Ok guys I need some help.

I recently installed a transmission in a friend's truck (1991 1/2 ton with a 350 and an auto) while he was working offshore. His wife wanted to surprise him since it had been sitting for six months. I got the transmission without a problem but the battery was completely dead, of course.

So here's where the problem happened. I told his wife that the truck would need a battery and that I would put it on as soon as she bought one. Well she decided to put the battery on by herself and hooked the cables up backwards. She said the smoke started coming from the firewall at the junction box/relay/fusible link cover. She removed the cables as soon as the smoke started and called me. I came out and looked under the cover and couldn't really tell whether anything actually got torn up. So I hooked up the battery and here's all that works:

Headlights and tail lights
Radio

What doesn't:

Nothing on dash
Nothing when key is turned
Fuel pump does not prime
Blinkers don't activate with key on

So I'm guessing whatever supplies power to the ignition switch is the problem, but is it a wire, relay, fusible link? Does anyone have experience with this?

By the way, all the fuses under the steering column are good. Of course I can't tell if the big silver fuses are bad or not but I'm assuming they're good too

 

I'm posting this from my phone and I can't edit my last post. The radio should be on the list of things that don't work. The brake lights work also.

 

you burned out quite a few of the low resistance fusible links. peel back the wires and you should see the bubbles on a few of them. replace. they have those at the dealer and probably pepboys.

 

Man that is one of the worst things that could be done to a vehicle. Usually it destroys lots of stuff including the computer. Unfortunately unless you have access to all the electrical diagrams and the proper knowledge and tools not much you can do. This is not the kind of problem that anyone is going to be able to fix with out looking at the truck. This kind of thing does not happen much.

 

All I can say is OUCH!

 

The old addage "if it has **** or tires it will cause you trouble" really applys here.

 

Well crap. I was hoping someone had experience with this type of thing. So here's what I'm gonna do. I'll use a test light and check to see if I get power before and after each of the fusible links. I know the general area where one blew. I'm pretty sure the computer didn't get fried...well, I'm not sure, she's sure cuz she said no smoke came from it. I know that doesn't mean it didn't blow the computer but I'm just thinking maybe the fusible links did their job.

I have a haynes manual that shows wiring diagrams and I think I have a good idea where to start looking. I'm much more than average when it comes to mechanics, I just hoped someone on here might be like "oh yea, happened to me 2 years ago and blew this and that." But it's like you guys said, this doesn't happen very often.

Monday I'm gonna begin the check of all the fusible links and I'll let you guys know what happens. Let's hope it's not too bad.