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Dakota Performance
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Dan
Dodge Dakota
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11/29/2004
12:14:10

Subject: more horses from a dakota ?
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any suggestions on getting more horses out of my 99 dak CC with a 5.2 ? Money IS an issue. any help or links are appreciated. thanks



Keith
Dodge Dakota
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11/30/2004
14:49:46

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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Hey dan ive got the same year/motor kota. Im also adding some mods here in the very near future. Im going to be adding custom exhaust (hopefully no cats true duals), custom air intake with 3" K&N, 8mm wires and borg warner distributor. It should all be done by the end of dec. Ill let u know what kind of gains i got if you want.



.boB
Dodge Dakota
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11/30/2004
16:33:51

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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More power comes from getting more air in and more air out. There is that point of diminishing returns, too. A good CAI will add a little. A complete aftermarket exhaust (like Gibson) will add decent power and throttle response. But now you're talking real money.

What rear gear do you have? The truck will be quicker and more fun with a lower gear. 3.92 if you drive high speed highways (80+), 4.10 or 4.56 if you don't.



usless
Dodge Dakota
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12/01/2004
12:10:01

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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little mods are a WASTE of money!!!! buy the exhaust for the sound and maybe intake for the sound also and you may FEEL like your going faster but all in all your only going to get more horsepower with something more than just airflow mods....

I remember before i started moding my truck...coming on this site reading about stuff. I finally decided that the following would be awesome....

shift kit
headers
magnaflow exhaust (no cats)
cold air intake
180 degree stat

this is in a 1997 dak 5.2...i later added a supercharger and nitrous...suddenly it hit me....i had dumped tons of $hit into this truck and its still slow...why? its a truck! so i sold the supercharger, bought myself an 88 5.0 mustang, turned my truck back to stock except exhaust mods and I now know the real meaning of speed and horsepower! these trucks seem quick as do alot of cars UNTIL you drive a car that actually is quick.

My truck is a great daily driver and I love it but will not mod it any more..



dude
Dodge Dakota
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12/02/2004
17:46:21

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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get an exhaust



Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2004
10:57:17

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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You can make your own CAI. Just get a K&N filter and fab up the piping. Many have done it. Cost should be about $50-60 or so. Headers and exhaust are good, but look to spend $1000 or so for a complete system. High flow cat would also help, especially if you are in an emissions state.

Get a Mopar PCM. It will help out all future mods. You can also port/polish your TB. I did mine, made a big difference.



jasonsdakota
Dodge Dakota
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12/06/2004
21:44:17

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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just did a fastman tb myself. great mod
really helps 4000 rpm and up. was starving for air before cause my 2000 dakota 4.7 had a 65 mm. anyone need a core to bore to 68.5mm?
showroomcondition2004@yahoo.com



Wal
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12/08/2004
20:48:53

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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I turned my 99 CC 4x4 5.2 from a slug into something decent with some small improvements and mods.

The first thing, and no one (including me) likes this part, is to get the truck running in top form. Everyone wants to drop $200 and bolt something on that makes the truck a hotrod :-) I didn't realize it until reading the info from these guys, that my truck had a belly pan leak. Check yours and see. If the back sparkplugs look oiled up, and there is oil in the bottom of the intake when you look through the throttle body bores, then fix it! (also take this time to improve your intake manifold or replace it with a Mopar if that's your thing) Then give her a complete tune-up... Autolite plugs, brass cap and rotor contacts if needed, adjust the trans bands and TV cable if needed, etc. Next, I modded the throttle body with a sawz-all, dremel, and sander. NICE improvement in power and economy. I relocated the IAT sensor. I made my own cold air induction and used a KN drop in filter. I also slotted and adjusted the TPS voltage. The only other thing I did was watch the FS adds for a Superchips tuner and I paid $200. I plan on buying a shift kit; about $100. Total expense will be under $600 and that includes $200 I spent for an intake manifold, that I didn't really need to. I'll prolly mod my stock one and sell it for around that same amount and break-even. The truck was a slug when I bought it and now it hustles really well for a heavy pig :-) I could drop the hammer and she'd squeak the tires. Now, the truck gets a little sideways and it's ripping them up and taking off.

The catch is knowing when to stop though. Anything else that I do to the truck will be wasted $ unless I drop big, like a supercharger or major engine work. Don't invest in stickers and wings for power, hahahahaha.

:-)

Wal






5.2
Dodge Dakota
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12/09/2004
15:12:02

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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Why stop there ? You'll see more gains with headers before you need to go big $.



Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/09/2004
15:43:21

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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I would agree. I have done many of the same things to my 92. Modded TB, Autolites, K&N, MSD ignition, coil and wires, Mopar PCM, M1 intake. Headers are waiting to be installed, along with a new exhaust. 1.7 rockers, 4.10 gears, new LSD, underdrives and electric fan conversion also waiting. With the exception of the exhaust and M1, I have managed to get good deals on ebay or FS ads on the forums for everything else.



Wal
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12/09/2004
17:18:51

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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I toyed with the idea of 1.7 RR's, but for $300 I am gun-shy unless I see dyno sheets.

