Hey there, just picked up my '87 Crown Vic

[gadget73]

If its crusty but not broken you may be able to open up the plastic cover and clean it. Its a really simple device electrically, the float arm moves a wiper across the board, and that changes resistance. Unless the resistor part breaks, usually the issue is nastiness between the wiper and the board. Cleaning that and adding a bit of tension to the moving finger may just fix it. Worth a look, if it doesn't work now you're not going to break it.

[Happster]

If its crusty but not broken you may be able to open up the plastic cover and clean it. Its a really simple device electrically, the float arm moves a wiper across the board, and that changes resistance. Unless the resistor part breaks, usually the issue is nastiness between the wiper and the board. Cleaning that and adding a bit of tension to the moving finger may just fix it. Worth a look, if it doesn't work now you're not going to break it.

Thanks y'all. Looks like I'll be looking around the junkyard this weekend. Also I'll take mine apart. The resistance seemed to change when I messed with the wire... It snapped right off. Doh. Might as well try to disassemble it and maybe re-solder it on there!

Sent from my Moto Z (2) using Tapatalk

[Rodentkiller]

When my fuel pump went kaput I went to O'Rilly,s car parts and got a combination fuel pump and sending unit had it installed and now works like a treat.

[Happster]

When my fuel pump went kaput I went to O'Rilly,s car parts and got a combination fuel pump and sending unit had it installed and now works like a treat.

mine is not the combo, it's separate on an '87, and mine was just toast. I took it apart and it was unsalvageable. I feared the worst...
until I saw this today! https://www.ebay.com/itm/273178465273
NOS sending unit on its way!

[Happster]

OK guys, I know this is the introduction section, but I figure what the heck I am sure i'll still have plenty of newbie questions and if the rest of the info I post here ends up belonging in a different section someone will yell at me or move it. until then, here we go!
It's been a while since I updated y'all, but progress is being made quickly now that school has ended. The car is almost ready for the road. I'll try to share my updates in a chronological order.
finally got the fuel tank in and the sending unit as well! here is a comparison of my old one vs my NOS one I got on ebay, got super lucky there! hopefully I'll never need another one!

I just tossed the old one out. nothing salvageable on it. unbelievable the condition it was in!
the fuel tank was a difficult install in my parking space. I've got this old lady that loves to report me for working on my car at my apartment, so jacking the car up and crawling under it sent her into a frenzy. I was only able to get one of the two straps on, the other one simply was not long enough. I read about how at the factory they put those studs in with breakaways they remove once the straps are tightened down, and I have to say mine just would NOT go on. an eighth of an inch more and I could have had it, but it just wasn't happening. I have a universal fit strap I am going to put on instead, which should do the job nicely. going to wait til I can drive it home to the ranch so I can jack the car up in peace.
anyway, after all that, SHE FIRED RIGHT UP! first crank of the engine and it just started up. you could tell it wasn't 100%, but at least it ran.

after she ran, I did a little tune up, and did what we bronco fanatics call "the sixliter tune up." basically you drop in a high power coil and gap the plugs a little wider, then advance the timing a little bit. seems to work well on any of these engines, whether it's in a truck or in a car that's built like a truck. here's a link to the tech thread if y'all are curious.

http://www.fullsizebronco.com/forum/23-technical-write-ups/63592-ignition-upgrade-timing-bump-no-56k.html

here's a shot after I got it done. I know, the wires are a mess. they seem to be 3" longer on each wire. could be worse. it's not a race car. It's neater than it was in this pic now.

got it all nice and tuned up, and then I hit the brakes and heard a nice big hiss and the motor bogged down. brake booster had failed. so out with the old, in with the new once again!

the hardest part about that booster replacement was getting to those pesky nuts on the booster's 4 studs in the firewall. I am not a small guy, and fitting my fat head and wide shoulders under the dash was no easy feat! they were 9/16" nuts, and it was tight under there. I wish I had my ratcheting wrenches, but they are 2 hours away at the shop. just had to do what I could to get them off. I found that moving the little black harness box under there definitely helped. it was unbelievably difficult to get those little nuts back on it after I was done though. it was easier bolting it back up than it was to take it off.
before:

after:

and that's where I am now! need to bleed the master , and then get it all buttoned up there, then I have some new injectors and a fuel pressure regulator to pop in. may wait til I am not in my parking lot to do that too. depends how she runs when she's on the road.

[Kodachrome Wolf]

When I swapped my booster, I opted to use a u-joint and several extensions. The upper left bolt was done mostly by feel. It’s not the easiest job, but not the worst, either.

Glad to see it’s running again. I wonder why your spark plug wires came out so long. I’ve got part store wires on the wagon, but they were factory length. Just make sure wires for cylinders 7 and 8 stay properly separated. They can crossfire if they’re not kept apart. You can get the spark plug wire holders from most auto parts stores, just check around their “speed components” area.

[Happster]

When I swapped my booster, I opted to use a u-joint and several extensions. The upper left bolt was done mostly by feel. It’s not the easiest job, but not the worst, either.

Glad to see it’s running again. I wonder why your spark plug wires came out so long. I’ve got part store wires on the wagon, but they were factory length. Just make sure wires for cylinders 7 and 8 stay properly separated. They can crossfire if they’re not kept apart. You can get the spark plug wire holders from most auto parts stores, just check around their “speed components” area.

I guess I should have taken a photo after ALL the nuts were tightened down, but yes, they are all on there! I was able to get a 3/8" ratchet and a shallow socket on the last one, then finish tightening it with a normal wrench. DON'T LEAVE NUTS MISSING ON BRAKE COMPONENTS, KIDS. that's good to know about 7 and 8, I have some little clippy wire holders coming today.

[gadget73]

Does Sixlitre still have his '90 Towncar? Either way, tell him I said hi if he's still active over there. I remember him from lincolnsonline.

See if you can get two nuts on the side where the tank strap won't go. Jam them together and see if the stud will back out of the clip in the body some. If it will back out enough to get the strap on, you're golden. Worst case, if it comes out just replace it with a longer section of allthread and put it back together.

and yeah those boosters are real SOB to unbolt. Its the worst kind of tease, you can just about access all of it, but not quite enough to actually do the job easily.

[Happster]

Does Sixlitre still have his '90 Towncar? Either way, tell him I said hi if he's still active over there. I remember him from lincolnsonline.

See if you can get two nuts on the side where the tank strap won't go. Jam them together and see if the stud will back out of the clip in the body some. If it will back out enough to get the strap on, you're golden. Worst case, if it comes out just replace it with a longer section of allthread and put it back together.

and yeah those boosters are real SOB to unbolt. Its the worst kind of tease, you can just about access all of it, but not quite enough to actually do the job easily.

I'm glad the booster is done, I might try that tank strap stud idea. super psyched she is almost roadworthy!