yes was also planning on doing the timing set as I can already hear slight slapping coming from that area. WP had already been done. Good to hear alot of good feedback about the Hughes kit.

 

welll...got a bit done on this old truck today. Installed the Hughes intake kit plenum gasket was in fact bad. For one that mentioned the Hughes kit had cheap chinese gaskets? Included was the complete FELPRO intake set.

Also did the timing gear set with tensioner as the old one was quite wore out and making a lot of rattling noise.

Cleaned the throttle body, and also found the IAC to be crusted and pitted beyond any use so replaced it as well. New injector seals.

Cranked up and did in fact idle much better. All rattling gone. BUT, acceleration is still quite erratic. Go to rev it up and one time it revs, next time it does not. Also on the down throttle has a bit of backfire. Thinking at the moment that the erratic acceleration could be the TPS? But not sure if that would also cause the slight backfire. May just go ahead and replace the rest of the TB sensors.

 

I had a few good days before it went back to bad even got 385 miles on the tank full of gas right after I did that intake, tc etc. The thing that made the most difference next was putting in a new crank Sensor.

 

well I plan to include a new crank sensor....but Ive never seen a vehicle that would crank and run, but have a bad crank sensor? Usually when a crank sensor goes, they turn over but no crank.

 

Mine ran and sometimes even felt good. Once I replaced it the difference was noticeable. IDK why but it was the last sensor I had not changed which might be a source of problem.

 

well...got one on the way so we will see. Ive seen weirder things happen with sensors.

 

I'm beginning to see why so many get frustrated working on these Dakota's. Ive worked on all makes of vehicles, every American made, all Asian makes and most European makes. Ive never seen one be so hard to troubleshoot in all my days.

The only item I have not replaced or tested positive on this truck is the MAP sensor, but I have never heard or seen of a map sensor cause loss of acceleration and occasional backfire

Since last post have replaced Crank sensor, TPS and fuel regulator/filter. Still, it cranks and idles great, but hardly at all will rev up, and when it does do so without a bit of back fire, and cannot gain enough power to engage the clutch and pull off. But every once in a while will rev just fine and takes off like a bat out of hell if I let it.

to date, new plugs, wires,cap, button. New injector seals,throttle body gasket, IAC, TPS, Crank sensors. Pickup coil tests perfect as does the 02. Plenum gasket as well as timing set. Engine is perfectly timed and trips NO codes at all unless I unplug a sensor then it will trip that code. Cranks and idles perfectly.

Its been mentioned to check exhaust and that I may do next. But Ive had cars with clogged exhaust and even those would allow the engine to rev up just struggle to get any power. The part above about occasional good revving and power a a clogged exhaust would not allow.

Scratching my head here.

 

What if something in the exhaust came loose, flops around and causes erratic problems?

 

Did you hold a rag over the TB and hold it at high idle? Could be 121k worth of crap built up in it.

 

My thought as well, given the information provided. You're cat could be damaged (see post #4).