Check your wiring harness on mid to late 80's Class A's!

[Rickf1985]

I just got back from Virginia and it was a long trip after fuel issues. I blew out the exhaust manifold on the drivers side and when I went to see if I could tell where it was leaking I found a very crispy main wiring harness!!!!!!!!! The harness was laying on the A.I.R. tube right where it meets the exhaust manifold at the front cylinder on the drivers side. Someone was looking over me because from feel I can tell it burned through to the wires and there are some big power wires in that harness! I strongly suggest that if you have an 80's Class A of any brand with the 454 that you look closely at that harness. It goes from the starter solenoid mounted on a bracket above the alternator on the top right of the engine and runs under the AC compressor and then down to where mine was laying on that manifold. I will get pictures if it ever stops raining and I can get it up in the air and tire off to get too it and repair it. You should be able to see it from the dogbox looking down at the number one cylinder at the front left of the engine.

[tiinytina]

I too had an an issue back about 5 or 6 years leaving trap pond.. BLEW out the drivers manifold and one muffler split in 2... Mine was the wiring harness that clips to the rotor cap came loose.. thus backfired due to mis fire.   Manifolds are now gone. and Gone has no AIR and Banks headers... A big piece of thermo blanket heat fabric is now between headers and starter/ all else... front facing....   I have had many issues losing front most plug/wires all are now clipped up, heat shields in place on plugs..  Been blowing another part under the rotor itself.. a couple times since. shuts whole engine down.. pick up? can't think long day add on hurricane prep stuff...

[Rickf1985]

I finally dug down to mine and I am SO lucky! Someone at one time had wrapped an inner tube around the wiring. It burned through the tube and through the wiring harness tape but just discolored the wires! I will try to get pictures today. I am going to be also making hurricane prep so probably will not get a lot done. The one that blew up from the Gulf last week just finally cleared out of here after 3 solid days of rain and now another coming in at us.


It appears that as far as the harness goes that if you have not removed any of your emissions pumps then you are probably Ok, take a quick look anyway. What it looks like on mine is that I removed both pumps and all of the bracketry that held them and that may have allowed the wiring to drop down a little lower than before.

[Froggy1936]

bracketry ?  Removal of aforementioned can cause sudden, major leakage of smoke from wiring harness. And possible fire ! with melting of fuel lines resulting in total loss of complete vehicle . WARNING  removal of bracketry is serious modificationry !  Frank

[skloon]

I know some Volvo's of this time used some evironmentally friendly wiring that would dissolve in heat after 20 years -just went and checked all the under doghouse wiring on my 92 and fixed a couple of shields thanks for the tip

[Rickf1985]

bracketry ?  Removal of aforementioned can cause sudden, major leakage of smoke from wiring harness. And possible fire ! with melting of fuel lines resulting in total loss of complete vehicle . WARNING  removal of bracketry is serious modificationry !  Frank

Ok Frank, Specifically the upper bracket that held the upper air pump and covered the entire top front of the engine. Once I removed that I was able to access my fan, shroud, fan clutch, belts. None of which I could even see before hand.


Glad to see you are getting your wry sense of humor back Frank. [size=78%] [/size]