple of wires that are dry rotted in the bulk head were it bolts up to the fire wall. also the wiring harness is in rough shape. with this being said I want to start at the bulk head in the fire wall so I can use what I need and lose the wires I don't need thats all. I'm not lazy and need anyone to do this for me. I just figured that if someone has done this before they can pass on the info. Yes i did look at the place you sent me to and its new to me so I'm learning along the way. I did see the 96 bulk head in the fire wall but I amagine its differant. so I'm looking for the 87 bulk head. If I'm pissing you off let me know I can go else were. Thanks for your help so far..

 

Now that we know what you are doing we can give better info. It is always best to give details on exactly what you are doing. My suggestion it to take out the harness. Completely unwrap the harness. Then start with the connectors that you know you don't need. The trace them all the way to the bulk head connector then cut.

Next no 1st Gen. Dakota. Came with a 5.9. 96 included. Now the 2nd Gen. did in RTs. That is OBD2, which is completely different. And you will need all wires even inside the cab. My suggestion is get a wiring harness from a 92-95 V8 Magnum engine.

Also several others have done the swap. Check the FAQ in this section for the write-ups.

 

Ok, thats a much better description of your project! Thanks.

So now I understand why you didn't find what you are looking for. Sorry, but we don't have a direct link to an '87 FSM. I wish we did! And again, I'm almost positive the '87 is completely different than the '96 just based on the differences of options between the years. The real question though is, is the '87 the same as the '88-90. That I can't answer, but if you find out, let me know. There is an early gen 1 dakota at a local junkyard and I can see if the bulk head is any good... I have to go there Monday for a few things I need. Are you looking at the engine compartment side or the cab side?

And again, sorry for being an ***, but we need as much information as you can offer before we can offer useful help!!

 

FWIW my local Dodge dealer will give copies of FSM pages. You can always call your local dealer and ask them if they will.

 

I have 2 kodas ones a 96 5.2 5-spd. The 87 is the one I want to put a 5.9 magnum carded engine in. That site you gave me was great just not for the 87. I guess I'm going have to start at the fire wall block and work my way from there. The 87 is a project but I'm having fun with it the frame is going to get blasted and working on the body stuff later. magnum 5.9 out of a 95 dodge van the stock 87 trans with a stall conv. I'm told the trans is a 904. msd box and msd dist is what I'm useing The only issue that I can see this far is the wiring harness in the engine bay.(its a mess) someones been in there hacking anyway. My 96 reg cab shortbox is in great shape and I've had it for 5 years now it's stock with some bolt on's and I go to car/truck shows with it I also drag race it to the best time that I've run 1/4 mile pass 14 flat 96 mph 2.0 60'.

 

Sweet. Sounds like a good project. I'm doing something similar. I have a '95 4x4 thats my daily driver and a '95 2wd that I'm doing an off frame build on. I'm going with a 408 stroker on the 2wd.

But a couple comments for you to consider:

First, what are you going to do about a computer for that '95 van? Are you going to grab the engine harness and computer and run it EFI, or are you going to make it carrbed? Cause wiring it would be a nightmare! And then you have to consider the '87s are carrbed so the fuel system would have to be switched over to a high pressure pump from an EFI truck. Carbbing it would be easy though... just throw on the MP M1 intake for a 4 barrel!

Second, you may want to beef up that 904 a little more than just a simple high stall torque converter! Thats a lot of engine for that transmission to handle. If you throw in a shift kit and performance clutch packs, that transmission will be bulletproof.

 

here's the funny thing crazy i can't seem to get the fact both the 87-91 and 92-96 are both gen one. the reason i think is because of the duel-point injection and the multi-port. i think because when it comes to fuel or electronic problems on the 92-96 i'm trying to take a good guess. but the 87-91 i got it down. so from now on i'm going to think gen-1 part 1 and gen-1 part 2. i know it sounds strange but there is a lot of differences in the two.

 

Well if you're going to put it like that, why don't you also call the '97-00 dakotas a gen 2 and the '01-'04 a gen 3? They didn't just switch intake manifolds, they switched engines completly and went to a more complex computer system.

The generation changes have always happened when they designed a whole new truck, not just a couple parts of the current design!

 

got what your saying but small changes can make a big difference in problem solving.