IHADAV8.com - Turbo Buick Tech, and Nonsense
Tech Area => General Auto Tech => Topic started by: Pyro6 on January 19 2012, 06:47:20 PM
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Just another thing to liven up the winter doldrums. My son's beloved truck.
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Interference engine?
That wasn't the "tuff truck" was it?
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Not the Tuff Truck, but unfortunately it is an interference engine though.
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This thing got out of hand in a hurry. Got the report on the heads today: cracked, ruined, junk. I figure if I'm gonna do it, do it right. Anybody ever done a 5.2 conversion?
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You can find a shop that can do a lock-n-stitch repair...
....or check www.car-part.com (http://www.car-part.com) for some cheap used heads
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Thanks Earl, but at 160,000 I'm afraid the lower end isn't much better. We tow a 3 ride 4 wheeler trailer with it and we could use a little more HP. I found a used 5.2 with 63K and really think is better off in the long run. The rest of the truck is solid and clean, no rust. I believe it is an easy conversion, wondering about the wiring harness and PCM. Everything else should be fairly clean. 3.9 - 5.2 - 5.9 are all about the same thing. One of my friends has a factory 5.2 Dakota, 2nd owner, with 220,000 miles and still runs strong.
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I see this doesn't appear to be a project that spurs a bunch of interest, but the 5.2 came in today and they really fixed us up. Engine with exhaust manifolds, front accessory brackets and fan, PCM including wiring harness: 650 bucks delivered, 63K on the odometer. Thomas is pumped cause it's always something he wanted to do. Hope to have it done in a couple of weeks.
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Wow that's cheap! Will it bolt up to the existing motor mounts? Trans/etc?
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Bolts to the trans ok, motor mounts are different especially since it's from a 2wd. Without the donor PCM and harness it could be a nightmare.
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I see this doesn't appear to be a project that spurs a bunch of interest, but the 5.2 came in today and they really fixed us up. Engine with exhaust manifolds, front accessory brackets and fan, PCM including wiring harness: 650 bucks delivered, 63K on the odometer. Thomas is pumped cause it's always something he wanted to do. Hope to have it done in a couple of weeks.
Please continue posting Gary, I'm mopar ignorant but interested to learn :doh:
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A little history on what this truck (and me) have been through. Thomas bought it as his first DD, good price, bad trans. We had the trans rebuilt with a new convertor. After school one winter when it was snowing he decides to check out the river as a side route on his way to the shop. He loses control of the truck, but thankfully there was tree there to stop him. I was gonna junk it than. I told him if he wants it fixed, he has to do it himself. We double dipped and made it his senior project for school. Ever since it's been worry free. Heres some pics including the recent bent valves.
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Got back to the project the last couple eves. Found out the donor engine was from a D150 2WD which has created some extra headaches. Mounts are the same, trans bolts o.k., front accessories are o.k., exhaust bolts right up (surprise?). Setbacks include: donor wiring harness/PCM not usable and oil pan's different. In search of.......... :013:
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Whoa- the PCM issue hurts.
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Does the PCM control trans or transfer case?
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MEGASQUIRT!!!
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Trans and 4wd stuff is still pretty much manual: TV cable and governor. Indicator lights, VSS, ABS are the main concerns. I could make it work on the donor harness and PCM, I hope I don't have to, but a simple exact donor harness from a 4WD 5.2L Dakota would make things alot easier. The PCM (SBEC back than) could be usable from the D150. The oil pan caught me off guard, I should have known, but that's the way it goes.
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We got an oil pan today, new from Advance for 61 bucks. NAPA wanted 93 and Federated wanted 83 bucks all with the same part number from Spectra. Really makes me wonder where the big price differences come from, especially when I gotta pay for Auto Care Center fees. I just paid them or I would seriously reconsider. So anyway, having a hard time getting a wiring harness, started the customizing procedure. Everything from the 6 to 8 is exactly the same. Except the 2 extra fuel injector connectors. So, I am taking the 7 and 8 injector connectors and wiring all the way back to the computer, and wiring them in on the D150 computer. If it runs off that setup, I'll probably bite the bullet and buy a reman from the Co. I get my computers.
