Hey Dakota Club, Got a question for you. I have an 87 and it's my first truck and I love it to death but when I bought it the guy told me there were issues with the choke and it may need to be replaced. Can anyone tell me where it is? I bought a Haynes manual for it and it's not giving me much info. The problem is when I start it I have to let it idle before I take off and even then it will stall out sometimes when I accelerate. Anyone have any suggestions?
@dabigguy83 try rebuilding your carb, there is a choke plate in there that comes loose from wear and tear. im about to rebuild mine. you can buy the kit for like 20 bucks but the labor could be pricey. would deff find a friend who knows what he is doing before fighting with it.
Your truck is nice Dude ,but I like mine better no offince at all,Im glad to say I was the second owner of my 87 Tan&brown,@ wheel drive Dodge Dakota.Oh yea we only Paid $700 for it.
Hey my dad just gave me a Dakota 1987 just like yours. Its only 2 wheal drive though. I have a question, when I drive from a parked position it takes off slow but once I get it past 15 MPH - 20 MPH I finally feel some balls coming out of the engine. Im thinking its my fuel injectors you just sprayed. Any thoughts? If you need me to make a vid please let me know ill show you how it runs.
@Louie92801 If it is an '87, you should have a 2bbl carb, not fuel injection. Throttle body fuel injection was introduced in 1988. Could be a variety of thing...you might want to start with the basics, fuel filter, engine in good tune i.e. new plugs, cap and rotor, timing in spec etc. Also a weak fuel pump (mechanical on this engine on the passenger side front of the motor) might cause that as well.
@Louie92801 Hey Dude,I got an 87 Dakota And mine is 2 wheel drive>It is carberated man And Dont hav fuel Injectors. But it might be your plugs,wires,or distribitor cap.
its funny you mentioned Davidsfarm. He's a friend of mine on here, and has really inspired me :-) I got a 1996 Dodge Dakota sport 5 spd :-). I got a vid of it on here
you should check our vid of ours it has absolutly almost NO oil pressure the rings are shot on almost all cylinders and were the original owners its now my truck and has about 300,000 miles on it !!!! no lie!!!
@MXguy95 Put a quart of Lucas Oil in it. Fill the rest of the crankcase with 10 or 15w40, or even 20w50. You'll have all kinds of oil pressure, and will probably be able to go another 300k
i have a red one. 87. but it is a clutch. still,very rare..it was my pop pops. i put a toolbox on back, jvc radio w/ cd player in it (had a OLDD cassete player), bedliner, really fixed it up a good bit. it has new tires, fairly new engine.
Nice Truck! it looks as good as mine. I have the Grey color though. Me and my Dad rebuilt ours from scratch, it took us three years and we are still not done, We did get ours started recently though. My truck has 224,203 miles on it. My dad gave me my truck after I got my Eagle Scout rank. I hope to take it to 300,000 at least.
You're starting with a pretty clean truck. Your dad must have taken really good care of it. Not many of these trucks this year around anymore. I wouldn't mind having it myself!
I have a 1987 Dakota 4X4 with 160K miles on it. It runs like a new truck. i love this truck! Easy to maintain. Not the best looking on my block. She's gets me from point A to B without problem.
my gfradnfathers got a 1993 dodge dakota 4x4 5.2 liter V8 magnum lol shes got 500,000 and shes a hard worker lol been worked all er life n sadly soons shes gutta stop.. front frames goin bad on it.. i wanna see if he'll sell it to me when hes done wit er
I just saw that.....looks like a 2 wheel drive V6 model. Same trim level as mine but no guage package. It will be interesting to see how it holds up at "The Farm."
I just noticed that myself. Usually the oil pressure and fuel gauge will not return to zero or empty when the truck is off. For some reason, the gas gauge will always stay close to half tank when the power is off.
I actually own a 1991 doakota. its got the 3.9 v6 but only 2 wheel drive. Its got the 22 gallon tank; sometimes I can notice it go down sometimes. I also saw that Dave got one. Thats actually how i saw this video. good luck restoring it
I love when pickup trucks get old. Thats the one thing about a truck, the older, the more character. My father had an 86 toyota 4x4 he used to take me around in as a boy and I loved that thing, he could go anywhere with that SOB. It was a rust bucket near the end. I have an 06 Dakota and its not the prettiest new truck but I got it for a good deal. I want to keep it until its old. I hate buying new cars. I want to do it as few times as I can lol. Cool dakota.
