Thanks Wayne, that opens up more options!
Looks like the 5.2 and 5.9 was in the Dakota up to 2004. How about the Dodge Ram 1500 from 1992 to 2004? Lots of them had have the 5.2 and 5.9 in them (plus another V8) and maybe they shared the same ECM as the Dakota.
This looks nice however the rear bumper is rotted out so the underside might be junk.
https://chambersburg.craigslist.org/ctd/d/newport-2001-dodge-ram-1500-off-road/6905347423.html
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I have a 99 1500, potential wood gas candidate. It still has a distributor, old school 360. I thought for some reason that might have been the last year to have a distributor.
Who has a definitive answer?
It’s probably good to explore the newer vehicle systems, those old trucks are starting to get rather vintage…
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Hello Jeff.
As long as the trucks have the 5.2 or the 5.9 I think it will work fine for woodgas.
The biggest complaint I had of converting the dodge 1500 to woodgas was getting to the distributor . It is hid back under the dash and a pain to deal with.
If you drop the gasifier through the bed to rest on the frame you can lower it 4-6 inches. ( dakotas are about 11 inches )
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Here is an ebay ad for a 98-2003 5.2 distributor. Looks like I need to end my search at 2003, not 2004.
Maybe I could make a distributor extender and have it stick up out of the dash, right in the cab.
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I like the redneck distributor extension idea. Then you could tweak it like an instrument panel dimmer switch… 
But, with reprogramming computer and all, it would be a “project”…
I’m not sure what Wayne means about the distributor being too tight on the 99’s, mine seems workable, maybe just not in the same way he’s accustomed to.
Glad to hear from you. I was getting worried. Obviously you are hanging in there anyways.
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I do not have room in my life to reprogram ECMs, I am thinking that Wayne’s trucks are workable without reprogramming.
I called about the truck twice however no one answered.
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Clean ‘95 Dakota 5.2L V8, 169,200 miles.
https://york.craigslist.org/cto/d/york-1995-dodge-dakota-slt-4wd-v8/6916316657.html
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I would be interested but New York is a long way away.
Jake you definitely don’t want to drive north to get your next truck. That one looks good on the outside but anything that has 100k plus up here has seen it’s fair share of salt. From looking at the photos alone I would bet that gray strip at the bottom of the doors isn’t factory paint but someone patching rust. The frame on that truck would require you put it on a lift and give it a serious once over before buying. If you have never lived in the salt zone you probably don’t know what to look for on our vehicles. My advice to anyone up here is don’t buy a half ton truck from the 90s forward used unless you really know the frame weak points. The modern frames are just too thin to hold up to salt. If my Chevy wasn’t a 3/4 ton I am sure at about 160k and 14 years old the frame would not be worth putting the money I am currently putting into rust repairs on the rocker panels and doors. But I know when I am done the body will probably look fine from the top side.
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If it were not for me having 4 dakotas parked in the yard I would buy this truck. ( might just do it anyway 
)
https://huntsville.craigslist.org/cto/d/muscle-shoals-94-dodge-dakota-slt-mark/6938363989.html
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Wow, thats a nice one!
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Just after I sober up from buying a pickumup, Wayne has to post something like that ! 
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He definitely finds all the good stuff.
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That’s what happens when you don’t live with the polar bears and the moose…no salt down here…
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That’s not the case at all up here in Wisconsin!
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I know…too many polar bears. Those guys will tear the fenders right off a Dodge dakota.
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Well I do see Moose from time to time but i have never seen a Polar bear wandering around these parts. Plenty of Black Bears who are happy to invite themselves into someone’s car when you leave yummy things inside them.
choice is suffer heat stroke or rust repairs guess rust becomes a necessary evil. Maybe I can just import one of those southern trucks at some point and hope that a heater wasn’t considered a luxury item when it was manufactured.
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