what facts do you claim?
Tell you what take a 5.2, bore it 0.030 over and there you go... 5.3L.
and no wiring headaches, no transmission/drivetrain headaches or exhaust headaches. everything just fits. Take less than half the money you want to waste on putting another brand engine-any other brand engine -in your truck and you can have a real screamer...
Putting a Chevy motor in everything has been a pissing point of mine for years... Jeeps, T buckets, Mustangs, what ever.... If I had the kind of money you do I sure would not waste it cross breeding my vehicles like you suggest...
you must have more money than brains;
if that engine was so great Dodge would never have manufactured their own, they would have bought 5.3s from Chevy, stuck them in the trucks themselves and called it a day....
our old trucks arent worth alot due to the age of them now a days, but do what Toby suggests and waste more than what the trucks would bring on a good day "just the way they are" and make it worth less than nothing....

 

it isnt a matter of being a purist, I wouldn't put some other brand engine into a ford or chevy or Hon-duh for that matter-it's just common sense and the K.I.S.S principle.
Less hassle to do the job and less hassle for maintenance down the road.

 

you really need to shut the **** up old man. Don't speak of what you don't know. Putting a vortec in a Dakota isn't any harder then pulling the factory transmission and engine. And you work on vehicles for a living? What are they Lego models? I'm sorry but if you're Dakota isn't worth more then $1500 it's time to hop on some welfare or something.

Chevy small blocks are as simple as they get.

Here's another stake in Mopar ignorance. 4.3 vortec - v6 5.2 Magnum v8, and almost identical specs. That's ****ing pathetic. Mopar wasn't smart enough to make their own design that could compete. They couldn't even make all of their transmissions good enough to keep them from ****ting themselves. Let's not get started on the front ends on the heavier trucks that just fall apart. Or the massive failure that's the 3.7 and 4.7. there's facts all over the place. Open your ignorant eyes and get the truth. If you think Mopar is some holy grail of automobiles you should see what a real piece of quality machines are really out there.

Now back to your first reply. People don't add stuff to their vehicles to make them worth money. They do it because it's a passion and something they enjoy. And something they plan on keeping a long time. If people only put things on their vehicles to increase value, there would be absolutely no customization of cars anywhere. Once you put the money in, you never get it back 99% of the time.

Now kindly go **** yourself you piece of **** retarded bastard **** poor excuse for a human being. You're scum of the earth and I feel sorry for anyone who has the displeasure of dealing with how ignorant you really are.

 

Ya know, everyone should take their own dakota, and modify as they see fit. Just because a certain mod is not what you or I like, is not a reason to belittle someone else for what they like. Variety is what makes this hobby fun.
The name calling and belittling of each other should stop.
There is no one on this forum that knows everything. In fact, the big advantage to a forum like this, is to learn from each other, and help each other as we can. You know, you can make friends with people that likely you will never meet in person.
We really need to stop these post of putting others, or their ideas down. Its not beneficial to anyone.

 

To the OP

I considered putting an LS series motor in my truck as well. Below, I am going to list the pros and cons as I see them.

Pros
1. Newer, more efficient engine then the magnum
2. 2in. shorter, which would really help with an early 1st gen. transplant
3. Much simpler electronics for a conversion.
4. Much more aftermarket support.
5. Cheaper to modify, especially to the 400-500 hp range.
6. Stand alone wiring harness easily available, or the info to modify your own.
7. 90% of all dyno shops are capable of tuning the computer.

Cons
1. LS drive trains are not cheap, at least in my area. Finding a complete 5.3 or 6.0 engine, transmission, and transfer case is at least $2500.00
2. Will need a standalone harness and basic programming to turn off vats, etc. $750.00
3. Exhaust mods, at least $500.00
4. How will you control the transfer case?
5. Bare min. both driveshafts will have to be made. $500.00 at least.
6. I have yet to find anyone who has converted an early 1st gen. 5spd, 4wd dakota to a LS, 5spd, 4wd setup. And I dont want to pioneer this swap!!

Now, for your swap, (I think you said it was a 96? and I assume its an automatic) These would be my concerns
1. What will you do for guages?
2. Is the frame solid? The reason I ask, you mention it sees the beach. Dalotas are known to rust the ears off, where the upper control arms mount.Also, the spring mounts are known to rust away
3. Will anti lock brakes still work?
4. Do you still need to have the truck inspected, and will it pass?
5. Are you willing to spend $5000.00 or so dollars, and lots of time working all of the bugs, and small mods that will have to be figured out?

For myself, I have a 87. the guages do not go through the computer. Mine has a factory carb already. So, I have decided the following
1. I want a 5spd, period. I am converting from the 87-nv2500 to a 2003-nv3500. This is the transmission that was used with the 5.2 V8 trucks
2. Changing out my NP207 transfer case to a NP231 out of a 91. I need a mech. speedo drive. and this was used with the 5.2 as well I think this will mostly bolt up .......
3. A stock 5.9 with a 670 holley carb, airgap intake and a hei ignition. (I can work on this)
4. I will probably use a stock 5.2 headpipe and tie it into a single exhaust for now. But again, I may go ahead and have a set of true duals ran on the truck.
This engine should make between 250-275 hp and 330-350 tq.
5. A set of EQ heads, and a regrind cam can easly put me in the 350hp range.
6. How much more do I need in a dakota?


