Got a new well used Dakota and it needs some work. It has a 318 in it and when I ran the codes it said I have a open cylinder what does that mean and how do I fix it

 

dead cylindrt? no compression mabey or spark what cylinder?

 

It said number three

 

pull the plug check plug wire ect you may need a compression test for that cylinder hows the truck running really rough?

 

Change the plug wire
Check the compression. If it has bad compression you may have a bad valve seat
Pull the valve cover and visibly check the push rods, rockers and valve springs

 

what year?

 

It's a 2000
There is no plug wires only coil packs on the plugs
When I got the truck the 3rd and 4th coil pack where not even bolted down I have tightend them both and it started running better yet it still dies at stop signs and. My buddy says he can smell gas really bad
When it idles it is at 6and then does a drop down to 4 and then back up to 6 all of a sudden like.
I going to pull it apart this weekend and check the valves if I do have one stuck what can I do to unstick it? Would putting a little dex in the plug hole help any?

 

2000 were 4.7 i do belive. if u have a stuck valve it may possibly be bent if thats the case yiu have more problems. start with your compression test. and then go from there

 

It's a magnum V-8 ran the numbers on it and it came back as a 318ci
I only hope that it is something easy to fix if not I am going to stroke it
I would reather rebuild the whole thing that way it don't nickel and dime me to death

 

whats the liter is it ohc im almost 100% u have a the 4.7 not the 5.2. take a pic and ill tell you

 

a 2000 Dakota is a magnum 318 or 360 in a case like this where you are having a problem like I did I rebuilt and made a 408 stroker out of it but if you don't have the money for it compression test and buy a rebuild kit imo so that way you can build it right and know whats what in you're truck just my 2 cents good luck through I love Dakotas

 

**** what yr did they end the 5.2 i thought it was 99

 

they started using the 4.7 in the 1500 after 2003 I believe? basically the same year as the hemi came out I know guys who have swapped 4.7 in Dakotas though kind of pointless imo but they did it none of the less

 

Nevermind i remember lol i need to stop messing with these first gen dakotas

 

my stepdads jeep was a 01 with the 4.7 abd i remeber that was the first year of them. all dakotas after 2000 had the 4.7 except the rt

 

haha alright I know a lot about the RT Dakotas love them and had one I built but I wasn't sure about it though none the less if its at the point of rebuilding just make a stroker

 

im willing to bet money that a Dakota never had 4.7 inline 6 though?

I just looked it up they had the
3.9 v6
318 magnum
360 magnum

so no Dakotas ever came with a 4.7 until 2003

 

mabey someone swapped a 4.0 i6 in one but ive never heard of a 4.7 i6 lol. im a dakota nut also btw

 

Doing the compression test today if I can get the chance work has me overloaded with taskings if not today for sure tomorrow.

What should the compression read?
I have a compression tester but not sure how much psi each cylinder should have

 

it should be 10:1 for you're compression ratio I believe? only time you ever really see compression ratios higher then that are on race motors and when they run forced induction its lower

 

I had a 4.7 in a 2000 Dakota brand new... and worked on tons of them in my shop... If it is skipping more then likely it dropped a valve seat when this happens it will also cause the push rod to usually fall out .. Seen and repair so many I cant count them any more.. The head is fairly cheap through Mopar because they know they fu--ed up and give you a break so ta speak.... Bill

 

How many 3.9 flat cams did you do Bill....lol
I did a boat load of 88's...

 

sence when did Dakotas have a inline 6? I've never seen it I've seen the 3.9 v6 in the never a inline 6though

 

It's V-6....Same one like the Jeep...
inline 6's were 4.0's

 

alright thanks I thought I was losing my mind for awhile

 

Also if the compression is bad you should do a leak down test to make sure if it is a valve problem

 

I never saw a inline 6 in a Dakota and dont believe there was such a thing.. They used a 3.9 v6 and in later years 3.7 V6 And of coarse the V8s The main reason in my opinion the 3.9 flat tappet cams failed was due to lack of mantainence. And soft cams like the 2.2 and 2.5s man I did tons of all of them and head gaskets.. I got so I could do a 2.2-2.5 head gasket in 1.5 hrs. (Yes removing the head not just lifting it like alot of the other shops). I replaced alot of those too with the old gasket still stuck to the new gasket. I had a 3.9 with 193,000 miles on it changed the timing chain at 180,000 miles and ran it to 213,000 miles and sold it for 3800 bucks. Oh sh-t nope I'm wrong it was a 92 it had the magnium motor 3.9 what a truck changed the oil every 3,000 and it just kept on running & running. It ran like a v8 the cat was gutted and it ran great, it even got rubber in second gear (automatic) ...Bill

 

I agree...

 

my 3.9 in my98 had 260k and i sold it it ran great it always started even in -15 degree weather