How To…

 How to install a 16 inch Perma-Cool electric fan and temperature sensor…

I replaced my original engine fan because the centrifugal clutch exploded one day.  I decided to upgrade to an electric fan because it was cheaper than replacing the clutch fan and from my research on the DML, I could expect slightly better gas mileage and engine response.

Instructions

1)        The first order of business is to remove the stock fan.  When you look from the front of the engine compartment, you’ll see the fan, the clutch fan, and a nut which screws onto the water pump.  I you don’t have a 32mm open end wrench to use, I recommend using a pair of lockjaw pliers to clamp around the nut.  There isn’t enough clearance to fit anything thicker over the nut.  I also needed the upper half of the lever from my floor jack, fit over the handle of the pliers to get enough torque to break the nut loose.  Remember, the nut and bolt are reverse thread, so make sure to turn the nut clockwise to loosen.

2)       Remove the fan assembly from the engine compartment and then unbolt the fan shroud.  I took my fan shroud off with no intention of using it again (it was badly damaged), so I had to relocate the coolant overflow tank using the bracket from a four cylinder Dakota of the same year.

3)       To mount the fan, I recommend making your own bracket and bolting the fan down, but I used the mounting ties supplied with the fan.  Those are just zip-ties with a plate on both ends.  Unbolt the radiator and let it hang enough that you can get the tabs through the front side of the unit approximately where you want the fan to rest, and push then between the horizontal fins.  Mount the fan where you want it and tighten the ties.

4)       Included with the fan was a small temperature sensor that zip-ties around a coolant hose.  I mounted mine on the outlet hose coming from the radiator about 3 inches from the neck.

5)       The instructions that come with the fan recommend running a power line from the fan to the temperature sensor to a fused power source.  However, this is a 30-amp line to have secure, so I suggest setting up a relay switch for your power.  I mounted the switch in the distribution box in an empty relay station.  I ran an accessory power line from the fuse box to the temperature sensor to the relay.  Then I just connected the fan directly to the relay.  Now when the temperature sensor tells the fan to activate it can only do so when the truck is turned on.

How to install a Dynomax Super Turbo Exhaust System…

 Choosing the proper exhaust system can be a tricky thing.  I wanted a muffler that was slightly louder and deeper sounding, but most importantly I had to feel the horsepower gains and NOT feel any loss of low-end torque.  At idle, my V6 sounds like a V8.  Torque is noticeably better in the lower rpm, and throttle response is smoother throughout the power band and better after 3000 rpm, enough you can obviously feel it the seat of your pants. 

Instructions

1)        First step in installing your new exhaust system is removing the stock system.  With enough muscle, a big hammer, a few curse words, and maybe even a torch to heat and loosen, the joints will eventually come loose.

2)       There isn’t much to installing the new setup unless you are welding.  I put the new exhaust together on a workbench and the snaked the tip over the axle to get it in place.  Get the pipes hanging like you want them, and tighten the clamps.  After 50 miles and 100 miles check the hangers and clamps to make sure everything is tight and right.

How to modify your engine’s throttle body for better performance…

Modifying my engine’s throttle body is probably the most noticeable performance modification I’ve performed or installed on my truck.  I installed it a few months after the exhaust system, and it felt like a new truck.  It cost me nothing but time, and my performance has a real seat in the pants kick to it now, throttle response is significantly smoother and quicker, and my fuel efficiency has increased by another 10%.  The goal here is to allow more air to flow more easily into the throttle body by removing restrictive objects from the flow path.  This is a relatively easy modification and is hard to screw up if you do it like I did.  My method would be considered the beginners level of modifying a throttle body, considering that I didn’t enlarge the throttle bores and blades, or thin the blades and shafts.

Instructions

1)        Remove the air hat bolt from the throttle body, as well as all the sensors on the sides.

2)       Remove the throttle body from the intake manifold.

3)       Place the throttle body lightly in a vice or clamp so the top surface of the throttle body is easily accessible.  Use a hack saw to remove the ridges that surround the bores, and then grind them down until flush. 

4)       Now use a metal file with a round side and radii the edges of the bores.  Use smooth unidirectional strokes (like when sharpening an axe) for a smoother surface.

5)       I used a wire wheel to smooth everything off even more, figuring it couldn’t hurt anything.

6)       Clean the entire throttle body thoroughly, and reattach all the sensors.

7)       Instead of reinstalling the stock air hat bolt, I made an s-bolt by taking a piece of matching threaded stock and bent it so that that it would line up correctly.

8)       Put everything back together, and bolt the throttle body on with a new gasket.

9)       I recommend resetting the truck’s computer now.  You don’t have to, but the computer will adjust to the new airflow more quickly if you do.  Just disconnect you battery and turn the key to the ON position for a minute or two.  Then reconnect the battery and drive normally for 50 miles or so.

How to install Gen III Dakota/Durango seats in a Gen II Dakota…

 I got bored one morning so I went to the salvage yard to see if I could find anything interesting.  Lo and behold, I found a wrecked 1998 standard cab Dodge Dakota.  They are so much more comfortable than the original seats in my 1993 Dakota.  The big hurdle is that Gen III Dakota/Durango seats have a different seat track design.  The bracket that actually bolts to the floor is no different from those one a Gen II, but they are spaced 3” narrower than a Gen II.  I decided to adapt the Gen III seats to a Gen II track assembly, so that a Gen III seat would still use the original 1993 Dakota seat adjustment lever and track.

Instructions

1)        Unbolt the track assembly from the Gen III seats.

2)       Remove the original seats from your truck, and remove their track assembly.

3)       I used some metal I had laying around for bed frames to make an adaptor 1-1/2” wide for each corner of the seat.  This allows the original track to bolt to the new seat.

4)       Coincidental the metal I used was also ¾” thick, which is how thick or tall you need to make your adaptors, because the Gen II seats use a lever that moves up and down to release the seat forward or back.  The height is needed to clear the seat back cables on the bottom side of the seat.

5)       Bolt your track to the seats, and then bolt the seats back in your truck.  I have gotten many compliments on the comfort of my truck even though it has over 200k miles and 8 years on it, largely because of my new seats.

How to install an aftermarket shifter knob…

 Instructions

1.            Remove the shift lever by unscrewing it from its base using a ¾” open-end wrench.

2.           I had to put the knob end of the shifter in a vise and clamp it down really tight, while I turned the entire lever with the wrench on the other end.  Keep turning, eventually you’ll break the thread-loc the factory applies.

3.           Once you have the knob off you can screw your own onto the lever.  I used the knob off of a late model Mitsubishi Eclipse, because it was black leather and free. Make sure to apply thread-loc so the knob doesn’t loosen while you are driving.