Just brain farting, but I have an '03 Durango with the 4.7 engine. It runs great and I plan to hang onto it for a while. So, two thoughts come out of those farts:

1. I have no experience swapping late model (Post computer) engines. In the event the engine does eventually wear out I would probably opt for the 318/5.2 option. Does that require the 5.2 computer and related components or would the 4.7 electronics work. Is it a drop-in plug and play or is there more to it?

2. On the other hand, if the opportunity would arise, the thought of dropping an older non computer 318 in intrigues me. What hurdles would I have to jump? Could I not simply tap into the wire harness upstream of the computer (bypass) and wire in a conventional charging and ignition system or even a GM HEI conversion? What other obstacles would I encounter?

Thanks,
Scott