I know this has probably been asked a lot, and I did do search but did not find what I was looking for.

My son has a 1996 Dakota Sport regular cab 4X4 3.9 V6 with the AX15 5 Speed. He wants to swap the 3.9 for a 5.2.

He has found a 5.2 engine, computer, wires harness, and fan shroud from another 96 but it is an automatic.

Will the auto computer work with a manual transmission or will there be codes and starting running issues?

Will the AX15 bolt up to the 5.2?

Will the AX15 last for any amount of time hooked to a V8? Should we be looking for a NV3500?

Will we have to get a new flywheel/flexplate since the one on the motor is for an automatic?

Thanks

 

No problem. Answers in bold

 

Thanks for the quick reply Toby.

He is looking for an NV3500 now.

Crap about the computer.
Where can we get it flashed?

How much does that usually cost?

What is the part number for the correct 96 5.2 5 speed computer?

 

I dont know, but on the 96, being obd2, it may be able to be programmed to turn it off, (automatic transmission )

You will need the v8 flywheel. But the crankshaft sensor from your manual v6 should work on the v8.

Again, so experience with this myself, but I thought you could use your V6 engine harness but add the 2 additional injector wires to your existing harness.

 

The automatic ECU will work with the 5 speed according to others who've done the swap. You'll need to ground the neutral safety switch to allow starting, and your ECU will likely throw some codes, but the ECU should control the engine just fine. Here's a good post from someone going automatic to manual. It's a later year truck, and a Ram 1500, but most of the info still applies, just remember that Ram NV3500's don't fit Dakotas because of the location of the shift tower:
https://dodgeforum.com/forum/2nd-gen...onversion.html

The Magnum v8 flywheel is required, and note that the 5.2 and 5.9 flywheels are not the same, they're balanced differently.

As 93RT noted, the V6 engine harness works if you add the 2 additional injector wires to your existing harness. I did that on mine.

 

93 ragtop and ragged89 Thanks for the info and new links to look at.

Seems like it would have been a whole lot easier to find a 5.2 manual parts truck.

Looks like the auto computer can be tricked to work, but will still throw codes, and the v6 crank sensor can be modified to work as well, and the V6 wire harness can be used with just adding wires for injectors #7 and 8.

Will look into the flywheel for a 5.2.

Looking for an NV3500 for a Dakota too. I don't think the AX15 will last long. My son's driving style is hormonal 18 year old, so somethings gonna break for sure.

 

Hopefully attached is a picture of the truck we will be working on.

 

No mods needed for the crank sensor. The manual V6 and Manual V8 use the same one, at least according to rockauto.com.
The difference in the 3.9 flywheel and the 5.2 is the notches that the crank sensor detects. Also, I think the V8 flywheel is drilled for a 11in clutch whereas the V6 is drilled for a 10.4in. clutch.
Then as ragged pointed out, the 5.9 used an external balance, through the flywheel to balance the engine
The 3.9 and 5.2 were balanced through the crankshaft, therefore the flywheel is neutral balanced.

BTW nice looking truck!!

 

Your local dealer should still be able to flash it. Or look for people on craiglist who offer tuning services. And then there's online services that you mail it out. Names are slipping me at the moment, Howell is one of them I think. I know for a 2000 gm 4.3 computer they charge $200 to flash it.

Alla the do is go into the files and delete anything that has to do with the auto transmission. But on a 00 gm computer, the computer controls the engine and transmission. Where as dodge doesn't (I'm pretty sure)

If it were me, I'd go to car-part.com and do a search and see what a used one would cost from a junkyard. Shipping wouldn't be much on something like that.

 

That's year/transmission specific.

Through 1995, on Dakotas, all the ECU controlled was the lockup torque converter and (for the 4 speed autos) the overdrive.

Starting in 1996 (the year for the OP), the hydraulic valve body was replaced by a solenoid-operated valve body, which IS controlled by the ECU.

(This is also noted by the transmission name - a 42RH/44RH/46RH is hydraulic; the 42RE/44RE/46RE are all electronically controlled.)

Also, on the manual ECU, it will activate the "UPSHIFT" light on the dash when appropriate. The automatic doesn't do anything intentional with it that I've found.

RwP