Looking for a truck and found someone with a 96' Dakota 3.9 automatic that is a killer price but it needs a motor. Its something Im going to get just because if it turns out to hard I can junk it and get more than I paid for it. So, how hard are these motors to change ( lets say in comparision to a 4.0 ohv ranger which wasnt way to hard ). Thanks in advance. Any side notes to would be great.

 

Just R&R'd the 3.9 in my '95 Dak.
This is from memory. I think I got everything.

Disconnect battery.
Remove hood.
Remove radiator and shroud.
Remove A/C compressor and tie it up out of the way.
Remove power steering pump and cooler and tie them out of the way.
Relieve fuel pressure and remove injectors from manifold.
Tie fuel rail up and out of the way.
Pop the cap and remove cam position sensor from distributor.
Remove crank position sensor from top of bellhousing behind pass side head.
Disconnect heater hoses.
Disconnect all sensor wires and vacuum lines (take pics to ease installation).
Disconnect throttle body linkage.
Remove exhaust 'Y' pipe at manifold flanges.
Disconnect starter cable.
Remove single long bolt in each motor mount.
Disconnect any trans lines and wiring.
Unbolt trans bellhousing from block (mine is a 5-spd).
Unbolt trans mount from X-member 'cause the motor has to go up a couple of inches to clear the motor mount frame brackets.
Leave the trans in the truck.
Drain the oil and remove oil filter from motor.
Attach a chain to the front of the pass head and rear of the drivers side head.
Yank!