Well, I am prepping quickly to put in an NV4500 and 318 motor. I have the new computer and harnesses for the 318. Just wondering what I can expect from the second gen computer vs. my first gen? Will it even work or will I need to expect to go out and get a first gen V8 computer also?

I know the programming in the two is different.

 

It won't even plug in. Your computer has 1 large plug and the OBDII computers have 3 seperate plugs.

 

Too big of an undertaking to swap all the electrical huh? JK. That is opening a can of worms for failure. Even though I do have all of the wiring.

 

Well OBDII has a lot of sensors that OBDI doesn't, so it would trip check engine light after light! I could be wrong, but I think OBDII has 4 o2 sensors (2 for tuning, 2 for emissions), whereas our trucks only have 1, so I don't even think the engine would run right if you did hook it up and ignore the CELs.

 

that really sucks too! your trucks 1 year from being OBD-II, but what you should do, is take the new computer for the v8, and try to use it as a trade in or something to that effect to get the computer you need

 

Well, the 1996 were OBDII. We had 2 O2 sensors - 1 at the Y, 1 after the cat... or where the cat would usually go!
From what I can tell from the parts manuals, the 4 oxygen sensors are for 5.9L and 4.7Ls, not 5.2Ls in the Gen 2 Dakotas.

Now, how it will work with the *other* harnesses... probably not so good.