I bought my 88 base 2wd short bed 4 cyl 5 speed about 3 years ago. When I bought it some good ole boys had started setting it up for drag. Heavy mod list that I was lucky enough to get the original vehicles they came from. 74' 318 with 79' 360 heads, RV cam, HEI distributor, 81' 727 from a car, narrowed 79' Ford 9"rear with 4.11 and spool and ratchet shifter. After a couple years of just not quite running right, it popped a hole in #7 lifter. Cam lobe was trashed as well as 2 more lifters were badly domed. Due to funds and time I put a full set of lifters in and have been easy on it just using it around town. Recently there has been a tapping noise from the passenger side head area. I'm over this cobled up carberated mess. The plan shortly after I got it was 5.9 magnum and 4 speed trans. The other day, I stumble across a deal on a complete drop out from a 95' Ram 5.9 with an obviously recent remain trans still bolted to it. So I snagged it. The truck has already been set up to run all the rest of the truck with no way input. The only original gauges are fuel and speed, the rest are aftermarket. I have looked for a drop in harness for a "hotrod" build, bit feel like $900 is a bit much to spend on a harness and ecu. The had a different radiator installed to give more clearance for the mechanical fan, when that rotted out, I installed a Dakota v8 radiator and twin electric fans to clear the v-belt setup. Anything else I'm missing?

ECU and harness; I'd say get them out of a 1992/1993 Dakota (same speedo), but they changed injectors in 1994, so it may be better to get a 1994 harness.

You're going to have to do some fiddling with the harness anyway due to the variances between a 1994 anything and the 1988 chassis.

That's my suggestion, anyway.

RwP

Wouldn't running the 5.2 ecu cause problems on the 5.9? I had planned on using an inline high pressure fuel pump and it has a mechanical currently and my fuel sender is on the money accurate.

It might; but. And here's the BIG but. There's no Dakota ECU for the 1st gen for a 5.9; the 5.2 ECU however will usually drive a 5.9 to almost full power output.

And ... I'm not sure what the comment on the fuel gauge is about. The ECU has zero, zip, zilch to do with ANY gauges on the Gen1s. ANY gauges.

(I had forgotten the fuel pressure issue; don't forget, the 92/93 were planned to use a return style system, but the 94+ all use a non-return system with the regulator before the fuel rail. You'll need to get that done up too, to keep the current sender, unless you can retrofit the pump inside, and the top hat is ready for a return fitting.)

RwP

The sender comment was in regards to the in tank pump from a newer Dakota. I am pretty sure there is a return line going back to my tank from the original engine, so I'm sure I could figure out a way to regulate the pressure before it gets to the engine.

Would it be just as easy in the long run to pull a full harness from a ram or van pre 96 magnum with the ecu and trim it down? That way I know it's all comparable to the engine and all sensors.

Don't you mean "Serpentine setup"? The 95 magnum didn't come with v-belts. And from my experience with the long LA water pump snout on a v-belt setup, it will not fit inside the radiator. I had to put a 94 front end on my 90 to fit my V-belt setup.

I currently have the old LA v-belt on mine. It's a snug fit, but it fits. When they mad the mounds they moved it as far back as possible.the HEI cap is almost touching the firewall.

Ah, okay...that was the other option. Push it against the firewall like the Shelby. I put a 91+ front end on mine to fit. Didn't have to worry about driveline changes as the motor/trans sits in the same spot on mine.

Would love to see a pic of your engine as it sits. Here's mine:

As for return line regulation, I kept the stock electric pump w/ return line on my carb setup. Use a Holley 3-way regulator for my carb. Works great.

Yes, it's easy to figure out the return system.

A quick Google turns a Summit Racing link up first: https://www.summitracing.com/search/...r-style/return

As to the rest - I'm not sure why you'd want to specify a van or RAM Magnum. Although those ECUs may be found for the 5.9, the 5.9 ECUs ran pig rich; the 5.2 will run closer to what the engine actually needs.

RwP