Sending Unit, Carb Applications

[sly]

I think the 79-89 fuel level senders are the opposite electrically as 90+ and digital dash. Resistance values increase on one and decrease on the other. I vaguely remember that being an issue with using later fuel tanks in boxes.

[VicCrownVic]

Correct. And on an early digi dash TC I found the resistance range was much wider than the '90+ resistance range but same direction (increasing or decreasing, too lazy to look it up at the moment). When I measured it in the JY I thought it was a bad sending unit (despite coming from a literally mint car, maybe Derek remembers that one, crying shame). After I got home and did some research I found the reading in the yard was correct. This TC was probably not newer than '83. By '88 the digidash sending unit may have changed resistance range to not be so wide considering analog changed sometime in '88 or for sure for '89 to match exactly the '90+ range and direction.

[gadget73]

yeah the digital ones I think run both opposite the analog, and have a wider range but I'm not about to go fetch my manuals to confirm. I just took the lot of them back out to the garage last night. Whatever it is, its unique to the digital dash.

[VicCrownVic]

By '88 the digidash sending unit may have changed resistance range to not be so wide considering analog changed sometime in '88 or for sure for '89 to match exactly the '90+ range and direction.

And when I say analog changed in '88 (possibly mid-year '88) that's for TC only which adopted the '90+ resistance range and direction but retained the separate sending unit through the end of the '89 model year.

[gadget73]

The cluster on the 88-89 Towncar is different than the older one so it would make sense if the sender is different that started in 1988.

Master parts manual for 80-81 Lincoln and 82-89 Towncar has a lot of choices

5.0 cars
80 w/o electronic cluster E0LY-9275-B
80 w/ electronic E1LY-9275-C
81-83 w/o electronic cluster Canada E0AZ-9275-D
81-87 w/o electronic except Canada E0LY-9275-B
81-84 w/ electronic exc Canada E1LY-9275-C
81-83 w/ electronic Canada E1LY-9275-D
82 w/ tripminder Canada E0LY-9275-E
85-89 w/ electronic cluster E5VY-9275-A
88-89 w/o electronic cluster E9VY-9275-A


5.8 cars 80-81
80 w/o electronic cluster E0LY-9275-A
80-81 w/ electronic E0LY-9275-E

[VicCrownVic]

Wtf, digidash sender changed in '85, I assumed it would have changed in '88 when the sender for analog cluster changed. That is a lot of changes, some being feel system changes and some resistance changes.
I wonder if the digidash sender change in '85 went to the same resistance range as all '90+ panthers (aeros and whales included) like the analog change in '88. Probably not since the '88-'89 sender is listed for analog only.

[kishy]

The cluster on the 88-89 Towncar is different than the older one so it would make sense if the sender is different that started in 1988.

Master parts manual for 80-81 Lincoln and 82-89 Towncar has a lot of choices

5.0 cars
80 w/o electronic cluster E0LY-9275-B
80 w/ electronic E1LY-9275-C
81-83 w/o electronic cluster Canada E0AZ-9275-D
81-87 w/o electronic except Canada E0LY-9275-B
81-84 w/ electronic exc Canada E1LY-9275-C
81-83 w/ electronic Canada E1LY-9275-D
82 w/ tripminder Canada E0LY-9275-E
85-89 w/ electronic cluster E5VY-9275-A
88-89 w/o electronic cluster E9VY-9275-A


5.8 cars 80-81
80 w/o electronic cluster E0LY-9275-A
80-81 w/ electronic E0LY-9275-E

So...this corrupts some of the community knowledge I think, and reveals an interesting thing. Guy at the yard I used to frequent locally told me that the digital cluster cars in the 80s used unique senders, and I didn't believe it at the time because it seems so stupid that there'd be no sense in it, yet here we can clearly see there are electronic and non-electronic variants all through the 80s. Disclaimer added to first post in thread.

I have received my two new sending units today. They break down as follows:

E0LY-9275-E on the box, E0LF-9275-A stamped into the part, no additional sticker on part
Has return line fitting.
Uses the "backwards" resistance scale like a 90+.
Has an additional ground strap between the float arm and the body (I concluded this is to enhance accuracy and reduce jumpiness).
Has a differently pinned version of the electrical connector - none of the cars I own have a connector that mates with this.
These points made me conclude before re-reading Gadget's notes, that this is for a 351 Lincoln with digital cluster.



F0AZ-9275-B on the box, F0AU-9275-BA on a label on the part covering where the stamped number would appear
Has return line fitting.
Uses the "backwards" resistance scale like a 90+.
These points made me conclude that this is for a 1990-1991 Ford or Mercury with 351. It is the sedan version of the part. Earlier comment about 90-91 not using the 2" sender on sedans is not correct; carb 90-91 still uses the old setup.
edit 2024-01-22: I have now sold the F0 part and don't have it anymore. The buyer was buying it for a '91 351 car.



Thoughts in a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fc-QWQe-xE

Accordingly, neither of these parts are actually usable for me as they exist today (nor is either usable for Grand1). My initial thought was that I could just swap the resistor component over from my existing part, however I have realized this is subtly more complicated than originally thought. The mechanism is installed in reverse (not on the same side of the part) between my bad part and these new ones.

Can still be done, just going to take a little more engineering than I wanted.

[gadget73]

The resistance ranges on the electronic vs analog senders are definitely not the same. I believe they are opposite the analog one, and the resistance is different. Specifics are in the EVTM.

Ford did the same thing on the Mark VII. Not only are the resistance ranges different digital vs analog, the analog is actually a dual range, one for the gauge, the other for the "distance to empty" function on the tripminder.

[kishy]

Thanks to a stroke of absolute luck and with some help from a valued friend on here, I've actually now got my hands on the correct NOS part for my car!

I'm adding it here because it's relevant information in case someone stumbles upon this thread looking for pics.

D9AZ-9275-A on the box, D9AF9275AB stamped into the part, no additional sticker on part
Does not have return line fitting.
Uses the correct resistance scale for a Ford/Mercury pre-90 box.
Has connector correct for a Ford/Mercury pre-90 box.
The part has a stamped logo for presumably the manufacturer, Linden (as well as the Ford emblem).
The eBay seller advertised this as being for a wagon specifically, but the part is identical to the one that came out of my sedan, and I have no reason to believe that car had the incorrect part installed.



This of course means that I will be able to repair my 83MGM without needing to complete the refurbishment of the parts I already have, but I will continue that thread with progress in that area when I get around to it again. I'd like to see the existing parts be restored to usable condition because eventually, someone is going to need one.

[87gtVIC]

Awesome!