Finally Pics and a vid in this post. I have Good and Bad news... Good news is truck is running! I think we were dealing with fuel/air leaks (maybe a pocket in that new IP too). You can see a video of the truck running here:
2001 Dodge Dakota with Mercedes 617 Turbo Diesel First Run - YouTube
Bad news is I took out for an extended drive today and there clearly are some issues. First thing you'll notice is a lot of smoke. I am thinking this is because it sat for 2 months...? After driving a bit it cleared up some, but is WAY more smoky than my 300TD (which barely smokes at all). Any ideas how to clear up smoke? Or just drive a tank through it maybe?
The big bad news is lack of power. On the freeway it did 55 mph and didn't want to do more. I am thinking this has to do with lack of fuel. I know what a 617 can do and it just seemed like something is wrong, not that I was maxing the engine.
I brought the truck back to the mechanic. Our plan is for him to take out the in tank Dakota pump (not being used now) and install an inline fuel pump with metal hose drawing up from the bottom of the tank. This should ensure there is no fuel starvation, the idea is from others who have converted Dakotas.
Any other ideas?