1989 Dodge Dakota Total Basket Case - DEAD ON ARRIVAL... I can't even open the hood!
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
- This 1989 Dodge Dakota is a complete DOA. No power to the cab, no information on when it last run. The wiring is a mess.. I cant even open the hood!. That said, no rust so that is a silver lining. In this first episode of the DPA Dakota we will be braeaking into the ranch to charge the battery, take a look at the 3.9L TBI V6, and get a fee for just how bad this revival is going to be..
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We hope you enjoyed this video and will keep in mind that all information included is intended to be purely academic and in fact is only the opinion of D&E. We are not professionals, nor are we qualified to knight you a professional. D&E want to ensure that anyone modify or fixing their own vehicle does so in a safe manner which leaves the vehicle in a legal, roadworthy state. In short, DON'T BE A MONKEY WITH A TOOL BOX! If you don't know what you are doing, leave it the professionals!
My 89 Dakota is very good truck. Keep at it. 1st gen Dakota's are cool I think
Love the old square body trucks, back when trucks were trucks not soccer mom cars with a truck bed attached.
Our shop truck when I was installing garage doors was a 99 Dodge Dakota pickup, had the 5 speed manual 4x2 and it was debadged so figuring it was a shop truck I thought first time I got in it to drive it that it was just a 4 cylinder or V6...well it was neither, it turned out it was the 360 V8....fun truck to drive, useless in the winter in the snow and ice though LOL.
The perfect recipe for that truck. 318 magnum from 94 to 01. Slight cam edlebrock single plane intake for magnum. Short tube header, sniper EFI. An NV 3500 5 speed from 98 to 01 ram or V8 Dakota. Ease of maintenance and parts available reliability and made for platform. And Sniper can run the electronic fan set up.
I pretty much agree!
My first pickup was a 89 dakota 3.9l 2wd shortbed loved that pickup
Mine was 88 dakota LE 3.9 long bed 2wd I loved mine too, so much I bought a 93 next
I worked in a Dodge dealership in the late 80s and know this truck quite well! In my experience, they were good trucks for the day. Early EFI definitely had some growing pains, but overall was a pretty good system. Couple things about the engine...the 3.9 is basically a 318 with 2 cylinders lopped off. It was very reliable and had good torque. As for a 318 swap, the ‘89 had the option of a 5.2 V8 (a 318) and is a bolt-in swap. If it were me, I’d just use the 3.9. Plenty of power for a mid-size truck and no swapping necessary!
3.9 but yoink a 5.2 throttle body for it
Tell me more. I've been looking for a midsize truck with a V8 to tow my 6x10 cargo conversion trailer.
Currently in a 99 XJ jeep, do they share the same NP 231 T-case ?
Old school 360 or 383 will fit....electric fan needed.
Will it really??
Look at then shelby Dakota they made a special edition with a 318 from the factory. Kinda weird but cool history
Norm Whiffin no a 318 nor 360 will fit There’s just not enough room if you took measurements the motor would need at least an extra foot out to have cooling an everything inside the engine component
@@austunbrown959 Shelby got it to fit in the 1989 Shelby Dakotas.
For 7 years an '89 Dakota was my daily driver and work truck. The 3.9 was as reliable as anyone could ask for but it was badly underpowered. When the transmission failed at 247,000 miles I decided to retire the truck instead of repairing it. That little V6 wasn't burning oil and never failed to start but the body was getting rusty so it went to the junkyard.
“DOA Decoder” may be a fitting name considering the wiring Gremlin issues you’re going to be fighting. How about putting a VW 1.9 diesel in there if you’re wanting to pull a boat?
I had not considered going German with it.... very interesting. I will have to check that out
D&E In The Garage it’s pretty popular with Jeep guys, you can get adapter for a lot of transmissions now. You’d see a lot more torque, better fuel economy and you could likely bypass a lot of those wiring gremlins with a swap from a donor.
You might also consider a Isuzu diesel as well. It might fit with some effort.
