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Engine Swap from a 2004 dakota to a 2001 dakota

6933 Views 21 Replies 4 Participants Last post by  walt.garrett.13
I have a 2004 crashed dodge dakota quad cab and a 2001 with a knocking engine and a head gasket leak. I am going to attempt to switch out the 2004 engine into the 2001. Both are Quad cabs and both engines are a 4.7. The Engines look a bit different from the top. Example, the a/c compressor hoses look different. I haven't looked at them closely but I am sure there are more differences. I have been busy swapping out the interior and electric components so that everything works. I have finished the interior and have done all that I can do to the exterior. My Question is: what are the differences? Should I just take the whole thing out at once with the tranny still connected? I am sure I will have to switch computers? I want to do this as easy as possible without switching intakes, Exhaust manifolds, power steering, ac, etc. Like I said I have both trucks in my drive way so I have most of the parts that I need. Anyone have experience changing engines between years?
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The 2004 intake manifold is a better design than the 2001 and is a direct bolt on to the 2001 4.7. It uses silicone rubber seals instead of a gasket which makes the swap much easier than earlier motor.
You will have to take everything from the 04 to 01 because the 01 is more than likely running the JTEC controller and the 04 is running NGC which are not compatible with each other due to cam and crank tone wheels and the JTEC controller uses a separate transmission controller than the NGC.
I can't say for sure on the A/C compressor hoses but if you have the systems of both trucks drained, you can take the hoses off and check to see if they can be routed to their correct locations.
You don't have to worry about swapping the transmissions, as they are both 45RFE's, only the 04 uses the 545RFE designation to identify it has having the 5th gear programming in the PCM. The connectors are the same between the 01 and the 04 transmissions.
If I were you, I would swap out the exhaust manifolds for a pair of decent headers(not JBA's). The factory manifolds are notorious for causing the manifold bolts to break due to poor quality control of the castings, as one or two holes are not properly sized and you will be dealing with exhaust leaks.
As far as I know, the power steering pumps are the same but keep the 04 on hand just in case the 01 doesn't work with the 04 electronics.
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If you want to keep both transmissions, that is up to you, but it may just take up space because the 45/545RFE's are generally more reliable than the old 42/44/46RE's. But, that is only comparing well maintained examples and doesn't take into consideration design flaws that shorten the RE series lifespans.
You will get the 5 speed automatic programming with the 04 computer but you will need the 04 harness as the 01's separate TCM plug will not work with the 04 PCM.
Here are pics of the computer and the old plug that needs to be replaced with new style. After going to thebfront end of truck, it goes the fuse box and then through the firewall. Like i said i havent seen what under dash and havnt had the time. I have about 25 hours into this truck and was just exhausted and it was getting dark.
That is the NGC PCM
Her are some other pics of randome stages of the swap. One computer versus the other. The wire plugs i had to take out from fuse box that were connected to the harness.
Here is a pic of some othe module that is from thebold harness. Dont know what it is.
This right here confirms that the 01 is a JTEC truck with the 3 plug PCM and the TCM being separate from the PCM, whereas the NGC trucks PCM was 4 plug and the TCM is part of the PCM. Like I said before, the 4.7 is the same between the two years but the tone rings on the camshaft and the crankshaft are different between the controllers and will not work with either.
You should have disassembled the 01 motor and pulled the tone rings and put on the 04 motor. It would have started right up. Now, you will lose the 5 spd. automatic function but is capable of being used again with a Jeep Grand Cherokee TCM, as it has the 5 spd. programming in it and is a direct swap and not cause problems like in the 2000's.
Unless you have everything bolted down tight, I would pull the engine and swap the tone wheels.
Have you tried pulling the codes to see what may be going on?
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