Kip, Glad you got it running. I was about to answer your previous post, but I see you got it done. To answer your question about bad controllers, yes, I have seen this all to often on Mopar products, including my 3.9 Dakota ('96).
I once rebuilt a 3.9 carbureted engine, bolted on a TBI intake and distributor. It ran fine, so I imagine you could do the same thing by installing a carb if you want to.
Curly
