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Thread: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

  1. #1
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    Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    #551
    Thought I would start a project thread on this truck I bought.
    Was sitting 3 or 4 years. Kept an eye on it. Even asked oneself it was for sale and left my name and phone number.
    Kind of forgot about it after while. Then I got a call saying they would sell it. I went and looked and seemed solid
    and the only rust was surface rust on the frame. Solid truck. All there. Broken tail light and didn't run though.
    Guy said the fuel pump was bad.

    So took it home a few months ago and finally started to work on it.

    Changed plugs and plug wires.
    new fuel pump and strainer sock
    new rule lines and fuel filter.
    changed the oil
    New steering column
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    Last edited by Johnny; 12-27-2016 at 12:30 AM.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  2. #2
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Thought I'd take a few shots under and around the bed to show the not too rusty quote.
    Next step it to put the bed back down into place.
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    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  3. #3
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    One issue I could use advise on. It starts and runs smooth. Then after it warms up a little while the idle steps up to a little higher rpm.
    Is this some kind of idle speed motor working wrong?
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  4. #4
    Slugmobile & MeanMini Caretaker Turbo Mopar Contributor wheming's Avatar
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Might want to check timing also.
    Wayne H.

    '91 Dodge Spirit ES 2.5L turbo 5spd
    '05 PT GT 2.4T HO autostick (RIP)
    '89 Plymouth Acclaim 2.5L turbo auto, "Slugmobile" yes, THE Slugmobile!
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  5. #5

    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    With the increased idle after warm-up, have you checked for vaccuum leaks? Could be a situation in which there is no leak when cold, but once things expand a bit, there may be a breach in the intake manifold gasket or something. Check by spraying some carb cleaner around vacuum hoses and base of the intake manifold. If idle increases when you do this, youve found your leak.

  6. #6
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Between welding mounts today, I changed the trans filter and fluid.
    Then lowered the bed in place and bolted it in place.
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  7. #7
    Mitsu booster
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Hi
    Great to see you getting it back on the road.

    I have SD#660 with 179,900 miles on it. After rebuilding the rear end over then summer my computer's idle circuit went bad.
    I checked for vacuum leaks and replaced the idle control motor. What it would do is start and idle fine then start raising idle and not backing it down. Hitting the gas would raise the idle and it would not drop. Could not safely drive the truck with it like this.

    After installing a computer from a ram 5.2 the motor ran fine. I concluded the original Shelby one was bad.
    This ram computer would not run the electric fans but the truck ran fine. I installed a stand alone fan controller $20 from the local auto parts place. This took car of the electric fans controlling the engine temperature but the A/C compressor only would run when the fans were running.

    I ordered a stock Shelby Dakota chip and the performance Shelby Dakota chip from Rob at boost button dot com.
    It took a while to get the order. When I installed the stock chip in a spare junkyard computer that I socketed the truck would run but the fans would stay on all the time. Not correct and I was not going to run the truck this way.

    Then I installed the performance chip with the stock throttle body. This worked as it should and was very noticeable improvement in performance.
    The tach was not working but it did not work before the chip swap so I suspect the tach issue is with the SMEC I used.
    I'm working on installing the 360 throttle body because that's what the performance computer requires.

    In the event you want to upgrade to the perfromance computer I should be able to help.

    I hope this info was helpful, if you want you can e mail me at convx4 at yahoo dot com.

  8. #8
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Thank you!


    Quote Originally Posted by convx4 View Post
    Hi
    Great to see you getting it back on the road.

    I have SD#660 with 179,900 miles on it. After rebuilding the rear end over then summer my computer's idle circuit went bad.
    I checked for vacuum leaks and replaced the idle control motor. What it would do is start and idle fine then start raising idle and not backing it down. Hitting the gas would raise the idle and it would not drop. Could not safely drive the truck with it like this.

    After installing a computer from a ram 5.2 the motor ran fine. I concluded the original Shelby one was bad.
    This ram computer would not run the electric fans but the truck ran fine. I installed a stand alone fan controller $20 from the local auto parts place. This took car of the electric fans controlling the engine temperature but the A/C compressor only would run when the fans were running.

    I ordered a stock Shelby Dakota chip and the performance Shelby Dakota chip from Rob at boost button dot com.
    It took a while to get the order. When I installed the stock chip in a spare junkyard computer that I socketed the truck would run but the fans would stay on all the time. Not correct and I was not going to run the truck this way.

    Then I installed the performance chip with the stock throttle body. This worked as it should and was very noticeable improvement in performance.
    The tach was not working but it did not work before the chip swap so I suspect the tach issue is with the SMEC I used.
    I'm working on installing the 360 throttle body because that's what the performance computer requires.