I don't think trucks today are as basic as this one. Simple bench seat, rubber floor mats, hand crank windows, etc. When this thing was new we thought it was pretty high tech compared to the trucks from the 60s and 70s.
ppl dont believe me but them little dodge dakotas have pretty good power for what it is, i got a 1992 dodge dakota sport and it will smoke the hell off the tires(rain only) caught posi traction over 20feet (nopowerbrake)
hahaha, o yea. gotta love that service time light in the corner of the dash. hahaha. we had that and we just put electrical tape on it so we wouldn't see it. that dash is fucked up too!
Nice. Amazing how similar the engine bay looks to my 1987 Ram 100 5.2 My Ram will respond instantly anytime I call upon it. Shockingly, it has been my rescue boat every time Ive had to take my 2004 Mazda into the shop for random/expensive repairs... Its as reliable as a hammer, and nearly as fun to use. :) How many miles? I'm pushing 280K with no rebuild and no repair costing over $100, yet I still have no problem driving it an hour and a half to work just for the fun of it. :P
The 3.9 V6 is essentially a 5.2 minus two cylinders so they would share many components. The engine on mine is tired but the rest of the driveline is solid. The Dakota will start no matter how cold it is outside - 20 to - 30 deg F, it would never fail to start.
It's getting the engine rebuild this week. I should have it back end of next week and I'll post the "after" video.
My uncle has a 1988 2WD Dakota regular cab in a baby blue color. It has real low mileage and has some rust but it runs like a new truck. It has the same 3.9-liter V6 and automatic. Awesome truck.
I like the diesel idea. It would come in handy for chasing red Plymouth Valiants in the desert ;-). Budgetwise, I'm limited to the 3.9, plus I want to keep it as stock as possible.
ty for the vid!
EJConrad 4 weeks ago
Nice gauges. Shame there is no tach though.
sharomanet 2 months ago
Anyone know where I can find a door buzzer for an 88 dakota?
sandrochatlos1 4 months ago
where can i get a replacement door buzzer? please help!
001chatlos001 5 months ago
It's beautiful. I am doing the same. 2wd, manual, silver.
m0p4rm4dn355 7 months ago
Hey Dakota Club, Got a question for you. I have an 87 and it's my first truck and I love it to death but when I bought it the guy told me there were issues with the choke and it may need to be replaced. Can anyone tell me where it is? I bought a Haynes manual for it and it's not giving me much info. The problem is when I start it I have to let it idle before I take off and even then it will stall out sometimes when I accelerate. Anyone have any suggestions?
dabigguy83 11 months ago
@dabigguy83 try rebuilding your carb, there is a choke plate in there that comes loose from wear and tear. im about to rebuild mine. you can buy the kit for like 20 bucks but the labor could be pricey. would deff find a friend who knows what he is doing before fighting with it.
TxSpain10 7 months ago
Dakota's are real junk!! save your money, scrap it!!
MrCorrosive101 1 year ago
Its a dodge... idiot. Those engines will run till only cockroaches and jews are left on the planet. Now put her in gear and watch the tranny blow.
jaiBavet 1 year ago
whats that clicking sound?
Louie92801 1 year ago
@Louie92801 Any number of things...I'm guessing a valve or lifter that was sticking.
325xitgrocgetter 1 year ago
@Louie92801 Davidsfarm Ftw -_- lol
possiblefurry 1 year ago
Your truck is nice Dude ,but I like mine better no offince at all,Im glad to say I was the second owner of my 87 Tan&brown,@ wheel drive Dodge Dakota.Oh yea we only Paid $700 for it.
TheAce7716 1 year ago
Hey my dad just gave me a Dakota 1987 just like yours. Its only 2 wheal drive though. I have a question, when I drive from a parked position it takes off slow but once I get it past 15 MPH - 20 MPH I finally feel some balls coming out of the engine. Im thinking its my fuel injectors you just sprayed. Any thoughts? If you need me to make a vid please let me know ill show you how it runs.
