'89 Bronco Project - F-150 19 gal fuel tank and sender?

Hey all, I'm new to the forums and I just picked up my winter project this week, a 1989 5.0 Bronco w/ 4" lift, 35" Buckshots, a busted water pump bolt, and an unfinished fuel tank project by the PO.

I'm having trouble because the previous owner planned to put in an F-150 19 gallon fuel tank with a corresponding sending unit. Well I'm new to Bronco's and the Hayne's manual hasn't been too much help, so I need to know if this is even possible. The F-150 sending unit uses a four pin connector and the Bronco uses a three pin, I have the connector as a pigtail from the F-150. Is it possible to use this connector and sending unit with an '89 Bronco?

I thought I read that the Bronco had an external fuel pump and the F-150 had an in-tank pump, which is what I think the piece in the bag is in the picture of the SU. I'm really flustered with this right now and I'm wondering if I'm better off getting a plastic 33gal and new sending unit from MTS. I'll put up pictures of the connector from the F-150 and the sending unit.

Any help anyone can provide will be very much appreciated.

Thanks!

Cody

In 1990 the full size bronco went to a single in-tank pump, prior to that they had a low pressure pump in the tank and a high pressure one on the driver's frame rail.

I assume that the final pressure would be the same and that there shouldn't be an issue in swapping the new one in, But I do not know for sure and would want to check that.

Also there is a pressure regulator, I would want to make sure the specs are the same for it.

Thanks for the reply, I'm not sure how I would check if the pressure regulator would be the same. What I'm mostly concerned with is the wiring, the four pin has completely different wire colors than the three pin on the Bronco, I'm not sure which wire does what on the three pin so I'm hesitant to try to hook it up. Does pretty much everybody keep the 33 gallon tank?

I know it's been successfully done before. What year is the F150 sending unit out of? Could that be the difference between the 3-wire and a 4-wire?

Ogeechee 4x4 said:

I know it's been successfully done before. What year is the F150 sending unit out of? Could that be the difference between the 3-wire and a 4-wire?

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I'm not 100% sure what year the sending unit is out of. This is just the stuff I was given when I bought the truck, I'm thinking it may be of the same year range as the Bronco.

i would just get the stock style tank and pump......much much easier and no modification.......its a no-brainer

yea i'm kinda with 92 on this. I cant see a benifit to put the smaller tank in other than that you already have it in hand.

jsomedaysoon said:

yea i'm kinda with 92 on this. I cant see a benifit to put the smaller tank in other than that you already have it in hand.

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I just happen to have a bronco & a F150 in my driveway and have thought about the swap for years and years. It gives you sooo much better departure angle. And i'm tired of banging my gas tank on rocks and stumps.

I would go to autozone/advance/napa and ask to look at a F150 sending unit from the same year as your bronco and see if the wiring is the same.

Here's a couple pics of what is so good about the swap.

f150



Bronco

I agree with ogeechee, besides departure angle I don't know why you'd want a smaller tank. True it won't cost much to fill but every couple days youll need a fill up and on a long trip your SOL.

BB33 said:

I agree with ogeechee, besides departure angle I don't know why you'd want a smaller tank. True it won't cost much to fill but every couple days youll need a fill up and on a long trip your SOL.

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cause lets face it......ford put a giant tank in there for a reason

Yeah it wasn't my decision to put it in, the PO decided then never finished it. Personally I would've left the 33gal and focused on other areas. So I suppose I'll just try it, I have the sending unit put together now, and I found a somewhat helpful wiring diagram in the Haynes manual. I'll try to put it in and get fuel running to the engine, and if it doesn't work I'll have to spend the $250+ or so on a new tank and SU.

I knew this was here somewhere!!!

I have the evtm for a '90, but didn't bring it to work, so I'd have a hard time scanning it for you. I should be able to get the wire colors off of it for you (for the one pump system)

Here are diagrams for an '89

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?s=&...ost&p=61928

BroncoJoe19 said:

I knew this was here somewhere!!!
I have the evtm for a '90, but didn't bring it to work, so I'd have a hard time scanning it for you. I should be able to get the wire colors off of it for you (for the one pump system)

Here are diagrams for an '89

http://broncozone.com/forums/index.php?s=&...ost&p=61928

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I'll have to study the diagrams, can't make any sense of them quickly. I think my Bronco has a two pump system, I'll run out and check...

I'm pretty certain it's two pump, I see a large tube-shaped pump inside the driver's side frame rail about where the transmission is married to the engine.

codycarpenter said:

I'm pretty certain it's two pump, I see a large tube-shaped pump inside the driver's side frame rail about where the transmission is married to the engine.

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thats the second pump