hi guy i got a 95 dak with a 318 5 speed 390 gears a full msd ignition system gibson headers a cold air intake and im running a 360 ecu. i was wondering what other kind of upgrades are available to whether its little things to big ones. i already plan on getting the holly 52 mm throttle body the mopar m1 intake and the tb spacer but besides that i dont know what to do with out doing major motor. thanks for readint i hope to hear a lot of replys

 

There are lots you can do, mostly big things. As far as small stuff go with lower rear end gears, install the Harland 1.7 roller rockers or do a cam install. Supercharger, turbocharger or nitrous. Try the Mopar High Performance PCM for the 5.9. Don't get a throttle body spacer it is trash. Try an electric fan swap. Delete weight.

Next is to do a 5.9 swap or stroke your 5.2 for a 390 or stroke a 5.9 for a 408.

The FAQ2 has tons more.

 

The MSD ignition system was a waste of money. Unless you're running boost you don't need a hotter spark. The cold air intake is a waste if the air filter is under the hood pulling hot air into the engine. The 360 ECU on a 318 is a waste. All you're doing is wasting fuel. The stock 318 computer is better for the 1/4 mile, the stock 360 computer is better for towing. Throttle body spacer is a waste. I think the M1 intake would be a waste of money when it can be better spent elsewhere. The kegger mod with the 52mm throttle body would be money and time better spent. If you're using your '95 Y-pipe with your headers you need to upgrade to a '92-'93 Y-pipe and get a true 3" exhaust.

A.J.

 

Ive done alot of research on performance upgrades and you shouldn't go any bigger than a 50mm TB on a 5.2 unless you have done internal performance upgrades to your engine. Ive done just about everything I can to my 5.2 except harland sharpe 1.7 roller rockers, complete exhaust upgrade (except headers and im going 2.5 inch all the way through). The mopar performance pcm for the 5.2 will be the best pcm for performance on the 5.2. The M1 is a great intake but requires internal engine work to perform the best(heads,cam,bigger bore,etc). If you do buy the M1 without upgrading the internals your probably going to loose some low end power(off the line and low speeds) . It would be best to do the kegger mod. The Efan upgrade is a big help with power. You can also try the under drive pulley setup for a little more power. Since your truck is a 5 speed it will have the limited slip differential but chances are the springs are worn out and its not working as it should. Im going to install the powertrax no slip traction locker to get a true 50/50 split on power distribution to the wheels. You can have the stock heads reworked to flow alot better than factory. There are probably a few things im missing but thats all I can think of at the moment. Good luck with the build and keep us posted with pics also.

 

why was the msd a waist of money i got it cheap from a friend and all i had to do was witch to a colder spark plug and i notice a difference in idle and how it runs? as for the y pipe im actually going to run a true dual exhaust with an x pipe y pipes are garbage and disrupts exhaust flow. and im not pushing major power so a 2.5 inch exhaust is fine three is just a waist of money. and as for the 360 ecu i noticed a huge difference in my torque curve in the low end as for my gas mileage in averaging out at 24 believe it or not and this is not even my opinion by my self people cant believe why i get so good mpg with a v8 i dont even get it.

 

I think you should take math again.

 

Lmao.

 

yup that's what every one says at first did i mention my truck is extremely gutted but your opinion dose not matter tho believe what you want that's what i get.

 

It's was a waste of money because there is no performance advantage and that's what you're looking for. You probably got a better idle because you were due for spark plugs anyway.

You may have noticed a low end difference in swapping to the 360 ECU but you are still wasting gas. I have wide band O2 readings between the two computers. The 360 is programmed to use more fuel for the larger displacement engine. The computer can compensate some but I guarantee your fuel trims are pegged rich.

There is NO WAY you are getting 24 MPG in a 5.2 Dakota, unless all you have is a seat bolted to a frame. It's a 3500 to 4000 lb truck with a not very efficient engine.

A.J.

 

thanks for the tip on the ecu ill put the stock one back in until i get a mopar pcm i do only have one seat in my truck lol. i only have the bare minimum stuff in my truck to make it run no interior heating ac carpets the inside of my doors are gone you name it its not there unless the truck needs it to go. i last got my truck weighed an a scale at 3084 lbs. and to get the mpg i get i shift a 2 grand every time.