Well guys in the story that is this project. Me and my buddy got the timing sorted out when wouldnt you believe it the engine caught fire. It was a really bad electrical fire and I dont even know the extent of the damage. Cant really bring myself to tear her apart right now..please tell me I'm not the only person with this stubborn of a project truck.

 

Haven't had a fire yet, but have had dealt with my share of hang ups. Don't give up. How bad is the damage?

 

When I bought my truck and drove it for a few days, it stalled and I had to roll into a little gravel spot on the shoulder. I couldn't get it to start back up. The truck sat there for a few days, as it was close to my house. I tried to get it running and due to my incompetence and bad luck, I had a carb backfire that caught the air filter on fire and spread from there. I had nothing to put it out and pretty much everything on top of the engine burned for a good while.
The inside of my jacket still has some holes where the fire melted the polyester while I was trying to suffocate the fire (It was a desperate attempt, not much logic behind it.)

Throttle cable, Distributor, carb, coil, All the wiring, vacuum lines. Everything burned to a crisp. This was my first ever project car. I have only ever worked on Mopeds before.

So with a new amazon carb, order of parts from rock, roll of vacuum hose from auto zone, box of crimp connectors, and a spool of red 14 gauge wire I set to work.

Cleaned the top of the engine, replaced the lengths of wires that were burned, all the vacuum hoses, threw a carb on it.
Got in and got it to fire (unfortunate choice of words)

Still ran like **** and I had to replace a fuel pump and the tanks a while after. (I signed up on this forum around that time)

It has been just over a year since then I think. Currently, the truck is torn down for a frame-off, but I drove it for the summer beforehand and got it to reliably run for me.
It fought me every step of the way, with a shot axle, shot cylinder heads, leaking every fluid like a sieve, but in the end, it sure felt good to get in, turn the key and drive it.

Don't give up. The victory of getting it running is so much sweeter when it beat you down beforehand.




Mine meant so much to me, that I took it half way around the world to a different continent with me.

 

I havent had the time or heart to throughly go through and check the damages but at a first glance most of the wires look like they melted a bit. The stater solenoid is cooked. And possibly a cooked ecm too

 

What engine is this? This event may be a opportunity to get rid of the ECM and most of those wires anyway. If it's a 300 six, good riddance to the ECM and all those wires, you just need a new distributor and carb and it will run better than it ever did. If it's a fuel injected 302, it will be more work but still doable. Pull all the stuff off the top and put a intake and carb on it, and a new distributor. You will have to change the fuel system a little bit, I would run a different sending unit, re-run the fuel line and install a low pressure fuel pump.

 

it is the inline 6. I've had a new distributor and hei unit laying around messing with the idea of cutting out the computer. And it is carburated. The current fuel pump if I remember correctly only puts out 6 to 7 psi

 

All the fuel system changeover was if you had a fuel injected 302. You are correct, since you have a 300 six, it's already carbed and the fuel system can stay original, with a new carb off amazon or wherever you want to buy it. You already have a HEI there. This is a no brainer. This fire my have been a blessing in disguise.

Start under the dash, find the computer, unplug the large plug, and work it through the large hole in the firewall. You may have a relay or two with it, let them go through the hole also. If there is a stray wire going into the truck's harness, snip it, note the color and insulate the one left it in the truck. Once you get it through the firewall, when you get to something hooked to this computer harness, unplug it or unbolt it, and continue on till you can take the whole mess out of the truck. The computer harness is mostly separate, except for a couple of power wires that powered the computer system. Make sure to plug that big hole in the firewall with a plate or something. But you can put some smaller holes and some rubber plugs in it before you install it. It's a handy place to run sensors and wiring for aftermarket gauges and choke cables, etc.

 

my only problem with replacing the carb is most of the ones I've seen dont have the secondary peg on the throttle plate for the transmission linkage. And everything I've read about the aod transmission if that linkage isnt hooked up and set right it will eat that transmission in a heart beat.

 

It may be that you can move that peg to the new carb or buy a new peg and need to drill a hole where it needs to be mounted but with out a carb its hard to tell at this point but I do under stand what you are saying on the cable and transmission.

I think Dave has removed the feed back computer and wiring but left the feed back carb and its been running good so you may give that a try.
It sounds like the wiring on the right side, starter solenoid, etc., is were the fire was could it have been from the heater box as this is were they all seam to start.

Yes sometimes you have to walk away for a but to "cool off" and when ready jump back on it.
Dave ----

 

I hope you bought a fire extinguisher since than, it sucks to spend 30ish bucks but in the event it's needed. It will be money well spent.

 

actually this truck caught fire before I took ownership of it and that's exactly where it caught fire the first time. Melted the blower motor and the condenser core. This tim though I dont know what caused it because they never fixed what melted and didnt wire it back up.

 

It might be best if you cant find the parts in a junk yard to buy a parts truck just for the needed fire plus parts.

When I bought my flare side I knew the inside was trashed and to get it where I wanted would have been a lot of $$ and I wanted AC.

I bought a parts truck ($400 less motor / doors / tail gate and some dash parts) for the needed parts and then some.
I also used the parts truck bed floor on my flare side, the dual tanks and the complete nose.

I have added carpet since the picture.

So you could end up using a lot of the parts truck and it would pay for its self.
Dave ----

 

First thing I did after I put it out. I never drive any car I care about without one close to me after that.

 

Yes, if it's saveable maybe you can rebuild and use the original carb. I have never done this before, but there is a slight possibility you could take part of your carb and mate it up the newer carb to make one. I would definitely rebuild the original if you are going to use it. Fires need fuel and a spark to start. The fuel usually comes from the carb overflowing fuel all over the place.

 

Totally unrelated but I would LOVE a shifter like that one for my T-18, that's because I installed bucket seats from a Jeep Grand Cherokee and the seating position just makes me think a stick bent like that one would be more comfortable for me.