Now, back to your truck. If your serious about this conversion, as ralph said, look at lsdak.com
While he mainly focus on 2nd gen. dakotas, he has a lot of info available.

 

amen! Nothing sets me off more then people going off on Chevy or anyone elses idea. I'm sure everyone loves that person's ideas of customization. But who cares? As long as it's good enough for who it's for, that's all that matters.


As for the gauges though, everything on the Dakota dash will work with a couple simple adapters as documented by my link. And custom programming isn't needed, minus the VATS stuff. However, something have to be depinned from the Mopar ECM. Custom exhaust isn't needed only if you want headers, and that guy has his header stuff kind of wrote out.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby Warford

This is the link you want to look at. And yes you should do it. Don't listen to the butthurt Mopar purist. They're just mad because even after they spend $1500 or more on their Magnum it still doesn't make the power a vortec v8 can make factory. And their Magnum still gets worse mpg at that. (I know, who cares about mpgs when you're going for go, but why not have both)



When I get the $$$$$$$$$ I'm going 6.0 vortec out of an SS Silverado. And I'm going to post it to every damned Mopar site I can find and let their eyes bleed.


Now with all that said, I love my 5.2 Magnum. It's as reliable as a brick. But, they're just not worth putting any money in for go fast goodies. The engine power is a turd. And you polish a turd it's still a turd. Mopar really failed when the made the Magnum. There was so much potential they could have gave it.

Toby, I really think you have a lot to add to a forum like this, but please remember where you are.
That is A Dodge forum

That being said, most people are bias towards their vehicles. Hence, this is a dodge forum and they are bias towards dodge.

They are not going to change your mind, and you are not going to change theirs. You would be better served to stop the butthurt.... etc.

Just offer your advise without making it personal.


FWIW I dont think the guages are that simple on the newer trucks. IE. the speedo is electronic driven on the newer dakotas, I think. Factory tach feeds from the computer. etc.

BTW do you know of, or have any links to any 1st gen 4wd dakota LS conversions? I would be especially interested in a early gen. 4wd dakota with a 5spd.

Most of my research has found mainly 2nd gen. conversions, and of those I have only found 1 (durango) that was 4wd.

Again, I think the LS in a early 4wd dakota is a good idea, but have not found the actual conversion being done.

 

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Guys - I have no power on this forum whatsoever. I'm a nobody, but I sincerely believe that there are people on this thread right now who are engaging in behavior that runs contrary to the forum rules. AND I believe that such behavior is detrimental to the forum. Perhaps you should consider what you say BEFORE you say it from now on. I, for one would be very appreciative if you would..... Fred Tedescucci

 

yup, the gauges are that simple. At least lest for first gen. DK about 2nd gen (97+).

Still haven't found any 4x4 conversion either but should only be a few more steps. The tcase drop is on the side it needs to be on.


As far as this being a Mopar forum, don't care. I'm not a Mopar fan. If they wanna get butthurt and outrage about facts they don't know about, then so be it.

Car guys need to be car guys. It's just that simple. If you someone doesn't think something is a good idea, they can state their opinion, but no need to go full retard because something doesn't jive in their world.

Someday I'll have mine 6.0 swapped and I'll be posting on every Mopar forum I can find. Then I'll be posting on every GM forum I can find. As well as social media. The outrage will be great for a laugh.

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toby Warford

yup, the gauges are that simple. At least lest for first gen. DK about 2nd gen (97+).

Still haven't found any 4x4 conversion either but should only be a few more steps. The tcase drop is on the side it needs to be on.


As far as this being a Mopar forum, don't care. I'm not a Mopar fan. If they wanna get butthurt and outrage about facts they don't know about, then so be it.

Car guys need to be car guys. It's just that simple. If you someone doesn't think something is a good idea, they can state their opinion, but no need to go full retard because something doesn't jive in their world.

Someday I'll have mine 6.0 swapped and I'll be posting on every Mopar forum I can find. Then I'll be posting on every GM forum I can find. As well as social media. The outrage will be great for a laugh.

Toby, the guages dont even interchange between all of the years of the 1st gen dakota's
For openers, the speedo on 87-91? or so, are mechanical. The newer ones are electrical.

The t-case drop may well be on the correct side, but how will you shift it?
Also, there is no mech. drive on the transfer case for the speedo. And even if you have the newer electrical speedo, will it work with the GM sensor?
For the factory tach. The dakota tach gets its signal from the computer. Will this work with a LS computer?

While I agree that the LS motor would bolt up to the V6 mounts, (with adapter plates) and the crossmember will support the transmission with a little work, To make this a sucessful swap is long from finished with that alone.

The devil is going to be in the details.