My truck caught fire.

[Russell]

Unfortunately, I think your carb may be screwed after an engine fire like that... They can, and do warp if they get that hot.

Since I really like your truck, and it hurts me almost as much as it hurts you to see the thing burnt up like that, I'm willing to make you a heck of an offer:

My 77 currently has a TBI setup on it. I custom built the wiring harness for my 77 pickup, which should be identical to yours, and is a stand-alone system, no integreation with your stock wiring, less a few power hookups, and bypassing your park neutral switch to give it's control to the ECM. Even a downright electrical dummy would be able to install this setup on their truck, as I built the harness with selling it in mind.

Not only would it come with all the wiring, but it would come with the throttle body, all the sensors, an old style big cap TPI distributor, which uses the same power hookups and wires as your stock dizzy, the ECM, even fuel lines to fit your truck (with pics to show how to route them) and a fuel pump sending unit with a good fuel pump. Literally everything you need to bolt that TBI setup onto your truck, less the intake (just need an adapter and your existing intake will work fine), and an EFI camshaft (not required, but a good idea)

The setup is for a 350, but would probally work alright on a 305, less being a little bit rich.

I'll also toss in a new engine harness I've got kicking around from a 79 I once had, and a set of new plug wires I've got as well

Price for everything, for you, is 200 bucks, shipped to your door... I can have it all pulled, and on it's way within 2 weeks...

[kevinr1970]

Your bummed right now but you'll get past this.
You might be able to find someone parting a similar year truck and get the harness from the fuse block out. It really isn't that bad once you've pulled it apart. Personaly this is the route I would go anyways (replacing the harness) rather than trying to replace the burnt part of your harness.
Someone can correct me on this but once you pull the bolt from the block it will seperate into two pieces; one part goes to the starter/alternator/distributor/etc, and the other goes to the headlights and side markers. It looks like your fire was contained to the passenger side so you may only need to replace the section that goes to the engine. I believe it is a plug and play deal?
Shoot, if this had happened about 6 months ago I would have pulled the harness from my '79 Suburban and sent it to you for the price of shipping it. But it has already made it to the scrapper.
There is a Suburban being parted in the B&S forum in Jersey I think. PM that guy and maybe he'll make you a deal on the harness?

[84 400]

sorry to hear about it man. but all is not lost here actually for a fire it did well. looks like somthing near the dizzy sparked it. prob was that damm choke. well maybe time to put old red away and get a cheap beater and start the cab swap. good luck with it

[dswancutt]

Actually Cliff, It may not be as bad as you think on the wiring. All the underhood wiring plugs into to box on the firewall. If that is not damaged, just find another truck and take the underhood wiring. I yanked all the underhood wiring of an 80 suburban that a guy was parting out, it really is not that hard of a deal. And I agree, everyone should carry a fire estingisher. I had an engine fire on my 78 k-10 last summer, grabbed the bottle and had it put out in a second. Pulled it back to my folks house, poured some gas in the carb and it fired right up. Basically all it did was singe the wires and burn the oil on the manifold. I think it did cook my coil, as it died last month.

[Southedisto]

That really sucks, I hate to see it.

[ks147j111928]

Something like this happened to me when I took a 68 C20 from Colorado to PA. Had been running it for almost 12 hours when I saw some sparks and smoke through the hole in the floor by the trans. Killed the engine, pulled over and popped the hood in time to see the wiring on the firewall melt together and take out the dist cap and wires. Luckily I had a fire extinguisher in the bed so it was out quickly. Still had to be towed into Effingham, Illinois on 4th of July so all the parts stores were closed. And I was only a mile from the exit! Dammit! I got it back together and eventually made it to PA. Thanks again to Heartland Towing for hooking me up with a great rate at the Econo Lodge. I guess it started from the heat of the trans/engine plus the old oil and grease... now I clean the hell out of everything I buy. Paranoid? Yes!

Even though it may seem bad now, it could have been much worse. Glad to hear you are okay and the truck is not a lump of metal.

[cliffsta]

Russ: That thought hadn't crossed my mind, the carb warping, that is. Its coming off tomorrow for sure, now. I REALLY hope it isn't damaged beyond repair. I guess I'll find out in the morning. And that's a really great offer, but I couldn't bear to think of you parting with any of your FI stuff you've been working so hard on even if its on your "For Sale" truck. But I'll keep it in mind.

I've been told the wiring harness on my 84 parts truck is virtually identical to mine, less a few extra connections I don't need for the diesel injection, so I think I'm straight on that end. And I think my scenario is more like what dswancutt is describing, just the wires in the engine compartment and not the whole harness or setup itself. Crossing fingers, at least.

I am EXTREMEMLY thankful it wasn't any worse. My old man musta said a dozen times how lucky I am it didn't burn to the ground. I agree.

Thanks for the support everybody, I'll be sure and keep everyone updated on everything I find out. I'm pulling the distributor to take to my local mechanics to get their opinion on if its salvagable or indeed shot, and I guess I'll run the carburetor by them as well. I'll update tomorrow.

[Russell]

Honestly Cliff, if you want the setup, lemme know! Its looking more and more like the stepper will wind up with the TPI, and be a summer driver for me until it dissapears.

The GMC likely won't ever become a DD for me again, and I think I'll probally only use it for towing either 8 quads to the camp-site, or towing a 28 foot camper out, so I am looking into a diesel engine for it, either a 5.9 cummins, or hopped up 6.5 TD

[Slonaker]

Wow, Cliffsta! You are right...it could have been a lot worse. I wish you luck in putting it all back together.

I bet the wiring from a junkyard truck would be really cheap, and it would allow you to keep the parts truck intact and use it as a guide for putting everything back together. I put a burned harness back together that way once, and it came out okay.

Slonaker