Eew. 😑
Those dakotas are awesome. Ive had a few. Best trucks ive ever had
318 is the way to go its a good engine and would be a nice fit. I would really like to see you do the 318 swap, or maybe the 340. i loved those engines.
Pull that engine put a 318 or a 360 in it. The Dakota was offered with a 318 since 1987. So yes a 318 will certainly fit.
William Sevier no a 318 certainly will not fit too much to list that’s wrong main things are firewall, distributor, radiator an cooling, an the belt drive system with steering the pulley system on the 3.9 is further away from steering box
@@austunbrown959 Umm you better do some research, the 318 was a factory engine option clear back from 87 in the Dakota.
William Sevier bro just goto a junkyard an measure from back of firewall to front of engine compartment there’s no way to get it in there right
@@austunbrown959 You better actually research it, the Dakota has always had a V8 option from the factory. I don't need to measure anything, I know what I'm talking about. Just do just a couple minutes of research on your own, I'm not here to do it for you
@@wildbill23c91 was when they started fitting the 318 in the first gen. Prefacelift dakotas don’t have enough room
Who else thought the dog panting was someone trying to start a car for a bit😂 nice vid btw
Haha.. Jojo was just excited to get a DOA Dodge on the driveway!
Project Diesel Dakota !!!
318 with a 4-barrel carb, can't go wrong. If anything's in the way, hey, you have a sawzall. 😁
You all are starting to convince me to get a 318 and just not take "no" for an answer
My work here is done.
Any of these little trucks were pretty cheap to own. Insurance should be cheaper because it's not a full-sized truck.
if you are gonna bother to drop a v8 in it might as well go with a 360. a 360 is physically the same size as a 318 and will bolt in anywhere a 318 will. same bellhousing pattern as the 3.9 v6. the v8 will fit you just wont be able to run a mechanical fan. you will have to put an electric fan on the front of the radiator
I had an 88 Dakota. It was a great truck, 3.9L, ran great, did everything I ever asked of it (and yes I asked a lot on more then one ocassion). That was around 25 years ago though! Good luck!
This particular body style of Dakota and its larger full size counterpart the ram is the only body style Dodge that I actually like there's a lot of modifications you can do to that engine bay I have a friend that had one and he put a V8 in his would I give up my GMC for that probably not but it would still look good sitting in the garage
I've had three of these trucks.. My current one is an original engine/trans/axles truck never rebuilt at 400,000 miles... I can say this, I've never had a old vehicle with a better hood latch than my 89 Dakota, so I have no idea why the hell that trucks wasn't working... Because its the most reliable vehicle I've ever seen in the existence of vehicles(I drive 2000+ miles per month on mine for the last 10 years now so do that math 20,000 per year, or 200,000 every 10 years) with manual trans I should point out it gets 22mpg in the mountains 30mpg highway, those autos leaked and died far before 400k) ask me how I know. Btw because I love these I'll tell you my secret (spray LPS 3 on it.. the inside and outside of frame/ body/ and LPS 1 on all electrical/connectors) btw, those intake manifolds leaked causing it to stall in hot weather or throw the fuel/air off and burn poorly, a bad throttle position sensors cause it to idle poorly and have a PAUSE in the throttle response when accelerating, the throttle idle control valve causes the engine to rev to high when you first start it about 3 or 4000 rpms ( it should rev to 1600 rpm, then idle down to around 1100 when cold and 800 when hot) this is because the engine puts out 15psi (hot) of oil pressure on idle (dodge says the minimum is 5psi) but the only other issue I've run into is the Computer wich I happen to have an extra, they are $500 each (used)/ and the distributor has a hall effect sensor wich goes bad and screws up the timing advance, sometimes replacing those throttle-body parts + distributor = fixed dakoter for about $140 bucks... I'd say its worth it.. and also Say I've owned probably 10 chevys and fords at the same time as this 1 Dakota that has outlasted all of them. JUST SAYIN, I would buy that off you if you didn't F the front end up lol.