Louie92801 1 year ago
@Louie92801 If it is an '87, you should have a 2bbl carb, not fuel injection. Throttle body fuel injection was introduced in 1988. Could be a variety of thing...you might want to start with the basics, fuel filter, engine in good tune i.e. new plugs, cap and rotor, timing in spec etc. Also a weak fuel pump (mechanical on this engine on the passenger side front of the motor) might cause that as well.
325xitgrocgetter 1 year ago
@Louie92801 Hey Dude,I got an 87 Dakota And mine is 2 wheel drive>It is carberated man And Dont hav fuel Injectors. But it might be your plugs,wires,or distribitor cap.
TheAce7716 1 year ago
its funny you mentioned Davidsfarm. He's a friend of mine on here, and has really inspired me :-) I got a 1996 Dodge Dakota sport 5 spd :-). I got a vid of it on here
vwbusssesareforever 1 year ago
you should check our vid of ours it has absolutly almost NO oil pressure the rings are shot on almost all cylinders and were the original owners its now my truck and has about 300,000 miles on it !!!! no lie!!!
MXguy95 1 year ago
@MXguy95 Put a quart of Lucas Oil in it. Fill the rest of the crankcase with 10 or 15w40, or even 20w50. You'll have all kinds of oil pressure, and will probably be able to go another 300k
madtownmadman 1 year ago
i have a red one. 87. but it is a clutch. still,very rare..it was my pop pops. i put a toolbox on back, jvc radio w/ cd player in it (had a OLDD cassete player), bedliner, really fixed it up a good bit. it has new tires, fairly new engine.
mroddydawg 1 year ago
Nice Truck! it looks as good as mine. I have the Grey color though. Me and my Dad rebuilt ours from scratch, it took us three years and we are still not done, We did get ours started recently though. My truck has 224,203 miles on it. My dad gave me my truck after I got my Eagle Scout rank. I hope to take it to 300,000 at least.
1987DodgeDakota 2 years ago
You're starting with a pretty clean truck. Your dad must have taken really good care of it. Not many of these trucks this year around anymore. I wouldn't mind having it myself!
133dave133 2 years ago
I have a 96 with the same motor and it runs perfect
DHM4LYFE 2 years ago
I have a 1987 Dakota 4X4 with 160K miles on it. It runs like a new truck. i love this truck! Easy to maintain. Not the best looking on my block. She's gets me from point A to B without problem.
moneacek 2 years ago
my gfradnfathers got a 1993 dodge dakota 4x4 5.2 liter V8 magnum lol shes got 500,000 and shes a hard worker lol been worked all er life n sadly soons shes gutta stop.. front frames goin bad on it.. i wanna see if he'll sell it to me when hes done wit er
2pac203 2 years ago
i think some of the old trucks look better than the newer ones.
117buster 2 years ago 3
a full gage package theres no rpm gage
Nitook 2 years ago
Tach wasn't available in '87 on the Dakota....
325xitgrocgetter 2 years ago
nice truck i got a 93 3.9 magnum i w bought and am fixing up
pantera101188666 2 years ago
it only has 109,652 miles thats low miles for an engine rebuild, it should go at least 200,000 miles before a rebuild
hechheche78 2 years ago
funny dave just got an 1987 dakota
Stapletube 2 years ago
I just saw that.....looks like a 2 wheel drive V6 model. Same trim level as mine but no guage package. It will be interesting to see how it holds up at "The Farm."
325xitgrocgetter 2 years ago
anyone see the gas gauge when he starts it?
zoltan1134 2 years ago
I just noticed that myself. Usually the oil pressure and fuel gauge will not return to zero or empty when the truck is off. For some reason, the gas gauge will always stay close to half tank when the power is off.
325xitgrocgetter 2 years ago
I actually own a 1991 doakota. its got the 3.9 v6 but only 2 wheel drive. Its got the 22 gallon tank; sometimes I can notice it go down sometimes. I also saw that Dave got one. Thats actually how i saw this video. good luck restoring it
zoltan1134 2 years ago
I love when pickup trucks get old. Thats the one thing about a truck, the older, the more character. My father had an 86 toyota 4x4 he used to take me around in as a boy and I loved that thing, he could go anywhere with that SOB. It was a rust bucket near the end. I have an 06 Dakota and its not the prettiest new truck but I got it for a good deal. I want to keep it until its old. I hate buying new cars. I want to do it as few times as I can lol. Cool dakota.
redwolf4k 2 years ago
the 3.9 V6s were always rough as hell.
somewhatlongdong 2 years ago
I have a 90 and 91 - both are junk. Sad the 91 is mint southern body, but it won't hold a transmission for anything.
