[RalphP]

... why the stepson's 1988 Dakota 3.9L was sounding like crap.

While changing the oil and filter tonight, I noticed that there was a strange appearance to the muffler ...

Going back there, I also notice a couple of the clamps are missing. Being a 124" wheelbase, it has the 12" intermediate pipe between the cat and the muffler ... and the cat/intermediate joint looks like this:

But just a bit of pressure with my thumb yields:

Note: Remove -640 for a 5MP version of the pics.

RwP

 

[9t9-5.2]

Time for a new exhaust. :banana2:

 

[RalphP]

Time for a new exhaust. :banana2:

After exhaustive review, I agree ...

However, since it's the spare vehicle, I'll probably clamp the intermediate and weld a glass pack in place of the blown muffler for now.

Gotta fix the suspension (factory original ball joints and bushings on a 240Kmile truck!) first. Then find out why the exhaust is sooting up so badly ... and why it only gets 13MPG (!!!)

THEN I'll worry about the exhaust past the cat.

RwP

 

[9t9-5.2]

After exhaustive review, I agree ...

However, since it's the spare vehicle, I'll probably clamp the intermediate and weld a glass pack in place of the blown muffler for now.

Gotta fix the suspension (factory original ball joints and bushings on a 240Kmile truck!) first. Then find out why the exhaust is sooting up so badly ... and why it only gets 13MPG (!!!)

THEN I'll worry about the exhaust past the cat.

RwP

Wow!

Excessively rich for some reason.

 

[Little Blue Guy]

scan it for codes..could be bad O2 sensor....

Bryan

 

[RalphP]

Could be a bad O2, yes. I've got to rebump it after I fix the CEL light.

RwP

 

[96DakotaSport]

Hmm...I've seen those pics somewhere before... :wave:

 

[RalphP]

Hmm...I've seen those pics somewhere before... :wave:

Similar, maybe, but not THOSE.

Check the EXIF data - you'll see I took'em Saturday with my Galaxy S cell phone.

RwP