I have a 87 Dakota 4x4 single cab short bed with the 3.9 liter. Any tips on getting more power out of it? I've already cut out the cat and the constricting oem muffler, and replaced it with a straight pipe and a walker sound FX. Next i'm going to put in e3 plugs and a k&n air filter. But i need more ideas!!

 

Honestly I'd do a v8 swap

 

Plugs and air filter are a tune up not power adders. How much power you looking for? Bolt ons don't go to far, bang for your buck v8 swap will go furthest but is more involved in an 87.

 

i dont see how adding more spark and more air is a tune up. but thanks

 

If you have money to burn.. V8 swap.

Otherwise you're throwing your money into a old slow poke. Best to spend that money on upkeep so its reliable.

And more spark isn't going to give you notable power. That's just silly....

Cai is eh. Not enough to change your vehicles capabilities merging onto the highway or racing civics. But you'll feel cooler and feel faster for sure.

As said, bolt on mods aren't really worth it unless you do many bolt on mods. Because in simple terms.. Everything works together.

 

Put the cat back on, since it's an integral part of the pollution control system, which is tied into the engine management computer. That should help some.

Replace the Walker (which is an OE factory replacement muffler) with a free flowing muffler to help your throttle response if nothing else.

Then spend time reading the FAQ that discusses this exact question in detail.

Regarding plugs and stuff - if you compare a clean, new OEM plug to a clean, new E3 plug you will find absolutely no difference. Same with filters. Same with plug wires. Not on a vehicle this modern.

The days of changing a few things and suddenly becoming faster went away with the advent of electric ignition and EFI, and this is a good thing.

That said.....
Why do you want more power?
Why do you need more power? Is there anything you can't do, that you need to do, that extra horsepower would allow?
How much are you willing to spend?
How handy are you?
How much downtime can you afford for your truck? (Is it your daily driver?)

 

You will have a hard time getting any noticeable power out of that la 3.9l. Your best bet is a 5.2 magnum swap if you want to notice something happening. A K&N filter will not allow any more air to pass through than a $7 fram paper air filter. They just have the benefit of being cleanable.

If you want to stay with a v6 for the slightly better mpgs you can swap in a multi point EFI magnum 3.9l those have about 65 or so better hp out of the factory than your la block 3.9l Which still isn't worth doing a swap unless going for a 5.2 or 5.9l imo. Gl also you can search on here for others who asked the same question and got about the same feedback.