I can wish for someone to steal them both but that will be of no luck.
isegoria1 3 years ago
dang this truck was made before i was even born. and i gotta say that older trucks are so much more badass then the ones we got nowadays
devic09 3 years ago 5
I don't think trucks today are as basic as this one. Simple bench seat, rubber floor mats, hand crank windows, etc. When this thing was new we thought it was pretty high tech compared to the trucks from the 60s and 70s.
325xitgrocgetter 3 years ago
the simplicity is prolly why i like em so much
devic09 3 years ago
Simple and basic, just the way a truck should be. I had an F150 that was like that.
Infinitrium 3 years ago
My dad has one.... do see why you wanna restore it.
Dayberry 3 years ago
I just bought a 1996 Dodge Dakota, and i removed the key buzzer because it was driving me crazy!
craig1974 3 years ago
How do you do that? I just got a 95
Vaneps0 3 years ago
Follow the key buzzer noise which leads to the fuse box, and just unplug it!
craig1974 3 years ago
yea i found that, and it went sraight into the garbage
Vaneps0 3 years ago
My buzzer ended up in the glove box. Its the worst annoying sounding buzzer ive ener encountered.
craig1974 3 years ago
ppl dont believe me but them little dodge dakotas have pretty good power for what it is, i got a 1992 dodge dakota sport and it will smoke the hell off the tires(rain only) caught posi traction over 20feet (nopowerbrake)
1992dakota 3 years ago
a 65hp civic can smoke the tires off in the rain. Dry pavement makes a real man.
jareski 3 years ago
I saw a Cedric Theel dealer ship sticker on the tail gate. I got my '96 dakota from there. Yours is looken good.
RUTANG1 3 years ago
nice vid man
mrwilliwizard 3 years ago
hahaha, o yea. gotta love that service time light in the corner of the dash. hahaha. we had that and we just put electrical tape on it so we wouldn't see it. that dash is fucked up too!
yamaha821rider 3 years ago
hahaha, nice. my pop did have one. 2 years ago we went traded it to get an 07 HEMI! same year and style.
yamaha821rider 3 years ago
Ah ha! someone else in the world who is enjoying reviving the 21 year old '87 dakota!
im 15 yrs old and bought it for 8hundred (3.9L V6 - extended bed)
ive put new shocks, new brake pads, the list goes on and on..
how's she holding up?
NWHS2011 3 years ago
Nice. Amazing how similar the engine bay looks to my 1987 Ram 100 5.2 My Ram will respond instantly anytime I call upon it. Shockingly, it has been my rescue boat every time Ive had to take my 2004 Mazda into the shop for random/expensive repairs... Its as reliable as a hammer, and nearly as fun to use. :) How many miles? I'm pushing 280K with no rebuild and no repair costing over $100, yet I still have no problem driving it an hour and a half to work just for the fun of it. :P
Cougar333 3 years ago
The 3.9 V6 is essentially a 5.2 minus two cylinders so they would share many components. The engine on mine is tired but the rest of the driveline is solid. The Dakota will start no matter how cold it is outside - 20 to - 30 deg F, it would never fail to start.
It's getting the engine rebuild this week. I should have it back end of next week and I'll post the "after" video.
325xitgrocgetter 3 years ago
My uncle has a 1988 2WD Dakota regular cab in a baby blue color. It has real low mileage and has some rust but it runs like a new truck. It has the same 3.9-liter V6 and automatic. Awesome truck.
DieselMikey084 3 years ago
Looks like a pretty clean truck for an '87. Great candidate for a 360 crate motor or "some kind of souped up diesel."
gschoneman 3 years ago
I like the diesel idea. It would come in handy for chasing red Plymouth Valiants in the desert ;-). Budgetwise, I'm limited to the 3.9, plus I want to keep it as stock as possible.
325xitgrocgetter 3 years ago
Why not a diesel 6.2 engine for this Dakota?
Jac2Mac 3 years ago