Im looking for a newer work truck. A friend of mine owns a car lot that has a 2007 Dakota SLT 4x4, 187k miles, with the 4.7 Magnum, an engine I have no experience with. Hell give me a great price on it, but it is high mileage and I dont know anything about these engines, or trucks actually. Are they durable, long lasting?

After that many miles, if the engine is still strong it likely won't go to pieces.

It's always a crap shoot with high mileage vehicles.

It'll be ok in a Dakota that doesn't tow much. I had one in an 03 quad cab dakota. not powerful. not that fuel efficent, but all in all, a decent small truck motor. needs lots of RPM to tow any weight though.

mine started ticking at 120k miles. it was a lash cap near #6 or #8. I just drove with it like that and had no drivability or oil pressure issues.

i just had to replace the timing chains in one of these motors at 197K miles as they had become noisey

I have 3 blown up 4.7s in my shop right now and we can not find usable replacements, lots of other blown up 4.7s in the JY but no running ones. None of them have 200,000 yet.

Ok, Ill take ya'lls word for it. I was hoping to get a 04 or newer ram or dakota because I like the looks, but in my price range I think 98 to 02 is all I can get. Those still have the 318 and 360 and Im familiar with those engines

Well since I have you're attention, what is your opinions on the 3.9 v6?

3.9 is under powered and gets about the same gas mileage as the v8

3.9 is very reliable and gets about 2 more MPG than the V8 if gear ratios are the same but you got to watch most V6 got 3.92 gears and V8s typically got 3.55s.

The 4.7 equates to about 273". Does anyone think that even with today's efficiencies that 273"s is enough in a truck? The 4.7 is not a bad engine, I just think that they ask too much of it.

And the 3.9 is in a similar circumstance. Not a bad motor, but is just too small to do what they want it to do, day in and day out. Personally, I would much rather have the GM 4.3. I am not a Chebby fan, but the 4.3 has proven to be a reliable and powerful motor in the chassis that GM has put it in. The 3.9 has not.

I would NOT buy a high mileage 4.7 in a truck. Just my opinion. The 2.0, 2.4, 3.3, 3.8 and the 5.7 are very good engines by any standard. However, the 2.7, 3.9, and 4.7 engines have not had as good a service record.

They put a hell of a lot of 4.7's in Dakotas/ Durangos, jeeps etc.. My 03 is a few hundred short of 230k, brake lines are rusting out so I need to worry about that but no worries on the 4.7

Yes, depending on what you are doing.

I used my 2001 work truck (GM 4x4 with the small V8) to tow an open deck trailer with a car on it and a full bed with 4 engines and 6 transmissions from Maine to CT.

It did the job without much complaint, I was impressed.

As a retired Chrysler dealer tech I'd not own a vehicle with a 4.7. You will have people sing its praises about how they have "xxx" number of miles on them but they are the exception not the rule.

The fact you can't find a good one in the yards tells you all you need to know.

What year of dakota or Ram between 98 and 02 do you recommend? Im looking for a 4x4, Im happy with an automatic or manual, and I want a 5.2L or 5.9L. Most of these will have at least 100k miles Im assuming due to the year, but that doesnt change the fact I need a long distance daily driver (Im an electrician I travel all over) and I need to be able to make it to work when its snowing

In that year range they all will be fairly similar, just try to find one with the lowest miles and best maintenance records. Personally I would go for a 5.9.

The later 08+ 4.7 would the one I would go after. Over 300hp and with a programmer you could pickup another 20-30hp. The head design on those engines is different using 16 plugs compared to 8 plug for the prior version. I have an 04 4.7 in a 4x4 Ram. It's 235hp and 295 pounds of torque. It does the job but, needs to be revved. Even when its revved its still slow. The 4.7L is 287 cubic inches and a SOHC engine. Looks like an older Mercedes Benz 4.5L V8 in a way.

With that 4.7L I'd have some reservations. The 1st thing is oil changes. The oil jets/passages in the 4.7L V8 are small. If its had anything less than Mobil 1 or a good quality synthetic/oil filter I would pass.

The other thing with the 4.7L V8 is overheating. If it's been overheated more than once and severely overheated then it's time to replace the head gaskets. In addition, their maybe other problems such problems with the heads. Overheating the heads on the 4.7L also cause warpage problems or cause the guides to fail and pretty toast the engine.

The other things I don't care much about the 4.7L V8 is the exhaust manifold studs. Even new OEM replacements will break causing an leak. The 4.7L has three timing chains. With that mileage I would suspect to replace those along with the guides. As someone else already mentioned a sludgy engine can cause a lash adjuster failure on these engines. I'm not sure about the newer 08+ engines which got a little redesign in the cylinder head department.

Would I recommend a 4.7L V8 knowing what I know now? Probably not. Mine is already getting tired at 171k miles In fact, Chrysler just phased these engines out of production about 2 years ago. And when mine let's go I'm going with a 5.7L Hemi or something else. They're tons of aftermarket support for the newer Hemi plus it is OHV design.

I had a 2002 Ram quad cab with a 4.7. That truck never gave me a bit of any problem. Traded it in at 205,000,and the new owner is driving it with no problems.Still has the OEM water pump on it,and I never had to pull the valve covers either,in fact I never touched the engine.I did maintain it,oil and filter every 4-4500,I used 15w40 in it after it hit 9000 miles.

I didn't have much luck with my 02 Durango 4.7l, 80K on the clock. Tried to keep up with it's needs and it nickeled and dimed me to death. I don't miss it.

Somewhere in the late 90s/early 2000s the 3.9 was replaced with a 3.7. The 3.7 & the 4.7 are of the same design with the same issues, from what Ive read.

A 3.9 works on a standard cab truck caring lighter loads. If you load up your truck or need more then a standard cab, the 3.9 will be under powered and the gas mileage will be worse then a 5.2 or 5.9.

A 5.9 is a bit harder on gas then a 5.2, but its a lot more fun. Either in a Dakota would make a great work truck. Like said earlier, lower miles, best upkeep will get you a better truck. Make sure the bottom is not rusty.

Once past 2001 or 2002, the Dakota started putting on a lot of weight and grew in size. If your after a newer truck, a full sized truck might be a better buy. The original design of the Dakota was a great size, but unfortunately, as the years progressed, they moved farther and farther from the original design until there really wasn't much difference in size, options, or price between it and its full size brother. Gene

I have a 4.7 in my Commander. I like it. It pulls my pop up camper good and my boat. Dont ask to much of it. If people want to tow get a hemi. Other than that if you are hauling small stuff its ok. I work at a dealer. Do regular maintenance on them,oil etc and its good. Seen some over 200k.