2.8L V6 wont stay running. When running it hesitates. It hesitated when I tried to drive it.

[MadMax_636]

Why is that large grey plug laying there empty? You need all those wires. They go to the alternator and your sending units, everything you need on top of the engine.

To run the GM ignition, you need the white looking wire on the round plug, and a red/green on the square plug.

I basicly just unplugged everything from this side to be able to bring the harness out. That cable that looks like its just bare metal was the one that was fused/melted together. It broke like that when I was trying to unplug it. The alternator cables are stll hooked up to the alternator.
Which is all wired into the harness. I havent started to mess with the harness (Cutting stuff. Ive left it like it was when it was hooked up.)

 

[MadMax_636]

See that brass fitting sticking down in the picture below? That is the hot air fitting for the hot air choke on that carb. I don't know how that choke is working without it hooked up, it's probably not working very well. That is definitely different than the stock carb, hopefully your new carb has a full electric choke. If it doesn't or you need to still use the carb below we can help you rig it up to work.

Yeah but I converted it to the hot amiant temp thermostat. So It has no need for wires to be hooked up to it. Ill shoot a photo of it now. The feedback carb had the choke system I put on the new carb.

 

[MadMax_636]

These are photos of the harness while its laying over the fender and what the choke system looks like.


Choke: The choke doesn't have any vacuum ports or any of of holes. The thermostat gets warm/hot off ambient temp from the motor. Its never given me any issues after I fine tuned it.The two ports on the back are sealed.

Harness:

 

[franklin2]

I see you swapped in the black choke cap from the old carb, but it's not even hooked up. I can't explain how it works when it's not even hooked up. That large silver can to the rear of the choke. Did you hook it up with a vacuum line?

Anyway, so long as it works for you, that is all that matters. And on the wiring, I don't remember cutting anything. I would not cut anything unless I knew what it was and where it went. You can take the kick panel loose on the pass side, and take the computer loose and take the wiring plug off of it. There is a huge hole in the firewall over there, you can take a boot loose and fish that large computer connector through the hole. And then gently unwind and pull out all the wires related to that large computer plug.

 

[MadMax_636]

I see you swapped in the black choke cap from the old carb, but it's not even hooked up. I can't explain how it works when it's not even hooked up. That large silver can to the rear of the choke. Did you hook it up with a vacuum line?

Anyway, so long as it works for you, that is all that matters. And on the wiring, I don't remember cutting anything. I would not cut anything unless I knew what it was and where it went. You can take the kick panel loose on the pass side, and take the computer loose and take the wiring plug off of it. There is a huge hole in the firewall over there, you can take a boot loose and fish that large computer connector through the hole. And then gently unwind and pull out all the wires related to that large computer plug.

Yeah, the choke works perfectly. Its got a thermostatic spring inside it and the head thats generated from the engine comes up off the engine and warms the spring up. My uncle told me that was the original type of choke. The one that just heats up off the engine and cools down as the underhood temp lowers.


Yeah, I havent cut any wires yet. Just unplugged everything so I could pull the harness aside. The next full day I have off work Im going to go outside with the shop vac and clean up the engine bay and apparently a lot of dirt made its way behind the kick panel. So I have to clean all of that crap out but I see all of the screws and bolts to get the evil Mofo out.

Ive got everything ordered and the dizzy shipped and everything else is coming from rock auto. Closer to when they get here Im going to go to harbor freight and get the timing light and the tester light.

The only part of all of this Im confused by is how am I going to hook it all into the drivers side stuff.
Would you mind posting photos of your set up looks like? Also, does the green wire that hooks to the starter solenoid supply power to the whole truck? Since it goes onto the bolt of the + terminal of the solenoid

 

[MadMax_636]

I should be getting the parts areoung the 24th-27th. Hopefully sooner.

 

[RobbieD]

When you get your parts in hand we can start looking at what wiring you're going to need to do. Did you order the GM HEI? And make sure that you have the harness that plugged into the gray 8-pin connector on the driver's side. It will be reconfigured for your new setup.

Edit / add: Please DON'T cut any wires yet.

 

[MadMax_636]

When you get your parts in hand we can start looking at what wiring you're going to need to do. Did you order the GM HEI? And make sure that you have the harness that plugged into the gray 8-pin connector on the driver's side. It will be reconfigured for your new setup.

Yeah, I got the HEI and the HEI heatsink. Ive got computer thermal paste I can use. I might also have a fan for cooling it.

Ive still got the original computer harness. Everything is still under the hood on the passenger side fender. Haven't removed the computer yet. As I cant seem to figure out how to get it out safely. I dont wanna break anything incase I might need something.

 

[RobbieD]

OK, cool. When you get your parts, we'll want see the wiring diagram for the HEI, and again, we'll be modifying this harness, which was originally plugged into the gray 8-pin connector (and the black 2-pin connector) on the driver's side rear corner:

 

[MadMax_636]

OK, cool. When you get your parts, we'll want see the wiring diagram for the HEI, and again, we'll be modifying this harness, which was originally plugged into the gray 8-pin connector (and the black 2-pin connector) on the driver's side rear corner:

View attachment 40356

I dont have that half circle looking thing. Are you taking about the harness thats on the driver side or the passenger side?
Since There is a harness thats on the driver side that seems to be coming up from under the car.

Sorry, Im just a little confused. Since you posted a photo of a harness and I thought that was for the duraspark system. Since I dont/didnt have/get the duraspark harness. Since Im doing the HEI.

 

[RobbieD]

What we'll need will be the truck's original harness, that used to be plugged into these connectors of yours:

That harness, which will look like the one I posted in post #69 (except as you say, the coil connector), is where you will be doing your wiring connections, so that the modified harness will then plug in between the truck and your new ignition components. Additionally, there are a couple of wires in that harness which need to be kept as-is (alternator field, alternator stator, oil sensor and temp sensor).

I think that you said that your oil and temp may not work, but there is no sense in NOT hooking up these wires when we rebuild the harness. They might even work after we're done.

The larger gauge Black / Orange wire is also needed; I know the plastic connector broke on you, but we'll burn that bridge before we cross it : ) .

 

[MadMax_636]

What we'll need will be the truck's original harness, that used to be plugged into these connectors of yours:

View attachment 40359

That harness, which will look like the one I posted in post #69 (except as you say, the coil connector), is where you will be doing your wiring connections, so that the modified harness will then plug in between the truck and your new ignition components. Additionally, there are a couple of wires in that harness which need to be kept as-is (alternator field, alternator stator, oil sensor and temp sensor).

I think that you said that your oil and temp may not work, but there is no sense in NOT hooking up these wires when we rebuild the harness. They might even work after we're done.

The larger gauge Black / Orange wire is also needed; I know the plastic connector broke on you, but we'll burn that bridge before we cross it : ) .

Thanks, Yeah. Im assuming the gray 8 pin your were speaking of is the one thats sitting unplugged. As well as the connector that broke. I did remove the alternator from the wiring harness so now Ive got the wire that went to the drivers side harness free. Thank God! I thought it was build into the computer harness until I looked at it further. There should only be one wire coming off the starter now right?

Yeah, My oil light flickered when I ran 20w50 during the winter so it might work. I haven't had any issues with it since I put 10w40 in it. After all of this is done and the oil filter adapter o-ring is changed. Im gonna be running 15w50 this summer since GA during the summer get cook egg on pavement hot.
I do wanna install aftermarket temp, oil pressure and temp, gas gauge (since mine doesn't work), AFR, vacuum gauges. Id like to have real gauges instead of dummy ones. Yet, Like you said, They might work after I rebuild the harness


Also, Thanks for all of the help! I know I might seem kinda dumb and asking for help on everything. I just dont wanna screw up anything. I can work on cars on EVERYTHING but never dealt with wiring. Thats a whole new thing. I haven't even done radio wiring haha.
I can rewire a PC but Ive never worked on a cars wiring before.

Thanks A WHOLE LOT!

 

[RobbieD]

Yes, that's correct on the gray 8-pin. And, as you have found the "driver's side" (gray 8-pin) is a much smaller harness once it's separated from the passenger computer harness. Seems more manageable now, right?

I'm not sure about the "only one wire coming off the starter now"; I think you mean the starter solenoid, and we'll look into that when we get the alternator all reconnected (with the rebuilt gray 8-pin harness).

I was wondering how you made out, on that oil filter adapter; sounds like it went OK.

I'm glad to try and help; and there are no dumb questions, except for those that are not asked.

 

[MadMax_636]

Yes, that's correct on the gray 8-pin. And, as you have found the "driver's side" (gray 8-pin) is a much smaller harness once it's separated from the passenger computer harness. Seems more manageable now, right?

I'm not sure about the "only one wire coming off the starter now"; I think you mean the starter solenoid, and we'll look into that when we get the alternator all reconnected (with the rebuilt gray 8-pin harness).

I was wondering how you made out, on that oil filter adapter; sounds like it went OK.

I'm glad to try and help; and there are no dumb questions, except for those that are not asked.

Haha yeah! Way more manageable.

I might have types starter but I meant alternator. Since it was wired into the computer crap. The starter is fine (wiring) still needs to be reseated.

As for the oil filter adapter. I never got to working on it. The day this all happened, I was going to harbor freight to get some tools to get it down haha.

Thanks! Haha. No such thing as dumb questions.

 

[franklin2]

Let's try this picture of my conversion.

2.8 hei conversion by D Franklin, on Flickr