Ok, here's the deal...I just painted my car 2 weeks ago... I went to the store today to pick up oil and filter for an oil change at school tomorrow. I've had a radiator leak for a couple days nows. I came out the store and saw what I thought was steam from the radiator. I noticed a small of burnt plastic and then noticed there semed to be smoke inside the car. I popped the hood to find 2 foot flames coming from the passenger side of the motor. I tryed putting it out with a rag but only suceeded on getting 8 burns on my hands. I then got some water and got it out. It fried the harness to the carb and a bunch of vacuum lines, as well as the alternator wires and some emissions hoses. It didnt demoslish all the wires, As I have a couple threads left of each one. My dad said we could rewire most of it within an hour or so. My question is would this be the best time to swap in another motor since thats what I've been planning to do this summer.... (Got 2 327s and 2 350s), or should I just go non-computer controlled now, or should I fix the stock harness and wait till this summer? We unhooked the alternator and patched up th wiring enough to get it started enough to get home...500 yards away. My check engine light stays on with the motor off...Ignition is messed up as the car wont cut off with the key and it runs verrrrry bad...Any suggestions?

 

that is a sign from the man upstairs to swap it . ill be praying for you

 

Hey man, sorry to hear about your troubles. I have the remains of the computer wiring harness left from a 85 carb gutting, it has most if not all of the connections you need to replace yours, you can have it if you'd like. just pay for shipping. just offering

I would swap in the new 350 if I were you.

 

Bad synchros in my T-5 instigated my V6 to 350 swap

sorry to hear about the fire

 

whoa that sucks...anyway im not sure about your school but mines out in 5 weeks. put the car up and get the grades in...then take the 350's you have and send one to me and build one.

 

I agree. Get the grades and do the swap over the summer. Glad your car was not destryoed. Is the paint still good?

 

Sounds like time for a motor swap...
I'm doing one this summer also and I'm going all mechanical (my major is computer technology, yet I don't want one on my car kind of ironic)

 

my dad has a masters in eletrical engineering and still refuses to touch the electrical on my car.

also everyone has forgotten to mention the best thing about going to mechanical setup...the choke is mecahnical. with a mecahnical choke you can setup up the car to throw flames out fo the exhaust.

woops i forgot that the last thing you want to hear about is FLAMES.

like i said before GET IN YOUR GRADES. cars can mess ou up if you dont prioritize right. just my thoughts... my parents have to tell me to do my homework now because i try to do to much with my car. Before i had my car and my lisence i had a 4.0 (all A's) now im getting some B's.

 

I couldn't agree more. My appointment to the Air Force Academy is in jeopardy now because I let my grades slide earlier this year and my senior year of high school, for what, my car?! Like my dad said, whats worth more, the car you have right now or the education that will determine the rest of your life. I just hope I didn't mess up bad enough.

 

Two of my engine swaps started from things like that. I blew the clutch in my Toyota and put a 383 in it and my V6 sucked a little water during a hurricane and was swapped with a 355.

 

I say wait until summer. There are only so many important wires under your hood, fixing that shouldn't be too complicated. Once you swap in the new engine you'll have all kinds of new things to start worrying about like tuning, upgrades, etc. Do it at a time when you can focus all of your attention on your car rather than worrying about whether or not it will get you to where you need to be the next day.