I’d go with the inline 6, enough power and robust. The 87-89 v-6 were awful, a buddy of mine had a 88 ram p/u with the v6 and it never went faster than 65 mph. Hope your thumb is ok. New sub here Sam( from chester County)
Hey Same! I wanted to go 4.0, but it would have taken a TON of fab. I am actually building a carbureted 318 for it. Stick around, it should be going in the dodge this spring
The 318 will fit the 3.9 are garbage I've owned 2
I got an 87 and my back window is broke in the same spot as well 😂
318 swap is a must I have a 96 2wd single cab short bed with the 318 it's a blast to drive
I had an 87--2.2--carbbed, power nothing, stick, 2wd...put 100k on that truck in 5 years....2 head gaskets and one clutch--bought for $2200, traded it for $1000 5 years later
Damn... not a bad deal I guess overall
he finally got into the ram ranch
She fought me!
I have the same truck but a convertible. A late model 5.2/5.9 bolts right in, just have to run electric fans. (earlier "LA" engines are missing the motor mount pads) I swapped in a 1994 5.2 Magnum. Get a donor if you want to d the swap. Message me if you have a question
This is starting to feel like the direction I am going to go. Thanks bud
I just saw your podcasts,and i have a question for you.You are very passionate to old-school body on frame cars,but what about the newer engines? Because my feelings are offended when i see that old tough V8 is now replaced with V6 with 2 turbos that gonna break down in 100.000
I am actively trying to add some older engines to my collection to preserve them a bit. I do not think much of newer engines with lower displacement. I am a fan of big fire breathing screaming eagle american engines.I understand "progress and all", but it is not for me. give me a greasy old Mopar getting 10 MPG any day
Where are you? 🤔 lol
Oh man! I'd love a beauty like that! Congrats on the new DOA!
PS. I too hate it when the clipies rotate 🤣
Those darn clipies getting uppity on me!
@@DEInTheGarage uppity! 🤣
Late model 318s and 360s use the same motor mounts (they have the old style ears and the new style mounting holes). You need to use the accessory mounts and electric cooling fan as used in the 1989 v8 Dakotas. 1987 Dakotas are carbureted and the fuel tanks will work (no internal pump).
A 318 or 360 magnum with the multiport injection is a good choice. If you want old school an 88 to 91 non magnum v8 is a good choice for a carbureted engine as they have provisions for either motor mount style.
Were you being sarcastic when you said electrical problems were your favorite. I couldn't tell. 🤦♂️
I’m playing catch up. I dig the new doa! My best friend that got me into 4 wheelin had an old dodge with a similar body style, but it was a black and grey two tone with red accents. I dig these body styles and crazy that was handed to you! Lookin forward to progress on this one buddy!
Thanks for watching bud. How have you been?I am also in love with this body style Dodge
I've heard that an ounce of 500000 skoavile added at each fill up, not only cleans your TBI, it also protects it from harmful varnish and oil laiden debris.
Looking forward to Buster's new life with your projects.
You know, since Lake Effect has a rotted chassis, you might consider dropping all the great elements of her Generous Mothersness into Buster's chassis.....
Sorry you busted up your thumb a hope it all gets better soon...
If it would fit, that would be the plan for sure. sadly this Dakota has a very small engine compartment
I believe dakotas of these years came factory with 2.5L I4s, the same from YJ and XJs
They came with the 4 banger and the 3.9 and the shelby dakota with the 318
Ol Scotty G t-shirt. Haven’t seen him in years since I got out of the parts industry.
I'd have gone to the sawzall after like 20 minutes of f*ckery. 😂
Believe me.. next time I will
7:17 I think this truck CLOSELY mocking you
Are u in New Jersey or Marcy New York. If New York and Marcy ur like 1hr away from me
Live in Jersey, spend a lot of time in Marcy.
