This was my first truck. I want to restomod it for my son. I do not want to engine swap, but I would like to add upgrades that make the v6 more reliable. Any ideas

 

How many miles are on it? Not much to do to "mod"ernize it.

 

170,000

 

Good tune-up with quality parts (coppper plugs, rotor, spark plug wires, filters etc.), timing chain. I'm willing to bet that those would add reliability much more that any aftermarket modification.

 

the best 2 mods i have done to the 3.9 in my dakota . was the intake mod and removing stock fan and replaced with an efan.

 

If the engine has never been apart, I'd do a major tune up. I did one on my '96 at around 160K. Cap, rotor, plugs and plug wires. A leaky oil sending unit replaced, timing chain replaced and I slapped a new water pump while I was at it. The harmonic balancer got replaced as the old one was coming apart. New injectors while I was at it. I didn't pull the heads or exhaust manifolds but everything else on top and the front of the engine came off. I had to repair a blown intake plenum so I went whole hog. It purrs like a kitten and is quick to the gettin'. I was using a quart of oil every 600-700 miles. With the blown plenum about 75 miles to a quart. I used less than 1/2 a quart between the tune up and the next oil change 3000 miles later.

I think the timing set will do the most good, but while you're in there, take care of everything else. The 3.9 will never be a hot rod engine but I had a '94 with the 3.9 and the timing slap was loud. A new timing chain set and I had major heat from the heater and fuel mileage went up by 8 mpg. The worn chain had me way off time. Running the heater full blast in single digit weather I had to cut it back.

 

I concure with the above answers. I use all copper on my cap,rotor, and spark plugs. 1.6 rockers, headers, enlarged throttle body, double roller timing chain, 3" single cat back exhaust, there a lot of these parts out there for a 3.9 Magnum. I'd get a new coil too 40,000v-42,000v is normal but there are 60,000v ones. It's still only provides 1 spark with a little more energy. Everything, except the roller rockers, will give you a seat of the pants improvement but run smoother. A camshaft with the roller rockers will wake it up.

 

Can't get real weird with the cam though, unless you also wanna spring for a custom tune...... and when you start getting into that kind of cash.... I would just drop a 5.2 or 5.9 into it, and call it a day.