Recently picked up a 94 Dakota 4x2 3.9 AT to replace a 94 GM K1500 Turbo diesel that I'm tired of messing with. I have owned a couple of Dakotas in the past, a 92 & a 95 both with the 3.9 and AT in long bed form. The new to me 94 SLT is the extended cab. It's been a number of years since I had a Dakota, most of my recent experience is with VW tdi diesel cars. I have a 1997 Jetta tdi and a 1990 Passat wagon that's been converted to 1.9 tdi. Working on gasoline again will be interesting...ha!

While it looks reasonable for a mid-west Dakota it hasn't had the best maintenance. It had been sitting inop for two years in a yard, the worst place to park a vehicle. After three hours diagnosis and a short trip to the JY we had it running albeit without the rear brakes (line blew out). There was a broken wire to the crank position sensor, an easy fix. Three washings later it looks pretty decent although I suspect that it's been in an accident at some point, the left inner fender has paint loss revealing black primer and the outside red color isn't quite a match. Also there's no clearcoat loss on the hood or top and that's just not possible on these.

At any rate, now trying to catch up on foregone maintenance. The trans I've been told was overhauled by AAMCO at some point but with no receipts I can't determine exactly when. The truck as 167,000 miles, both windshield and rear slider have been replaced and based on carpet stain I suspect there's a leak somewhere.

Will be doing tuneup with all the general work in the near future, trans filter, rear diff fluid, new brakes all around, new tires etc. I noticed a chattering sound in the engine when it's warm that I'm to understand is the timing chain so that's on order to be replaced as well. Thought I'd go with a double roller on that just to be sure we don't have to address this again. I never experienced this before, I traded the 92 Dakota in at 50k miles on the second one and then sometime later sold that one with 38k miles on it so never had to deal with this before. My now sold 94 Dodge B250 had a 5.2L in it that I kept from 70k miles up to 212k miles and it never made that chattering noise.

Also, I'm curious, has anyone with the 'aero' headlights ever converted to the 91 sealed beam type lamps? The aero lamps are nice but they dull so quickly and the adjusters also are so crappy. I have thought about converting to the sealed beam buckets and then buying the 165mm H4 european type headlights, I think the light output would be a lot better and there wouldn't be an issue with fading either. I'm not fully committed to that route yet but just looking at my options.

Anyway, I would post up a picture of it but with photobucket now kaput I haven't taken time to find a new photo hosting service.

Thanks!

Steve A

 

You may have to be a subscriber, but in Advanced mode, you can attach the pictures to the message itself. Or post them to Imgur or even on Facebook and link to those (if on Facebook, be SURE to make the pictures public!)

Welcome!

On the timing chain - you can also use a Magnum tensioner setup (replaces the timing chain restraint under the cam gear); but that chattering isn't too uncommon on OHV motors (happens with Fords and SBC at least; and I bet with all chain driven cams!)

Enjoy - my 1988 has 373,000+ miles, and even though it's ready for a rebuild, the furthest into the motor anyone's gone has been the timing chain / oil pump / freeze plugs.

Oh - while it's apart up front - due to the age, I'd do the freeze plugs. If you pull the motor, do the rear plugs (under the flex plate / flywheel), the rear seal, and the oil pump and pickup along with the oil pan gasket set. Also motor mounts; all three (two at the motor, one at the transmission) are probably about to fail with age also.

And while doing; consider the plenum gasket or even a plenum repair kit.

RwP

 

Hey Ralph
Thanks for the welcome and tips. At this point just going to try and get through the basics to get it on the road in a condition that's acceptable to me. I expect that will include cooling system purge and timing chain work but also replacing water pump too since I'm in there. If there are frost plugs that are convenient I will do those as well. I had intended to have this on the road before the snow flies. Next on the schedule are trans fluid / filter and rear diff fluid replacement plus the brake line obviously and complete brake job all around. shocks appear to have been done at some point so I'll leave those until next year. The motor mounts didn't look too bad and neither did the trans mount but if I can squeeze those in I'll do them. I had read some people's comments online that said no tensioner was present on their 3.9L, which I assume is the case with mine. In the order for new parts there was a tensioner listed so I added it in.

There's a minor amount of wiring work that I need to do too since it sat for a while and some mice got in and did a little damage, at least that's what it looks like at this point.

Going to try and get this truck on the road so I can garage the Passat TDI for new bilstein suspension install.

