Fuel sending unit part #'s 1986 Grand Marquis

[Will]

I've been working through my always on empty fuel gauge and always "on" low fuel light problem. I bought the manual and proceeded to apply my meager electrical skills in a stupid way. I found the two wires in the harness for the sending unit behind the rear seat and punctured them with leads from my tester on the ohm setting. When I turned the ignition key to on all of a sudden my gauge moved to 1/2 and the low fuel light went out. I'd already been under the car and had removed the plug from the sending unit and reattached it. Here I was thinking that I had about half a tank of gas so I must have fixed the problem by just removing the plug from the sending unit and plugging it back in, bad connection right? That's when I saw the needle on the still connected voltmeter being repeatedly pegged in a pulsing manner. OK we've established that I have meager electrical skills and I was stupid to try and test the circuit that way but I believe that my voltmeter connected into the circuit provided enough resistance to move the fuel gauge and shut off the low fuel light. In my simple mind the low fuel switch and gauge have been ruled out as faulty along with all the wiring from the trunk to the gauge. I've read enough on this site to know that a sunk fuel float wouldn't be out of the question and I thought that I'd source a locking ring, gasket and float before I took it apart to make sure. Can anyone give me the ford part numbers for these parts? I've been scouring the internet and fleabay and have come up empty. I'd appreciate the help.

[87gtVIC]

http://www.grandmarq.net/vb/showthread.php?45511-Fuel-Tank-Sending-Unit&highlight=fuel+sender

You are SOL. No more left at green sales.

[Will]

Sol

The float is on fleabay, 9 bucks and shipping. The Ford part # is COAZ-9290-B

SOL indeed

[Will]

Oopsa

COAZ-9202-B is the part # for the brass float

[86VickyLX]

It's most likely the float sank.