I recently swapped my 89 Dakota’s v6 for a newer 2001 318 magnum from a 1500. I carbuerated it and put a roller cam in with .550 lift and it works really well
How was it fitting the 318? That is an option I am considering, but I know 87-90 have a slightly smaller engine bay as they never had the 318
@@DEInTheGarage It fits fine. I took the old engine mounts and had to flip them around to match up with the holes on the newer block, but other than that, no modification needed. You may however need to get a bit crafty when it comes to headers because i'm sure long tubes will interfere with the steering linkage. I ended up with shorty headers for that reason but if you fabricate it shouldn't be an issue
I can see your problem right now. It's a Dodge lol. I give have to give ya shit. I am not a Dodge fan but I do enjoy your videos. My uncle had this same problem with my 1983 GMC he cut a hole in the top of the hood. Man does that hurt me to see but it works.
HAHA.. I dig it. Gotta do what you gotta do
@@DEInTheGarage Aha you in all honesty are one of the best youtubers down to earth. Doing it all the backwoods way just like me! I like the old truck body styles like this. I don't hate on anyones preferences I am just not a fan of Mopar myself. Or any newer GM lol
Do you know if the Rochester 2 barrel bolts right on? The 87 3.9 had it. Wondering if same intake manifold
Different intake and I guess the cams/distributor's are different. I looked into it and it is not worth it trying to swap a Dodge TBI to Carbureted like you would on a Chevy. They are just a little too complicated. Right now I am thinking of finding a 3.9 out of a 87 with a carburetor
@@DEInTheGarage thanks. Sounds like good plan.
Bit of info. If it cranks with no start. And no check engine light on the dashboard. Its the computer. Unplug it and plug it back in. Also check the round plug next to battery. Make sure there's no corrosion. And a 318 will fit. There has to be a electrical fan. Carol shelby did a version in 89
The 318 had an e-fan and different radiator.. the v6 was a decent motor and made almost the same power.. just an fyi
I bought a new Dakota in '98. Black extended cab 4x4 with the 318. Great truck except for the transfer case. Had it into the shop twice for hard 4x4 shifting, both times they found "nothing wrong". Then at 11,500 miles the transfer case shit the bed. They tried to deny the warranty since there was no lube in it, I pointed out if there was a leak it would be all over the bottom of the truck & my driveway but both were clean & dry, plus I'd been there twice for hard shifting and they found no problems. Got a new transfer case under warranty. It came with no/minimal lube from the factory, suprised it lasted as long as it did.
I have 1989 Dodge Dakota but I still not sure if I can add up turbo on it also I don’t know if you know more about 1989 Dodge Dakota
Swap a 1.9 tdi in it. That would be cool.
Nice truck
Oh no another knuckle buster,well i had one of these also it was good grocery getter.im with all the guys going diesel, get one out of a used mercedes im not sure but i watched a guy get a conversion kit for bellhousing and put into a wrangler from mercerdes so it can be done.good luck hope the thumb heals quickly.keep em coming.!!!snookie pa.
Know this is a year old video, but the 318 WILL fit. Look at the Shelby Dakota. 318/auto. But a stick will work too.
Can upgrade to the 91 to 02? 318 with multiport injection. Or as I have done, 360/nv3500, posi. Never say cant
if a 340 will work, 360,s are everywhere an such potential,lighter an bigger stroke..
Boy the body looks really good but the wiring under the hood, OUCH. WTF DID THEY DO TO IT ? THROW A 318 IN IT & CALL IT A DAY, UNLESS BY SOME MIRICLE YOU COULD GET THAT 3.9 RUNNING ? NICE LOOKING TRUCK WITH THE 2 TONE FOR SURE.
A lot of people knock Dodge Dakota’s. Are Dakota’s actually that bad?
I dont think so. I am a big fan of them
I'm a bodyman
50+ yrs in the bodyshop biz
I really like the 1st Gen Dakotas
I own a Convertible Dakota.
Great Lil trucks.
Has factory roller cam and double roller timing chain. Holley throttle body
This 89 has a roller cam?