Steve

 

Steve,
Welcome. They were built without a TC tensioner. It became a TSB. If you have the pan off to change the trans oil (also built with no drain plug) you might think about adjusting the bands.But if it aint broke... Also if it looks like it heats up a lot you might choose the 180 instead of the 195 thermostat. There are also two sensors right next to the thermostat. All can be got to with some effort when the motor is together but its a lot easier to get them when you have the front off. Oh yes there is a short crossover elbow for the coolant under the AC you should replace while you have it off. That has to have the AC removed to get at it. You don;t have to drain it just lay it over to the side the hoses are long enough.
EDIT- Check you exhaust manifold bolts and studs. I had that clack sound on hills which I though was liftwers then the TC and it turned out to be broken studs on the exhaust mani.

 

I had wondered if that wasn't the case. At any rate I'll be adding the tensioner with the new chain so that chattering sound will be going away!

While I don't have a manual for the Dak, I do have for the vans, which covers the V6 and the OD AT so while reading about the fluid filter change I noticed something about band adjusting. I will probably attempt to do the band adjustments since I'm sure no one has been in there for that since the trans was rebuilt. I know that these transmissions can and do fail pretty easily, one reason I always ran my B250 with the OD off in town. I never saw any reason why it needed to get into OD just going from one light to the next.

The one sensor for the gauge is bad, the connector end is about ready to fall off. I hadn't examined the other, I think it's temp for the PCM, I'll take a look at that and see if it needs to be replaced. I already have the sensor on the left on the parts list for replacement when the cooling system is drained. I'm also replacing thermostat since I found a pile of what looked like coolant crystals piled up back there next to the thermostat housing. I can't see a leak anywhere but at some point in the past it clearly was leaking from somewhere.

Is that what's called the bypass hose? I have that on order too as a replacement item. I figured I didn't want to get in there and not have everything that was possibly replaceable, it doesn't make sense, I don't want to go back in there again once it's opened up.

I have a ticking noise from the left side (driver) exhaust area (manifold or y-pipe?) that I have yet to isolate and resolve. It isn't bad and does go away when hot but I will say that the exhaust manifold bolts are in really horrible shape. At first I thought the engine had a bad exhaust system but after crawling around underneath I have come to the conclusion that the exhaust is reasonably intact and doesn't need to be replaced yet. Where the ticking sound is coming from is probably faulty exhaust manifold gasket, I'll find it at some point.

I need to get pic figured out so I can post up a few shots of it. For an Iowa truck it's not all that bad and I was surprised that it was so good underneath. I will probably coat it with fluid film before winter gets here, just as a further protection. I was glad that the truck never got running boards, those things seem to only accelerate the decay process.

Thanks for the tips guys, appreciate all the help I can get. I'm not used to working on these things really, did some work on the Dodge van but it was not this involved.

Steve

 

You can use a spray bottle with soapy water on the exhaust mani to find leaks at the head. I got the whole exhaust Y pipe back on Rock Auto for less than I was quoted to change the CAT and it was a lot larger bore than the OE system.They went smaller in 94. Another thing I noticed not sure if this is an OE condition was that I had no exhaust gaskets. I put them in when I fixed the broken suds.
If they are broke and you can't get them out the hole is threaded about a half inch deeper than the length of the original stud and the dealer replacements are longer by about a half inch on that side. I was all worried about having chewed up the front thread and had a nice surprise when I got the hole clear and put the thread chaser in.

 

Well sincd no one else wants to answer your one question I will.

Yes, many owners have concerted the headlights. Though I recommend getting whatever flavor of 4x6 headlights you want from eBay. I opted for l.e.d's and couldn't be happier. The aero design was horrible from the start. And 20+ years latter, is even more pathetic as an excuse for headlights. Highly recommended.

 

Hadn't thought about that but that sounds like a good idea.

I also saw that Y pipe on RA. I had it (and the rest of the exhaust) in my shopping cart at the beginning but got rid of it later because it didn't seem like a priority at the moment and my cart was getting pretty full!

I'm pretty sure with a little heat I can encourage them to come out of they do break! I tend to pretreat these sorts of things a few days in advance in hopes that it will encourage stuff to come off.

I had wondered if people did that conversion. I have a lot more faith in glass lenses than I do with those plastic lens aero lamps. If I had my way I'd have 7" round headlights with H4 high/low bulbs, but if I did that it would mean a lot of custom work to the front end to make it work.

Again thanks for the comments / advice!

Steve A

 

I tried to upload an image but I think the forum software has a problem with the noscript application I run. I tried to allow for the forum but still the screen for the image uploads doesn't fully display so I can't seem to get it to upload my image. I tried attaching the image 'inline' although I'm not really sure what that means. I was able to upload it that way though.

Steve

Edit: looks like it did work, not quite like I intended but at least there are pictures. The first pic is of it after getting a serious bath, the second is of it being driven out of the prior owner's yard where it sat for two years.