excuse all the stupid questions i will be asking as i get this 85 shortbed f150 up to snuff. i bought this with the front tank removed.... it was so full of rust i decided to just skip trying to reuse it... i am going with new polymer tanks front and rear. should i put sending units on both front and rear? not sure how the sending units/fuel gauges are set up on these. i only want to mess with the fuel storage and delivery once... new straps, etc. anything else i should address while i am in there? is there a fuel pump for each tank? p.o. has some weird fuel regulator rigged up in line from the rear tank(which is the only one i have now)

 

Need to know what engine size? Carb or EFI?
If EFI take a look at the fuel system write-up link in my signature.

 

Whether carb or EFI each tank ill have its own low pressure fuel pump. If it is an EFI there is a 3rd pump which is a high pressure fuel pump. I would run new pumps for each tank if they sat for that long rusted but you may be able to save the sending units if they fit.

Some plastic tanks need their own pump and sending unit to fit.

New fuel filter while your at it too.

 

According to my '86 shop manual the only F150 with in-tank pumps is the 5.0L EFI beginning in '85.

Some of the larger engines found on F250-F350 may or may not have tank pumps. Some have an external pump as well (not HP).

The senders with pumps have 4 wire connectors w/o pumps have the 2 wire connector.

 

windsor 351 carburated.

 

Should be just sending units in each tank (two wire) the switch will supply power to the selected tank sending unit to show fuel level in that tank, the selecter valve will also determine which tank fuel is drawn from, to match the switch position.

 

thanks guys

 

best i can find out is i need a 3 port fuel selector valve. part # e5tz9189a (expensive) tanks will have sending units without fuel pumps. each will send fuel to one port on the selector valve then the third port is to carbs.
i assume there is some kind of vents on there, the tank company i used(MTS) said they send me everything i will need-( minus fuel line, inline filters i will run) so i hope i have all i need. i am assuming that since previous owner pulled the front tank that the selector switch was bad, but will hold off on ordering a new one until i am sure. i think the rear tank is default if switch is bad?
that selector switch is over 100$ most places and is apparently a notorious piece of junk. oh well, what can you do.

 

Here is the LMC Link http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/FD/full.aspx?page=56 Item 17 is the switch For $29.95, Item 19 Tank selector Valve $129.95 for OE or $49.95 after market. I think you may be confusing the switch and valve, where the valve falure is the main cause of problems with tank selection to feed the engine

 

yeah, the valve. bought a ford one for 75$ ebay. had already ordered it or would have gone with the aftermarket one you listed. getting really close to having a new fuel system on this truck. thanks for all the help. btw the thread pitch on the factory tank selector nuts were not any size thread that the best hardware store in the area carried. 5/16 wanted to go in but not quite. both coarse and fine didnt fit. metric no better. i retapped them to 5/16 x 18....hopefully i can find how this thing originally mounted to the frame.....i assume the two holes will be pretty obvious? i will have a 50/50 chance of getting it correct left/right, up/down....the port to the fuel pump is marked, but not the other two. trial and error i guess. i was hoping all 3 ports would be indicated somehow- then it would probably be easy to tell how to mount it.
glad i replaced everything. old rear tank was leaking and line from sensor was really mushy and interior was crumbling out all over the place. also tank full of rust. new plastic ones wont.