@@DEInTheGarage was done for durability. Only a couple years. Was either allpar or wikipedia that has info. I didn't believe it at first. Tough little engine
For a 318 fit the fan will need to be removed from engine and put electric in front of radiator. They did that for the Shelby Dakota. I still have my 1987 3.3 Dakota that I bought new.
Sorry for the misspelling I was talking to you Through The Microphone Too fast misspelled my words my voi got one too I don't know if it was a year ago I didn't say when you'Wrote this project is the motor by now I just keep it original rebuild it it's not a race car when a race car go buy oneEverybody buys these new challengers and camaros and wanna raise him and rev him up to the other gonna do is break down sooner or later and I gotta put more money into it I think they're fast and I don't know they want to show offThe truck is it's the cruise worktruck pick s*** up deliver s*** I got a 198000 on mine
I like my Dodge Dakota cause it's easy to fix and you gotta all that computer b******* Yeah it runs like a champ keep it it's stupid to get rid of it Mine's got a 198000 miles and still running strong
hey if you find any schematics of any kind for this thing let us know, I've got an 88 Dakota 4x4 3.9L and I just had to replace the entirety of the harness, engine and interior. So anything you find on it would be amazing to know about
Cheaper just to hood pin it p.s take the injection system of and put a webber on it
both of those are solid ideas and in the realm of possibility for this truck
Jeep 2.5 carburated is a great idea.
Think it will have the power to move the truck?
I know it's an old video Shelby put a 318 in a first gen Dakota how to use electric fan
It's not a race car anyways it's a pickup truck People don't get when they put stuff in their faster and all that stuff they burn them up or break them in the transmission goes out and I'm causing mocommon sense Tomorrow at revenue Macy's queensland tires it's not what it's for it's a truck keep it original the race car go buy one
I'm about to buy an 89 for $650 I'm hoping!
They are NICE trucks if you can keep them running. Perfect size for a daily truck
@@DEInTheGarage cross your fingers i'm gonna hear back from the ol' seller today!
Awesome! my very first vehicle was an 89 dakota with the v6...i loved it but man those things were lemons
Put a Chevy 4.3 v6 in it, small enough to fit and better then the 3.9, or go with a vw 1.9 Could also go with the “painless wiring system” I highly recommend it with DOAs like this
So it’s just every dodge Dakota from this year😂 mine has the same hood problem
I know this video is older, did anyone ever mention the wire you were pullin for the hood latch most likely is a cable style?
I'm sure all you had to do is pull the cable in the center of that sheath
I have a 1987 thats alot like your 1989. It spray with rust inhibitor.
I have a 94 dodge Dakota with the 3.9 she spins great but won’t fire for nothing
I scrapped several these trucks the V6 is a good engine and so is the V8 what the problem is is when these trucks sit that's what kills them good luck
I wanted to get an old Dakota and do a 4bt swap into it. This will be a great project.
I want a 4bt, but it is looking like I might have a lead on a crate carbureted 3.9 in my area. Also on the table would be a 318 or the 5.3 from the Avalanche. I found a thread that explains how the 5.3 miraculously fits in the 1st gen dakota and lines up with cross members like it was built for it.
If any one sees watch this you can in fact easily but in a v8 mine has a 360 and headers plenty of room
CSB fits everything. Not an original idea by any means, but true statement none the less.
I have a 99 F250 V10 sitting in my garage that just needs a gasket set if you want to drop that in there 😂
LOL.... That thing would barely fit in the bed let alone the engine compartment.... I want one of those bad though.
D&E In The Garage nothing a couple whacks with the BFH can’t fix to make some room, just don’t smack a finger.
On your Chevy avalanche you can let the back sets up and down and take the back glass out to have a bigger bed
don't forget the blinker fluid, it will never run without that.
