AIR INTAKES
OPTION: 1 estimated cost $50
K&N air filter BK7354313 - NAPA
Remove vent from the front of grill

OPTION: 2 estimated cost $120
1997 Dakota air hat with home brew intake setup
3" PVC pipe, a 3" Fernco fitting, a 3" 45 degree angle, a 3" 22.5 degree angle, K&N air filter #1009, and some reflective heat tape. I’d also need an air hat from a 97 Dakota, hopefully I can find one at a junk yard? This entire setup (including 6x9 K&N cone filter) shouldn’t cost more then $120
photo:http://dodgetruckworld.tenmagazines....y.ten?id=10673

OPTION: 3 estimated cost $100 stick with the muscle look and use a moroso 14” air cleaner with a K&N filter BK7354313 - NAPA.


I believe I'll go with option 2, but I was wondering if anyone else had experience with any of the above? Would option 2 be far superior to option 3? I live in ft. Wayne Indiana and plan to call a few junk yards today for a 97 air hat. I'm not looking to make my truck extremely fast, but a few extras would be nice. It's a 93 318 Auto 2WD, if anything I'd like to improve it's towing capacity. I've been searching all over the place trying to figure out what to use, I just got my dakota about a month ago and I LOVE it!!!

I just called several auto salvage yards and no one had the air hat for a 97 dakota, I called a dodge dealership and it's sold in two seperate parts:
Cover $40
Base $60
That's more then I wanted to spend, so hopefully I'll eventually find one somewhere? If I have to spend anything over $60 I'll probably go with option 2....

 

I've been doing more research and I realize using PVC pipe isn't a good idea. I believe I'll just stick a K&N filter in the stock air housing and remove the vent from the grill. That should work good enough?

 

I feel like no one is out there to help me? Anyhow once again I've discovered my own solution. Please someone tell me if all this is correct!!! HELP!!!!!

1.) Will a 97 Dakota air hat (or) breather intake fit on a 93 Dakota, can anyone confirm this? Are there any modifications that would need to be made? Does ANYONE know where the best place to purchase one of these are? I know they cost $100 from the Dodge dealership ($40 for the hat and $60 for the base), there is surely a used one out there somewhere? I was thinking $50 for both?

2.) The best tubing from what I gather is having a 3 inch pipe custom bent and long enough to reach the lower fender well, with a 6X9 K&N filter or similiar. My question was this: Is the stainless pipe the best (home brew) solution? I personally feel it is?

I'll still wrap the pipe in heat tape for appearance purposes, actually it might look cool painted with black high temp exhaust paint, then it would match everything in the engine compartment. This site here shows what I'd be possibly minus the heat tape and PVC pipe. http://dodgetruckworld.tenmagazines....y.ten?id=10673

The above setup in my opinion would work GREAT, why spend 2's this for someone else's kit? There are so many custom options that I probably can't think of, so I'd appreciate any help!!!!

 

After surfing the net for about 10 hours I almost got this air intake problem resolved? The following site [http://www.gibsdakota.com/hb_intake.htm] has another nice setup, using PVC. I've decided to go with stainless pipe and I'll paint it black. I will then need to relocate the IAC sensor, or atleast I assume this needs to be done? My problem all day has been finding info on the gen 1 dakota's, but I know more then I want about Gen 2 & 3's.. Please someone HELP and be a specific as possible. I have one last question: Is there any other air hat / base that can be used other then a 97 dakota setup? Can the currentair cleanor be adapted? I want it to look nice also?

 

I don't think there is a difference between the 97 airhat and any other. The TB was the same regardless, so mounting points should be the same. I have one off a 2000 RT I think, got it for free from a friend but I haven't had the chance to see if it will fit. Planning on using it with a Powerdyne blower I have sitting in my garage.

I did the drop in K&N and removed weatherplate. I honestly do not think there is any significant gain from going to a homebrew setup on a GenII Dak. The 97+ Daks are easier to get fresh, cooler air into the area where the filter would be. Our trucks don't have that.

If you want extreme air flow, then might I suggest one of these filters instead?
http://www.intenseperformance.com/pr...d_filters.html

These flow a great deal of air. I was planning on getting one myself until I stumbled on the Powerdyne.

You can also pick up the Mopar aluminum air cleaner housing. It is pretty slick, and will match the Mopar aluminum valve covers should you decide to go that route.

I'll try the airhat I have on my 92 this weekend and let you know what I find out.

 

I have the old school style you described in option 3 on my '92 as seen below. I personally love it. When you first start it up you can hear it suck in huge amounts of air, and then on shut down you hear it give it's last breath. I do get better mpg with it.

 

I greatly appreciate ya'alls help. I just came in from an Sbolt install, spent $1.20 at the hardware store and now I have 5 more ponies in less then 30 minutes. Now that's RESULTS!!! Well, I'd like to know what intake hats / bases will and won't work for the 93 dakota? I plan to use a 3 inch stainless pipe with a couple bends. I need to know what hats I can use with little modifications? I know the stock one won't work. If I have to pay too much for an intake then I'll probably go "old school" and get a nice mopar air intake and K&N filter.

 

if your current intake is anything like the 239s intake than you could get a small length of rubber that is wide enough to fit the entrance thing on the air cleaner so you could probably clamp a pipe to it and you could angle the rubber and all that than just get like a stainless steel pipe and clamp a k&n cone filter to it and take out the air filter in side the air cleaner assembly and have sumthing similar to the option two you posted