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We're gettin somewhere. The engine's in, exhaust, trans, convertor, engine mounts, all bolted right up. I finally found a V8 wiring harness for 40 bucks. It was an hour drive west on the turnpike and I had to take it out myself but it was well worth it. My constable buddy and his engineer son went along, almost made it seem effortless. Or maybe it was the beer. Anyway, if all goes well, tomorrow or Saturday we should be hearing it run. Business first though.
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Why the teeny pics? :P
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I thought they were o.k. When I review em they look o.k.? You're more computer savvy than I am, let me know what I got to do. This is the only way i could get pictures to work.
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Nothing wrong with them, just small
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When somebody tells me something I got is small, it gets my attention. :O :O :O
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When somebody tells me something I got is small, it gets my attention. :O :O :O
size them to about 800 x 600 so old people can see them
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It runs!!!!!! And sounds awesome :D :D :D
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Cool-
I'm confused about which engine computer you are now using?
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Ended up buying a 5.2 one from my local Dodge dealer, 210 plus core. I thought as difficult as it was to find the wiring harness, the computer was gonna be near impossible. The truck we got the harness from, the computer was already gone.
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This is the donor truck without it's heart. The passenger side looked near perfect. The yard told Thomas it was an elderly guy that probably shouldn't have been driving.
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Hey everyone, this is Thomas (Pyro6's son) and just wanted to give a special thanks to my dad and the garage in general; this wouldn't have been possible without him. I've always wanted to do this to my Dakota, but didn't know when or even if it would even happen. Lots of time and aggravation eventually pays off. Overall it was a fun project, just kind of had bad timing. It hurt financially, but when my options were weighed, it made no sense to get rid of it and buy another Dakota with only a few thousand less miles on it, and who even knows how it was treated. It's an awesome truck, I love it, and honestly have no plans on getting rid of it anytime soon. So far it's on it's on its 4th life....only 5 more left. And for the record, not many trucks can say they towed a tow truck (much less a loaded F-650 with a Suburban and two Silverados on it). :O
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Yay! Big pics!
Very nice of you to hijack your Dad's account and say that Thomas. :D
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Latest update. The new computer lasted one week. Shut down on Thomas on main street right in front of the police station :O I put the 6 cyl. computer in and drove it back to the shop. Warranted computer in, so far so good.
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Sounds like it got spiked Gary. :chin: Have you checked the grounds on it?
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Like a boss. :cool;
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Sounds like it got spiked Gary. :chin: Have you checked the grounds on it?
Double checked grounds this weekend, thanks Charlie. I'm more worried as a source of spikes one of the donor injectors was seized or hungup from sitting. When we first fired it up, we went to test drive it in the parking lot and it shutofff. I went in, got my scanner and test stuff. No spark, injector pulse ok. Hooked up the scanner, getting ready to do a coil ATM test, tested for tach signal and it fired right up. Ran good for a week until it let him sit Thursday. I usually buy all my computers from AUTOECMS here in north PA, they've been bullet proof for the last 20 years. But since I only had the D150 computer for core, plus the price was right, I used my local Mopar source. I'm fairly certain it was a bad SBEC right outa the box. Truck's been running since Wed.
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Cool Gary. What you posted just now made me immediately think auto shutdown relay since I've seen them do it before. Hope you got everything worked out now though. :atbeer:
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I think it's great you and your son wrench together.
My son is coming to visit for 2 weeks in the beginning of March - then he's off to the Air Force in early April. I told him if he does 4 years, i will give him the 87T. He LOVES that car, and I love wrenching on it with him.
This is him driving it for the first time. he was in heaven. :)
(http://s1184.photobucket.com/albums/z337/Supersix231/?action=view¤t=2011-10-22140939.mp4)
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No doubt, sharing with the kids is the ultimate reward. The only time Thomas drives the GN is on the track. He'll be driving this year, I hope it stays together. If gas price get too outa hand, the car is gonna see street time, and than we'll have some fun. :icon_evil:
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I have a list of things we are going to work on. Fix exhaust leak, swap trans, fix exhaust piping, wiring issues, etc.. He loves working on them, I just need to be more patient with him, and teach him right.
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Sounds like a good plan. I've come to realize, my way isn't the only way. I wish I still had the young and enthusiastic eyes.
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I agree with the eyes but it would be nice to have a younger body, especially next to me at night. :add_wegbrech: