Up in smoke

[MJ'sBlkBII]

Well, I got the truck rebuilt and turning over, but had no spark. Fixed the spark, and was setting timing, and the motor started to crank very slowly. Opened the door to turn off ignition and the cab was full of smoke. The wiring under the dash burned up. I am not going to try to chase all that wiring to repair it. I am going to pull all my new parts back off and send it to the j/y. This truck is just not worth more headache and money. I may try to find another BII, or I might go for an Exploder next time. I might just say screw it all and get my Mustang. Either way, if I decide to go other directions i will be selling my parts. Man, the better part of $3K and a year of work for this end.

 

[RumpRanger98]

how did the wiring fry? and what wiring fried? could be cheaper than you think to fix, just more labor than its worth to you maybe, you can only decide that

Sorry to hear about that, nothing worse than putting time and money into something and something bad happens. I have had the engine harness wires fried in my first car I owned. I hooked a small wire up for power to the amp(I have learned so much since then, usually the hard way) and that thing melted quick. Fried lots of other wires with it. I spent a few hours taping and reconnecting wires, but I got it all working right.

again sorry to hear that, good luck with whatever you decide on

 

[AllanD]

You can actually remove the entire dashboard assembly with less than a dozen bolts

as one big ugly, but not particularly heavy unit.

WITH all the wireing intact.

You just need to unhook ALL the connectors right there on the
driver's inner fender and pop the big gromet through the firewall.

And yeah doing that is a whole bunch easier than starting over.

AD

 

[MJ'sBlkBII]

From what i was able to tell with as thorough inspection as one can do upside down and with everything in looms, I lost a ground wire and there are a couple of wires that run to a box just to the right of the steering colomn. The bracket unbolts with 2 small bolts, then you see that there are acually 2 plugs there. There is also a relay bolted to it. The plug on the left (I belive) has melted into that box. I may look into again (ok, I know I will), I'm just so frustrated at the whole thing I can't see straight. I know things never go as planed, but this thing was so badly taken care of it has been one rediculous thing after another. I still had some wiring under the hood to fix but it was nothing that caused this or was going to be detramental to it. Just looks bad.
On the other hand, with all of the parts i have, I could build another one in just a matter of months (with how much I'm home). And 2, this BII was free and that is the only reason i built it. And 3, if i go for an Exploder, it will already have the axles I was putting under the BII, 4.0l motor, M5r1 tranny, and all the pop open glass. Just some thoughts.

 

[Shran]

That sucks man...I would personally fix it if you can find a wiring harness at a good price, which shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

...And 3, if i go for an Exploder, it will already have the axles I was putting under the BII, 4.0l motor, M5r1 tranny, and all the pop open glass. ...

Yeah, and it will also weigh about 1200 lbs more, be equally (or maybe even more) gutless with a 4.0 than a bronco II w/ a 2.9, ride like crap, and get 2-5 mpg worse than the bronco II.

I can understand the envy of all the nice parts (4.0, D35, 8.8, M5OD) but there are drawbacks that you don't fully realize until you have to drive one everyday. And that's coming from a guy who's been DD one for 6 years.

 

[AllanD]

Little box with two plugs on a B2?

To the right of the steering wheel?

the cruise control amplifier?

AD

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Yeah, and it will also weigh about 1200 lbs more, be equally (or maybe even more) gutless with a 4.0 than a bronco II w/ a 2.9, ride like crap, and get 2-5 mpg worse than the bronco II.

I can understand the envy of all the nice parts (4.0, D35, 8.8, M5OD) but there are drawbacks that you don't fully realize until you have to drive one everyday. And that's coming from a guy who's been DD one for 6 years.

My parents have had one for 12 years, I never thought it rode that bad. It is a pig, but it also has 3.27 gears and 180k miles on it... and it is a 4dr. I have been to Yellowstone and Colorado a couple times in it, I never thought the ride was too bad.

A Sport should be similar to a BII in most reguards.

 

[Sevensecondsuv]

No, the 4 door's ride fine. It's the sports that ride like crap. You have to ride in one to believe it, but they're actually significantly worse than a bronco II. Something about 4500 lbs and a 102" wheelbase I guess.

 

[Danger FX4 Ranger]

I have had the engine harness wires fried in my first car I owned. I hooked a small wire up for power to the amp(I have learned so much since then, usually the hard way) and that thing melted quick. Fried lots of other wires with it. I spent a few hours taping and reconnecting wires, but I got it all working right.

It's hard to believe at 12 volts even the smallest devices and accesories draw big amps. Many do-it-yourselfers who are used to home wiring (120 and 240 volts), don't understand why something as small as a horn often requires a control relay to avoid such problems. With low voltage comes big amps.

 

[MJ'sBlkBII]

The Exploder wouldn't be a DD. I have a Freightliner for that.
Allan,
I don't know if it is that. It is mounted to the bottow of the dash. Both plugs are about 6 wire's wide each. I belive the one that fried is grey, the other is yellow? The really bad part is I can't tell the wire colors on the plug since it fried to try and follow a schematic.

If it wasn't for bad luck...

 

[AllanD]

The Exploder wouldn't be a DD. I have a Freightliner for that.
Allan,
I don't know if it is that. It is mounted to the bottow of the dash. Both plugs are about 6 wire's wide each. I belive the one that fried is grey, the other is yellow? The really bad part is I can't tell the wire colors on the plug since it fried to try and follow a schematic.

If it wasn't for bad luck...

The only thing under the dash with two connectors is the cruise control
brain box, and it is in that location.

IT should be possible to either strip out JUST the cruise control system
it's a "Tacked on" harness, NOT part of the main harness on a Gen1

AD

 

[fastpakr]

No, the 4 door's ride fine. It's the sports that ride like crap. You have to ride in one to believe it, but they're actually significantly worse than a bronco II. Something about 4500 lbs and a 102" wheelbase I guess.

Sounds like yours has issues. Mine is noticably quicker than a 2.9 Bronco II and ride quality is the same.

 

[MJ'sBlkBII]

This thing has been an electrical bad dream (not quite nightmare LOL) since the start. It started with removing the stereo "system" which was speaker wire run to the fuse box for power to the deck. Then the intermitten brake lights, day time running lights on the rear, slow crank to normal back to slow crank, and now this with no blinkers also. Oh, my phantom wipers came and went away again too.
Is the under dash harness complicated to remove and replace? I think I am going to atleast give this a shot. There are a couple 88 BII's and even more Rangers at the local P-N-P. Would it require removing the door wiring and over head 4X4 buttons at the same time? AllenD said there was a plug to pull through the fire wall. This is if the cruise system isn't the only thing that was ruined.
This is just another set back. Never let anything stop me before, why now! Thanks y'all.

 

[AllanD]

On an '89-up there is a single connector at the firewall.

On an '88 the harness actually goes through the firewall and
there is a cluster of smaller connectors these can all be snaked
back through the firewall...

I HAVE had the entire dash out of my truck as an assembly.

AD