4cyl. Engine fire today! Fix or V8 swap?

[Swaggy81]

Only the 5th or 6th time ever driving my new CJ7 and it caught fire today driving down the road (apparently a gas leak). It melted most of the wiring and hoses, etc. on the passenger side of the motor. It's the old Iron Duke 4 cylinder. That little motor was actually kind of fun to drive. With the cherry bomb glass pack, it sounded like a toy airplane! Anyway, it's probably a good time/excuse for a V8 swap. But I'm wondering what y'all think? I'd probably have a heck of a time finding another 4cyl. wiring harness and fixing all those little bits to get the 4cyl. running right again, which is money that could go towards the V8 swap. But, I'm sure the V8 swap has a lot of secondary costs/issues too: new Transmission , bigger radiator, etc. Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I really like this jeep because it's a CJ7 and an original Renegade in a decent color (dark blue). So I'd like to keep it and fix it instead of just selling it for parts and buying another one. But maybe that makes the most sense?

 

[RiverandSand]

Well that sucks! A couple of routes you can go, swap in a 8 or a 6, Novak Conversions has a lot of info on this. However this isn't a cheap option. Or try to get a harness either a new one (Painless or a few others) or a used one from a junkyard; J&W auto wrecker, Collins bros. If your happy with your current setup, a new harness I think would be the way to go.

Welcome too.

 

[RealJeep]

If the four was meeting your needs I don't see any reason to change it. If you couldn't find a wiring harness you could probably repair the one you have. Just trace the wires back to the fuse box and solder a new wire on.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

If the engine is sound-Stay with it.
That drive line will be pushed hard with an 8.
I'll bet the fuel leak was at the fuel filter....Known cause of engine fires in CJ's.
Bet you will carry a fire extinguisher from now on.
LG

 

[yleefox]

My four banger had 256,000 miles on it and had been rebuilt at least once (was told twice, but I had not evidence prove that). I jerked it out and replaced it with an AMC 304 and T-18 Transmission . I would not have gone with the AMC motor if I had it to do again, simply because parts and pieces are easier and generally cheaper to acquire with a small block Chevy. The entire swap was expensive, but in the end, I'm pleased with the performance improvement.

 

[arod52413]

Only the 5th or 6th time ever driving my new CJ7 and it caught fire today driving down the road (apparently a gas leak). It melted most of the wiring and hoses, etc. on the passenger side of the motor. It's the old Iron Duke 4 cylinder. That little motor was actually kind of fun to drive. With the cherry bomb glass pack, it sounded like a toy airplane! Anyway, it's probably a good time/excuse for a V8 swap. But I'm wondering what y'all think? I'd probably have a heck of a time finding another 4cyl. wiring harness and fixing all those little bits to get the 4cyl. running right again, which is money that could go towards the V8 swap. But, I'm sure the V8 swap has a lot of secondary costs/issues too: new Transmission , bigger radiator, etc. Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!! I really like this jeep because it's a CJ7 and an original Renegade in a decent color (dark blue). So I'd like to keep it and fix it instead of just selling it for parts and buying another one. But maybe that makes the most sense?

I have the same engine iron duke and just repaired (or intended to repair) engine harness and I have no power. I am trying to find a engine diagram for the GM 2.5L "iron duke". Do you have any pics of your engine wiring or better yet the engine wiring? I downloaded the Haynes repair manual but it is very blurry.