Yeah I plan to run a carb eventually but for the time being with how tight my budget has become and the fact that I need a running vehicle I think I’m going to stick with the FI just because I have everything already.

I’ve personally never run a carb and I honestly have no idea how anything works related to them so I need to get myself educated on them before I actually start tinkering on my daily. Power isn’t really my concern because I’m running an AX-15 already on its limit of input power so until I can get a better trans I think I’ll keep the FI.

 

ok sorry it took me so long to see the thread if you need anything i still have all the fi stuff off my dakota's and remember ti your going to run 2nd gen fi don't forget about the r/t dakota those guys can tell ya about 5.9 mods ! But when your ready to run without sensors give me a shout and i'll hook u up . I'll send you a few vids of my truck mods when my wife lets me borrow her phone lol

 

1 more thing since you are 4wd that ax is as good as the nv3500 so if you decide to upgrade that part go with the nv 4500 or np435 cause i run nv3500 trans in mine and they aren't anybetter than what you got

 

While you gathering stuff look out for an old chevy big distributor with a module in it or the vortec 5.7 in any gm truck or suv they are mounted on a bracket with heat sink already with the coil u need. Then get a small block dist any 73-86 and you will be ready for trouble free carb & ign for your truck.

 

 

Lots of good info for anything in the future I plan to do. I have a novak ax-15 in my list of things to buy eventually as I've heard the AX is a much better platform than the NV, proven by the fact that new venture isnt even in business anymore. The new AX from Novak seems to be able to hold around 385 foot pounds, at least rated at that, as its an updated Aisin design, so that should hold me over. It sucks I can't get a longer overdrive so I can milk the extra non existent mpg on the highway but I think I'll live lol.

I'd love to go carb, but with my daily being a lifted Jeep that is overdue for tons of suspension overhauls, I'd like to be able to get my truck on the road with as little learning curves as possible lol.

 

If its gonna be a daily driver, stick with the fuel injection... Much more pleasant to live with.

 

Yeah it’s not exactly ever going to be the fun truck, I want it to be able to haul its capacity and not blow up trying to get that weight up a hill.

Once I get the time for it, I do want to build a true fun truck with a built 360, maybe a blow through carb and a blower, and just chop up the floor to fit a t56 and run bucket seats so I can do whatever I want with it, but I don’t think a 4x4 long bed is the right platform. Maybe one day I’ll have the funds to buy a 2wd short bed single cab and build it for drifting or something, something that’s probably very rarely if at all been done.

 

Not sure if I’ve posted this already but I was curious about the oil galley plug locations. I ordered a set of melling plugs from summit that’s for Chrysler small blocks and go figure it’s missing a bunch of plugs. I haven’t gotten the freeze plugs in yet to see what plugs I’m missing if any, but oil galley plugs looks like I’m missing plugs. The kit I got only came with 2 press fit which I have on the front of the engine, but I believe there is another one under the oil pump main cap, and then there are 2 threaded plugs in the side of the block, 2 in the back, 1 in the distributor hole, and one behind the filter? Am I missing any? And what size are those so I can get them ordered?

 

This weekend seems to be the one where I actually get this engine into the truck. I plan to take Thursday and Friday of this week to get everything assembled as I have off work both days. Unfortunately the company I bought the crank from, EngineTech, has terrible quality control for their bearings, and both the box of rod bearings and main bearings came trashed in the packaging, and the Mahle bearings I ordered were standard, the new crank being .10 under. New Mahle bearings come Thursday, and new rods come on Friday as we ended up bending a lot of them trying to press the pins out (user error), we used no heat, just a press with a socket under the rod, so it bent. I'm hoping freezing the pins and heating the rods will work well enough to get them in without much of a fuss. I have everything painted with POR-15 rust coating and Chrysler Blue, and Duplicolor for the accessories, and did a quick mockup and I think it actually looks pretty good. I'll try to remember to get some update pictures as I get this big ol thing assembled.