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23:59:55 - 12/19/2024
V6 Dakotas
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Banch
Dodge Dakota
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11/16/2002
16:59:02
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 Subject: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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What can I do to get at least a moderate amount of more power out of my 3.9.....so i don't have to floor it to hold 70 mph up hills or into a stiff wind...getting sick of having to over rev the motor by turning off the overdrive just to stay with traffic...
thx & have patience
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DakotaDan
*GenIII*
 
11/16/2002
17:24:43
|  RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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You will do your trans a + if you switch the OD off when you get into hilly terrain, the shifting in and out of OD isn't good for it.
No amount of mods will help this problem, you probably have 3.55 gears 3.92's would help keep your RPM's up as you go up the hills but your best bet is to switch it off and learn to live with your under powered V6 as most of us do.
Dan
Next Time You Think Your Perfect
Try Walking On Water
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Deep Purple
Gen III
11/16/2002
17:38:13
|  RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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If your speed drops off sharp when you come to a hill: you may have a leaking plenum gasket. check this board for post on the belly pan or plenum gasket. Mine started leaking (vacuum lose)and when I came to a hill, the truck fell flat on it's face. Replaced it and went a little mod crazy, now I can fly up most hills and pass most cars with ease.
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EazyMoBee
Dodge Dakota
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11/17/2002
00:51:54
| RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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dakotadan:
i was looking at your profile and i saw that you have a pretty good amount of upgrades to your v6 but your reply to "banch" kinda worried me. do you mean to say that even with all your mods your truck still feels underpowered and that you just have to "live" with it?
banch:
i recently put in a fastman throttle body and it definitely helped on those hills. i also still have the stock air filter set up, though.
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Pistolero
Dodge Dakota
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11/17/2002
02:15:43
| RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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Banch, since DakotaDan is probably tucked all warm and snug in his bed right now ;-) and I'm not, I'll offer my .02 worth on this subject. Dan has an '01 V6 CC, and I have an '02 V6 RC...I'm doing most of the same mods that Dan has done, although I'm not quite as far along yet as he is. I've got the parts, but I'm waiting to get a few more miles on my truck before I start tearing things off of it...plus, I want to get familiar with how it drives stock so that I can realistically tell the difference after the mods, if there are any.
So far, I've installed a B&M tranny cooler, a set of JBA ceramic coated headers, and a Super Turbo muffler. Waiting in the wings is an F&B 48mm throttle body, Crower 1.7 rockers, MSD Superconductor wires, NGK plugs, Intense intake, and the brass cap and rotor setup. I'd like to also throw in a set of 4.10 gears with my auto tranny, but those will have to wait. I'm going to pass on the IAT sensor relocation, TPS, and 180 T-stat mods.
I'm enjoying playing with my V6, but I now realize that it'll always be a V6. I'd hoped that I'd get a nice, V8 growl when I installed my first muffler...a Magnaflow...but, that didn't turn out. I removed the Magnaflow and installed the Super Turbo...it was quieter, but the sound stayed basically the same, although I could live with it better. What have I noticed since I installed the headers and the Super Turbo? 0...zilch...nada. At least, it hasn't gotten any worse. But, I expected this. That's why I'm looking forward to the 1.7 rockers, intake, F&B, and the MSD wires. That's when I expect something to happen...BUT, it's still going to be a V6. It won't sound like a V8, or be as powerful as a V8...not even a stock 4.7. Still, it'll suit my needs, and go as fast as I need it to go. Yeah, I wish that I'd sprung for the extra $1500 and got the 4.7, if not the 5.9. But, I didn't, so I'll live with it. If you have the talent and the $$$, you can spend the rest of your life turning your V6 into a 12 second screamer, like Bernd at Speedtweaks. For 99.9% of us, an intake and a muffler is about all that we can manage. Just realize that a V6 will always be a V6, and, while you can improve it, just don't get your expectations too high, so you won't be too disappointed. In other words, like Dan said..."learn to live with your under powered V6 as most of us do."
P
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Pistolero
Dodge Dakota
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11/17/2002
02:25:18
| RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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My bad...I meant that reply for EazyMoBee's benefit, but anyone is welcome to it...it's not copyrighted...time for bed. Nitey-nite...
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DakotaDan
*GenIII*
11/17/2002
09:19:24
|  RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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Message:
Hey Pistol Buddy Well said !
And good morning
I guess as you get older (42) Speed & Power are not high priorities on your list, I mean you can only go 55 on most roads and 75 on the highway ! I enjoy not pulling into the pumps as often as some do, I get 17-18 mpg most all the time and 22-23 on all highway. Having watch the US go through it gas problems in the early 70's I feel we are headed to a similar situation and maybe not to far off !
As I was trying to address Banch's OD problem, I've had my truck to FL and back 3 times in the past year each time with more and different Mods. and every time I past through the Smokey's (running 70-80) I would switch the OD off to keep the truck from shifting in and out every 5-10 mins. it seamed like. I would say if you didn't mind shifting a 5 spd. would be well suited to the V6 as the Dodge auto has some strange characteristics that you will just have to get use to.
What some of the young folks haven't experienced is that we haven't always had OD "getting sick of having to over rev the motor by turning off the overdrive just to stay with traffic... " You are not over revving the engine it is just dropping down a gear and getting the engine in it's power band, again the OD is a by product of our 70's gas crunch when Auto's only had 3 gears and when you went up a hill it rarely ever changed gears now that was the Power of a V8 ............
Dan
Next Time You Think Your Perfect
Try Walking On Water
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Pistolero
Dodge Dakota
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11/18/2002
22:25:22
| RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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Hi Dan, ol' pal! Don't worry, you ain't so old, I've got 8 years on you. But, at least I'm not as old as my wife...something that I remind her of at every available opportunity! ;-)
Many years ago, I used to tinker with all kinds of things...I was a bicycle mechanic during high school and college, and I've rebuilt motorcycles and a '65 Mustang, so I've always had the itch to mess with something. I thought I'd pretty much gotten over it until I bought my Dakota, and some of it returned. Even a stock V6 would do everything that I need, though, and probably everything that I even want it to do, too. But, I just want to feel that little extra punch now and then, and to have a truck that's not like every other old man's...hehehe.
I wanted to get a 4.7 V8, but $$ and the thought of gas going up to the point where $1.50 a gallon would look like a gift made me opt for the V6. Unless I'm going to be running at 65+ for a long stretch, I've gotten into the habit of turning off my OD...2200rpm is hardly working an engine hard. I drove my folks' '63 BelAir that had a 327 with a 2-speed powerglide automatic in it while I was in high school. I had that car up over 110 several times, and it never seemed like it was over-revving. Of course, there was no tach in that car! My all time personal favorite V8 was my old '70 Mach I. It had a 351C, 4 speed, 4bbl, and big port heads...Hurst T handle shifter...I'd love to have that car and feeling back! Better stop before I tear up...have a great week!...P
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Mettech
Dodge Dakota
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11/25/2002
09:23:06
| RE: '00 Dakota SLT 3.9
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00 Dakota Sport 5-sp 3.9... Just took it in for recall 859 that reprograms PCM.. It help some with rough idle.
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