Headers don't really appeal to me either. The price, and the fact that they are all shorties that I see, make me fear a dip somewhere low for an increase in the high revs (where I don't spend all day). I do have a Flowmaster muffler on that I forgot to mention. The old one was shot, so I replaced it with that :-) Manifolds and x-over pipe from a 92 would be cool, but worth the effort?

Wal




BIGTYMER
Dodge Dakota
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12/13/2004
09:43:00

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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I've got a 97' CC 4x4 that runs low 14's... Headers and straight pipes, custom CAI, shift kit and a 75 shot at the end of the track.



useless
Dodge Dakota
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12/14/2004
10:59:14

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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low 14 is horrible, new cars with 4 cylinder engines are faster than your truck and probable handle alot better.....i know, I have a 97 emerald green cc 4x4:

powerdyne supercharger
nitrous
headers
exhaust
all the normal crap that EVERYONE does

still slow

always slow

always a truck

always bad ass however



Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/14/2004
16:20:52

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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Wal - the GenIII trucks are a little harder to find good headers, I agree with that. On my GenII I got a set of Thorley Tri-Y headers that have always been well liked by the GenII crowd. Plus the fact that my y-pipe has a crack in it and the stock exhaust is full of holes. Manifolds look OK, but I figured I might as well go with the headers since I am going to have to tear it apart anyway. Gains were also better on the GenII than most GenIII headers.

I got the rockers on ebay, paid less than $200 for the set - Crower adjustables. I am going get the hardened pushrods and guideplates just to be safe, but I will still be looking at around $300 for the whole setup, compared to $450 new. With the RT cam that I picked up for $100, it will make a really potent combo in the 318.



Wal
Dodge Dakota
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12/14/2004
17:16:51

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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when you say RT cam, you don't mean the cam out of an RT 360 do you? I read that they are mild comapred to the 318's cam. I'm just checking.

Harland Sharp has a set of 1.7 RR's for $300. Money is too tight right now, but I was thinking about them in the future.

On a bright note, I have found that since I fixed the belly pan, and started running 89 octane mid-grade, using the Superchips tuner on Performance has made the truck noticably faster!!! Of course I do have other mods, but it is really working great now that a few hundred miles and a few weeks have gone by. I noticed that passing is a hell of a lot faster now too!

I'm too busy spending money on the bikes now to spend $ on the truck, haha. Although, last weekend when I had three dual-sport motorcycles in the bed, I was displeased with the sag.

Wal




Sataieli
Dodge Dakota
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12/14/2004
22:17:57

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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Well if u got another ride around take out the engine one day in ur spare time and bore and stroke it. then just throw in the .020 oversized, high compression pistons. I did it myself in my spare time. If ur not sure how to do it, id love to point u in direction but i dont know any good sites for it any help from anyone would be great. i learned it in school myself. Anyways bore it slightly and put in the higher compression pistons. shouldnt cost u anymore than 700$ for 8 pistons. Best of luck






If its too fast.... Bring a change of pants.



Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/15/2004
09:39:35

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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No, it is not the cam out of a stock 360. It is Mopar part no. P5249549
260/264dur/.458/.467lift

I picked it up from another guy for $100. I know I could go a little more aggressive but cams are not cheap. This was a perfect opportunity. If I ever get the 390 built I will need a bigger cam, but for the 318 this will be quite fine, and cheaper too.



Wal
Dodge Dakota
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12/15/2004
10:00:31

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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ok, now I understand. The 1.7 RR's will make that bumpstick act a little taller anyway :-) It should be a nice improvement.

I have so many stinking projects going on, and little money to get them all running right now, hahaha. I'm working FT and going for my Masters FT as well.

OT - I am in the middle of a project to add an RM250 front end to my DR350 dual-sport. It also needed chain, sprockets, cush drive rubbers, and rear bearings. There's $500. RR's and such are on the back burner for sure. Then I need to correct the jetting on my ST1100 for the new pipes I made up. I need to retire early with some sugah-momma, :-)

Wal




Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/15/2004
14:40:58

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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Tell me about it. Have a 14 month old running around, working on putting new shocks on my ZR1100 and some minor mods. Getting ready for an extended bike trip in the spring. Plus keeping my 92 running. Oh what fun.



Wal
Dodge Dakota
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12/15/2004
14:54:46

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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where to? That Zypher should be fun! My St1100 eats miles up like nothing else I have ever owned! I sold my heavily modded Bandit 1200 for it... I miss the power but that's about it!

Wal




Sneezer
Dodge Dakota
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12/15/2004
22:02:49

RE: more horses from a dakota ?
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I live in Dallas, TX. Planning to run down to the Rio Grande, follow it into the Big Bend for a little camping, then head into New Mexico for some good twisites and then head back. Planning on a 5 day trip. Should be a lot of fun. Planning on camping the whole way as well.

I really like the Zephyr. Had it for about 6 years now. Bought it off the original owner, only had 2200 miles on it. Devil of a time finding a good set of pipes that maintains the 4-2 look that it has now though. Personal preference, I just like that look on the bike over a 4-1 setup.



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