96 dakota 4cyl

[tyler_s18]

i am looking at a 96 dakota 2wd 5 speed but its got the 4 banger. how under powered is it? i know i wont like it for long so i will look into puttin a v8 in it. i have my 75 360 la motor thats built but will i need magnum heads to put a fulie intake on it for the wiring? i was gonna find a stock 360 5 speed engine harness and ecu then make my 360 work for this truck or build a true magnum and put it all in the dakota

 

[rumblefish360]

You'll hate everything about the 4 cyl. engine except Hwy. Mileage.

If you need to pass emmisions or just simply want to run the F.I. set up, you'll need the whole entire set up from a donor truck. Heads, intake, wiring, computer....everything.

If theres no need for the FI set up, then a feul regulator for a carb will do.

 

[yellowdartdave]

It would probably be easier to get a V8 Dakota than buy a 4 cyl and then have to change a bunch of stuff.

 

[fishy68]

I used to work for a place that had one. Lasted good but was absolutely gutless. To give you an idea how gutless it was we sold a new lawn mower trailer that I had to deliver, the kind with the flip up beaver tail. I had the beaver tail up with nothing else on it and the crappy 4 cyl. wouldn't pull it in overdrive down the hwy. It was a 5 spd stick too. Had to keep it in 4th gear and floored it'd only do 50 mph.