Question (Legit Car Question) - 2000 Dodge Dakota

"Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?" (o51r15)
09/19/2013 at 12:02 • Filed to: HELP!!!

I have a 2000 Dodge Dakota with just under 90K miles. I know there are a few things I need to fix (rear dif U-joints/O2 sensors/tail light housing) but my question is this. When I idle, it has a slight vibration. Not like the normal vibration of the engine but one that is just ever so slightly off. It also vibrates a little while I'm driving at slower speeds. It's a little weird and I'm not sure what's doing it.

I guess knowing a little about the truck itself would help:
2000 Dodge Dakota

Manual 5-speed

5.9L Magnum engine

Any other questions about it, just let me know.

DISCUSSION (12)

Nibbles > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 12:03

Belly pan gasket. It's a guaranteed failure part and, if you haven't replaced it yourself with an upgraded unit / got rid of it altogether, you're overdue and it's puking oil into your intake manifold.

Party-vi > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 12:03

Hmm. I had the same issue on my car and it turned out to be a missing fan blade. How do the motor and transmission mounts look?

Meatcoma > Party-vi
09/19/2013 at 12:10

I was thinking worn or broken motor mount as well.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Party-vi
09/19/2013 at 12:21

I haven't checked the mounts. I'm not all that car savvy, how would I do that?

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Nibbles
09/19/2013 at 12:21

Could that be why, at higher rev's, I have a little black smoke coming out of the exhaust? I just recently got the exhaust redone and it mitigated a lot of that but not all of it.

Nibbles > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 12:27

Yup. Obvs I can't feel your truck, but from your description it sounds like what mine was doing (and what most 5.2/5.9 Magnum Mopars do) when the gasket starts to puke. It's a fairly simple replacement.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Nibbles
09/19/2013 at 12:35

Alright then! Looks like I'll be doing some weekend Googling!

Nibbles > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 12:42

First diagnosis step - pull your air filter housing and look at the throttle body. If there's excess oil building up around the butterflies, you have the problem. Second - prop the butterflies open and look down into the manifold. What you'll be looking at is the bottom of the manifold, called the belly pan. If you see oil deposits there, you definitely have the problem.

Resolution OPTIONS (not steps; I'm a moran):

Get a metal gasket

Weld the belly pan on (there really is no reason for it to ever have to come off)

Get an M1 manifold

Get the Hughes / Edelbrock FI AirGap manifold

While you're in there, if you intend on keeping the factory mani, also consider doing the "Kegger mod"

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Nibbles
09/19/2013 at 12:47

So, a great deal of that went way over my head. But I thank you for it as now I know what to look for!

Nibbles > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 13:04

If you need any clarification, have questions, wondering what this part or that part is, hit me up - I'll be happy to help.

You can also use the Google to acquire a factory service manual in PDF format. I would HIGHLY recommend doing so before tearing into the truck - it's a huge benefit.

Osiris - I can haz Euro spec? > Nibbles
09/19/2013 at 18:09

Now, hopefully last question. Will it matter that the Magnum engine I have in it never came in a 5-speed Manual? I found out recently that the 5.9L Magnum was a swap-in so would that make it any harder to get a manufacturer manual?

Nibbles > Osiris - I can haz Euro spec?
09/19/2013 at 23:19

Not at all. Even though you could only get the manual when mated to a 5.2 (like my truck WOO), the 5.9 was available factory in the Dakota - 5.9 R/T. It also helps that the 5.2 and 5.9 are very closely related. Some parts, such as the intake manifold, are the same.