2000 Dodge Dakota 4x4 - Cummins Turbo Diesel

Small project log for the truck I decided to build for myself. I prefer Dakotas to Rams but a Dakota never came with a diesel motor, let alone a 5.9L 6BT Cummins.

I started with a 1991 Dodge Ram D350 with a Cummins in it and with that I got the heart of the project, a 12V VE pumped Cummins.

I then bought a 1990 Dodge Power Ram W250 that was a Cummins truck but came with no motor. I used this for the rest of the drive train as is was Dana 60(kingpin) and Dana 70 truck with a large spline 727.

After cleaning up the frame and painting it I assembled the drive-train onto the frame and prepped it for the body.

For the body I bought a 2000 Dakota Quad cab that had a 4.7L in it(WORST MOTOR EVER) and ended up using none of it, lol. The whole truck basically went to the scrap yard. A local junk yard that I go to regularly had a black 2000 Quad Cab come in that was in much nicer shape. So with the help of friends we pulled the whole truck out of the yard(minus the frame) on their $60 all you can carry parts days. Its was a good haul to say the least.

After making my body mounts and box mounts it was onto modifying the body to fit the large inline 6. To do that the firewall had to be cut and a center section pushed 4 inches back. In order for the heater box to be retained it to had to be modified as well in order to bolt to the firewall. I had to cut and re-seal a mirror section of the heater box to the fire wall and then re plumb the heater core from one side of the box to the other(where the AC originally came in) so that it would clear the motor.

Then it came time to make the steering shaft(half Dakota, half Ram), the throttle linkage(Cummins cable with a crimp ball so that it would be tight using a Dakota pedal, and wiring harness. I used a stock Dakota engine harness so bring power to the inside of the truck and then made my own fuse block and added all the necessary circuits for the truck(power windows, power locks, and so on) I also had to build my own turn signal circuit, wiper/washer circuit, horn circuit, and gauge cluster. The truck uses no PCM as the motor is fully mechanical.

For the gauge cluster I opted to spend the money and build a full Autometer cluster. It was worth it, its easily my favourite part of the truck.

There is alot more I could keep writing about as to what I had to do to get it all to work but ill leave it at that for now. The truck is very close to done and now runs and drives.

It has been a long build but now seeing the light at the end of the tunnel its been worth it.

-2000 Dodge Dakota Quad Cab 4x4
-5.9L 12 Valve Cummins Turbo Diesel Swap
-A727 Torqueflite HD Trans
-NP205 Transfercase
-Dana 70 Rear Axle
-Dana 60 Front Axle w/ kingpins
-8 Bolt Hubs
-Skyjacker dual steering stabilizers
-Skyjacker shocks
-Derale trans cooler with fan
-Cobra CB
-Holset HE351CW Turbocharger
-Pure Performance 4" Downpipe, 5" stack
-Pure Performance 3" Intercooler Piping
-CXRacing Intercooler
-Pure Performance Intake Manifold
-DennyT fuel pin
-Injection Pump Turned Up
-Electric Fans
-Autometer UltraLite gauges
-PPF Body Lift and Mounts
-Hurst Shifter
-American Racing Wheels
and more still to be decided..............