So after much deliberation, and much thought, i am going to buy another pickup truck and then use my dakota for a project... The Plan, Remove the 2.5 i just Rebuilt, find another chassis for it, possibly a dakota short box..

The 98 Dakota 2.5 LWB Single Cab AX-15 5 Speed Truck, Drop a 4.0 Jeep Engine, i know this isnt the forum for it, my truck is cross-bred but i am running Dodge Dakota and will be swapping my 2.5 into another chassis, after i find a blown 2.5 dakota on CL

theres one problem, I need at least a bellhousing to fit the AX-15 2wd Transmission, at least i think so, the spline count is the next detail i need to find, i was told theyre the same, all i can find are 4wds, i am totally into doing it, no ones seen a Dakota 4.0 straight 6 5 speed...

 

There's another problem, the PCM. You'll need one that runs the 4.0 and is compatible with the CCD bus on your truck.

The PCM runs all the gauges - so without it you have non fuel gauge, speedo, etc.

 

You may be best off just changing the rear Diff gearing

I have though of this but I do like how my truck runs in the city now out in the open air of a freeway/highway my 2.5 is not so good especially on any up hill climes she needs a good speed advantage like going 90mph as a start then she bogs down bad by the time I hit the top and anybody that gets in my way can bog me down drastically.

On flat ground freeway/highway she does well and I have had her up to 110mph and she loved it very smooth.

Cops don't like that though ha ha

Yes my 2.5 will go that fast

 

One more thing is smaller tires like stock OEM size I think they are around 26 or 27 inch in height.

 

the plan would be to transplant a complete 4.0 with wiring into the dodge shell..... and weld into place, i have a welder willing to do the job, i just need to figure out how to adapt the transmission i have to a 4.0 straight 6

 

so that includes moving over the jeep's body computer, PCM, complete dash, and everything else? Might as well use the jeep transmission.

 

that may be the case, something like this would work

http://tampa.craigslist.org/psc/cto/4795792153.html

 

The 4.0 and manual should be an easy find. But i think you'll find that moving the jeep interior into the dakota will be next to impossible.

Here is my opinion:

Get a 4.0 and 5 speed, keep the PCM and harness for the 2.5, put your water, oil pressure, cam and crank senders in the 4.0. Grab an MSD 6 box and coil and crank trigger. Keep the coil and fuel injector connectors from the PCM disconnected and isolated. Get a carburetted intake manifold and carb for the 4.0. Guess what? Everything will "work". Because the PCM will get a signal from the crank and cam sensors, it will keep the ASD alive, your fuel pump will run, and your gauges will work off the existing sensors. The MSD will fire the plugs off the crank trigger, the carburetor will take care of fuel (make sure to get a return style regulator to drop the 42psi EFI supply down to 8psi carb supply). Airbags will still function, and the only codes you will get is that the PCM didn't detect a load on the coil connection or the fuel injectors, maybe a bank 1/2 rich/lean code. Add a 330 1 watt resistor across the coil terminals and you might fix that. Not sure how you can jump the injector connections.

 

I think what he means is just get a Dakota 97 to 2000 3.9 V6 way easier it mounts onto the AX-15 and everything works.

Well I'm not sure on what years but I think a 97 to 99 will work for sure as the 3.9 was using the AX-15 those years

 

Or put in a 5.2 or a 5.9. Both models exist so there is no problem with the swap, no need to fabricate parts and you can find a PCM to mate perfectly with the rest of the truck.