    In the event you want to upgrade to the perfromance computer I should be able to help.

    I hope this info was helpful, if you want you can e mail me at convx4 at yahoo dot com.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  9. #9
    Super Moderator Turbo Mopar Staff 135sohc's Avatar
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Its done now but a drain plug in the transmission pan really saves a mess from needing to occur and use the chrysler plastic with silicone beads pan gasket (4295875AC)
    1994 Shadow Sedan. 2.2 N/A, A568 400,000 miles. "the science experiment"
    1987 Shelby CSX #418. Long term rebuild and restore ?

  10. #10
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Put the rear tires back on, tightened the bolts on the new steering column. Hooked up the shift linkage. New radiator cap
    Ready to test the high idle, turn the key, no start. No spark.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  11. #11
    Slugmobile & MeanMini Caretaker Turbo Mopar Contributor wheming's Avatar
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny View Post
    Put the rear tires back on, tightened the bolts on the new steering column. Hooked up the shift linkage. New radiator cap
    Ready to test the high idle, turn the key, no start. No spark.
    That's odd. Any wiring changes?
    Battery ok?
    Wayne H.

    '91 Dodge Spirit ES 2.5L turbo 5spd
    '05 PT GT 2.4T HO autostick (RIP)
    '89 Plymouth Acclaim 2.5L turbo auto, "Slugmobile" yes, THE Slugmobile!
    '89 Dodge Caravan SE 2.5L turbo auto, "Mean Mini" yes, Gus' Mean Mini! (Current best 11.699 @ 114.43 mph! - Oct 15th, 2022 Cecil County Dragway, MD)
    MeanMini dragracing videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...URZLB1RxGYF6vw
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  12. #12
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Cranks okay, battery is okay.
    No changes, just the next day there was no spark to the plugs.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  13. #13
    Slugmobile & MeanMini Caretaker Turbo Mopar Contributor wheming's Avatar
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Quote Originally Posted by Johnny View Post
    Cranks okay, battery is okay.
    No changes, just the next day there was no spark to the plugs.
    Bad ignition coil? Or bad ecu? I had a smec crap out quite oddly. Had driven to store and shut off, but when i went to leave it never started. It never started again with that smec until i changed it.
    Wayne H.

    '91 Dodge Spirit ES 2.5L turbo 5spd
    '05 PT GT 2.4T HO autostick (RIP)
    '89 Plymouth Acclaim 2.5L turbo auto, "Slugmobile" yes, THE Slugmobile!
    '89 Dodge Caravan SE 2.5L turbo auto, "Mean Mini" yes, Gus' Mean Mini! (Current best 11.699 @ 114.43 mph! - Oct 15th, 2022 Cecil County Dragway, MD)
    MeanMini dragracing videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...URZLB1RxGYF6vw
    and other cars, trucks and motorcycles
    https://www.youtube.com/user/SlugmobileMeanMini

  14. #14
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Thanks....checking it out tomorrow.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  15. #15
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Good for you Johnny. Hope it gets easier
    John Laing

    "The sole condition which is required in order to succeed in centralizing the supreme power in a democratic community, is to love equality, or to get men to believe you love it. Thus the science of despotism, which was once so complex is simplified, and reduced . . . . to a single principle."
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  16. #16
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Electrical...I don't know what I am doing.
    Does this truck have a HEP? Kind of looks like one, but didn't take it out.
    Put a test light on the coil while my gal tempted to start it. The test light
    goes on when she hit the key and cranks the engine, but the light only stayed on for a second.
    And didn't go on again.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  17. #17
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Replaced the coil.
    Replaced the pick-up coil in the distributor.

    Now it runs again.

    - - - Updated - - -

    NEED to find a lower radiator hose!!!!
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  18. #18
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Changed the 4 V belts.
    Changed the upper radiator hose.
    Changed the lower radiator hose.
    Changed the by-pass hose.
    Added coolant.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  19. #19
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    QUESTION'

    I changed the front calipers, pads and hoses.
    While bleeding the brakes, the brake pedal only comes back up when you grab it and pull it back up.
    MC?
    Booster?
    a valve?
    Last edited by Johnny; 01-29-2017 at 10:55 PM.
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

  20. #20
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    Re: Red Shelby Dakota from dead to life!

    Ended up it was the brake booster that was bad.
    Changed the master cylinder with a new one.
    Changed the bake booster with a rebuilt one. (that is what was available)
    Great stuff for great cars! Poly engine mounts and bushings at: http://www.polybushings.com

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