The 5.2 Magnum (318) CAN fit, but you need to fit around the water pump which will bump the radiator in stock position. Shelby used a special set of motor mounts to mount the 318 LA back a bit. A late model 318/360 will fit IF it has the mounting bosses in the middle of the block for the "Magnum" motor mounts. I'd go Magnum 5.2 or 5.9, stroked to 408ci or more ... a A518 (727 with overdrive and lockup torque converter) will fit nicely in that body (since, well, it WAS offered in it ... with the Shelby V8.) 97 to 2004 Dakota 9.25 rear ends will fit with some new spring mounts. It's got possibiliities. Source: I own a 1988 with the 3.9; it is a nice motor for fuzzling around in, but it won't win any drag races if the other racer shows up.
Thanks man. Lots of good info here. I am still formulating a plan of attack
What’s DOA?
200kmile3v dead on arrival
You could put a 318 on it you just have to go with electric fans and get rid of the fan and the fan clutch
I bet if you did a 318 with an electric fan off of a 5.9 limited ZJ, it would fit
If you wanna go diesel, I'd recommend considering a TDI (and joining TDI swapped trucks on facebook) or something slightly older school like an OM617 (or even better an OM606!)
I really would love to slip a little diesel into this truck. I am currently exploring my options. I will look into something like an OM606 for sure! Whatever goes in has to be simple.
I had to rewire my cab in my 93 Dakota and had to do a little wiring under the hood but all of it wasn't to bad
Do a Cummins swap lol
It is certainly on the table
The 318s little brother. Perfect for offroading
Nice lookin truck. Now just need to put a new engine in it
Awesome truck man! Excited to see what you do with it 👍🏻
Thanks buddy!
Dude I’ll tell ya what... after binge watching a bunch of videos from zip ties and bias plies the past few evenings, it’s kinda odd to not hear a bunch of expletives and R rated language on a car channel haha. Good luck with the new DOA project guys!
Yea bud, that was a conscious choice we made. Sometimes it is hard to control out mouths, but we wanted a family friendly channel. Something our kids can watch if they are in to cars when they are older. Ole peg sure can curse a blue streak like no one else though, right?
Rebuild the motor and keep it keep it original it's worth more
My dad had one of the later ones with the v6 magnum and it was pretty quick.
Yea man. They are nice trucks
I got one I know all about mine the 1988 it was like a champ
oof had a 88 with the same engine. Timing chains like to skip teeth on those 3.9's and the Distributor is non adjustable.
greeeeeat.. sound like a blast
@@DEInTheGarage if you are going to keep it. its "more reliable" and cost effective to drop in a later model 3.9 with multi port injection. Dealing with the old computer (connected to the intake) is a hassle and those old electronics are not worth the $300 replacement that isn't guaranteed to last. since that harness is clearly toast. and you'd get ODBII
@@tylerbuckley2747 it didnt come stock with obd2 so it doesnt need an inspection
6:20 TOOL ABUSE!
Valid... but you gotta do what you gotta do
If a comanche had the wonderful 4.0, I'm sure Buster The Thumb Buster has room
That was my first thought, but the is just no way it will fit. as is I am going to be hard pressed to get a 318 in there
Who's house are you at?That truck looks so out of place sitting in the driveway....lol....
That is my Dad's house and believe me it IS out of place. Whatever the opposite of "monkey with a tool box" is, that is my dad. I ran out of room at my house and he was nice enough to let me dump it at his house for a while
5.9 r/t motor..
Damn, that would be pretty sweet. haha
I know what fits in there. Rats, squirrels, and anything small that chews wiring.
Valid. haha
YES THAT IS HOW YOU DO IT a little bit surprised you waited that long
I always get the eventually
Jeep 4.0
I have the motor just needs a head gasket
Put a 318 in it Dodge put 318s in that truck too
Got a 1990 dodge dakota sport with the 3.9
How do you like it?
@@DEInTheGarage love it dads had since i was little
Oh sick! New Jersey! You guys can't pump gas either!
Nope... they dont trust us with a gas nozzle
4bt Cummins turbo diesel a mini first gen
This truck still around?