Not having seen it I assumed it was aluminum, I should have guessed that it was cast. I'm not sure that it matters on the price though, it used to when I worked there years ago but I just checked the website and it looks like the same price as aluminum. Friend of mine who works there just texted me and said intake manifold total cost would be $44.68, of which $4 is core, so bring your old one when you come.

https://www.wrench-n-go.com/ is the website but the prices aren't up to date and they have no online inventory.

I didn't find the part on a website but I was there earlier in the week for some other things and I watch to see what Dakota trucks come in. The 87 LB had been sitting in the parking lot for a long time before they finally took it in and processed it. WnG doesn't inventory their stuff, or at least they don't publish that information online like they should. They try and be as hands off with their stuff as they can and that includes not telling people whether they have a part or not, which I always thought was bogus, especially when you're charging people $1 to get in the door.

At any rate, the intake is there and I don't expect it to go anywhere but don't wait too long to come and get it. They've been pulling and replacing vehicles at a record pace recently so I doubt that it'll be there 30 days, and it's already been in the yard since at least December 9th. They are open at 8am on Saturday and Sunday but only until 3:00p and you can't get into the yard after 2:30p so come early!

Hope this helps

Steve

EDIT: the only aftermarket intake I've ever seen for a 3.9 was for mounting a blower...lol

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by 99td2500

Yeah, I'm betting if it's oem, it'll be cast. And, I've never found an after-market intake for the 3.9.

'87 was an orphan year. First year for the 3.9, only year for the carburetor. I've been told that the throttle body intake for 88 and later isn't the same and won't work.

I wonder about that.... The 88-91 were fuel injected but it is throttle body, so its still a wet intake. It may not be a direct fit, but I bet it could be made to work.....

 

The biggest difference is that the carbed intake has slightly different vacuum ports, and the carb is a different mount (a straight 2BBL instead of the 4BBL mount the throttle body uses).

Or so I remember from looking at them.

RwP

 

Stopped out just to make sure they didn't move in and pull half the truck yard for some stupid reason:







Steve

 

yep, looks very much like what I need.

Okay, Here's my next dumb question after seeing Ralph's post about the throttle body being a 4 barrel mount.

Can I use the throttle body intake with a holley 500 on the 87 3,9 engine?

THAT would actually get me where I'd like to be with this, and where I was headed when I got aviation permatex throughout the intake and onto my intake valve stems. Should have known better, but it ran like a burred-saddle bronc until the permatex started sticking intake valves.

Going completely stock is a viable option, but if I can get to a small cfm 4 barrel, I'm going to smile a LOT !!

 

I had no idea what size opening the TBI units had. I had just assumed it was a 2bbl throttle body, but Ralph is usually on top of his game!!

FWIW I found this on ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Intake-Mani...BtbN:rk:1:pf:0

 

The throttle body itself is a 2BBL design; the intake, however, is a wide open square opening.

Wait.

The pattern is SQUARE for the bolts; the HOLES for the TBI, however, are 2BBL in size.

Look at this for a 1988 - https://www.rockauto.com/info/247/G3...5-16__ra_p.jpg

And this for a 1987 - https://www.rockauto.com/info/247/G3...5-16__ra_p.jpg

So it's still a 2BBL throttle opening, but the mount is different. So you'd need an adapter to bolt the carb on a 1988+ intake.

(I apologize; I remembered the square mount, and misremembered the holes for the throttle plates ... )

RwP

 

Thanks for the follow up.

I think I'll go back to the original style intake instead of attempting an experiment in January ;-)

I do appreciate everyone's attempts to help here!! I've had the truck since 1990, but it's been sitting for about 10 years now after I completely messed up with the permatex on the adapter plates to sit the 4b Holley on the original intake. The "new" intake is only step 1. I'll have to remove the heads and clean valve guides and stems. I have at least 1 of the intake valves sticking open, which makes for some interesting sounds when the thing is running ;-)

But, before I messed it up, it still had 135 and better on the compression tester on all 6 cylinders. It'll be worth the attention investment when I get it put back together.

Thanks everyone!!

 

Ill be honest, I am having a hard time understanding how gasket sealer could stick the valves......

 

Well when you go to get the 87 manifold you will walk down a concrete sidewalk into the truck section. Walk straight out that center row and the 87 will be on the left about half dozen or so vehicles out. If you get to the 92 with the moss on it you've gone too far.

I don't envy you going and doing this right now, it's not the time of year I like to spend much time on a vehicle outside, then again these aren't all that easy to find anymore.

Steve