No, the air snorkel is the plastic piece in the front of the air box that is shaped like a 45 degree elbow and is directed into the corner of the engine compartment. It is there to draw air in from the fender well and it is really restrictive. You can remove it to get better air flow. You can enlarge the opening in the front of the air box to get even better air flow. I know it sure helped mine. You can also remove the rubber flap next to the passenger side headlight to improve the air flow, but in heavy rain the air filter may get wet. I tried it with the flap on and flap off, it really made no difference either way. I put it back on after my air filter got soaked in a bad rainstorm the other day.

The 3.9 really makes more power at the mid to upper RPM. Change to a 180 degree thermostat and a V8 throttle body and you may see a noticeable differerence there. It has enough torque at low end but in mine anyway it does better from 1200 to 2200 RPM. It's not known for being the quickest thing on the block, but if you take good care of it the 3.9 has proven to be very reliable and durable. There are other mods you can do to get more out of the 3.9. Some work and some don't, some are cheap and some are not. You can search here and other Dakota boards for more info.

Jimmy

 

A couple of things to look at that haven't been mentioned:

1. Oxygen sensors - depending on mileage

2. Catalytic converter(s) - again, depending on mileage

3. Proper spark plugs - from what I understand, Magnum engines run best with copper plugs, not platinum, gold, iridium, kryptonite, or any other precious metal. Plain copper seems to do these engines good.

4. SEAFOAM!! Run the stuff through your brake booster line and dump another can in your gas tank.

5. Go to the 2nd Gen Ram section of dodgeforum.com. There is an abundance of knowledge on all engines there - especially regarding fuel economy. They put the 3.9/5.2/5.9 engines in the '94 - '01 Ram 1500, too.

6. If all else fails, follow these easy steps:
a. Attend Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse
b. Get Motorcycle Endorsement for driver's license
c. Purchase a 250cc motorcycle
d. Enjoy 65-80 mpg
e. Upgrade to a 650-sized motorcycle one year later and enjoy 50-65 mpg and blow
doors off of Dakota 5.9 R/Ts


*EDIT* Conversely, do what Gale Banks Engineering did with a Dakota Club Cab:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9eB4ilu_xQ

They towed their own trailer to the Salt Flats and achieved 20 mpg:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqc4l...eature=related

 

I know what you mean about the filter getting wet. I put a cai intake in its place and at first it got soaked but i moved it and now its safer lol.I might have fixed my other problem with my truck by putting a new tps sensor. It ran like **** at first but now it seems fine, i guess the computer had to relearn something. Lol I think the old was broke cause something rattles in it. I will see if its any better mileage wise tomorrow after i drive my 60 mile round trip to work.