2001 Taurus fuel tank

Hey folks. My 2001 SEL Taurus has a leaking tank that I'm going to change out this weekend. When I got the tank and took it out of the box I see from the packing slip it's a 18 gallon not 16 (maybe in my haste to order I didn't see that). I think the 18 was available for the wagon. Will it still fit?
Also I see the tank has 3 holes in it and fuel filler nipple on the side. I know one of the holes is for the pump/sending unit but what the heck are the other 2 for and what gaskets or orings am I going to need for those? The tank did come with a new locking ring and O-ring for the fuel sending unit, thank goodness.
Any help before I tackle this project would be great.

Years ago my dad told me that the larger capacity tanks typically have the same envelope, but the fill tube is just shorter inside the tank. I'm not able to confirm this, but it would make sense. Your fuel pump/sending unit assembly will be different between the two since the sending unit calibration would be different for an 18 gallon tank than a 16 gallon tank.

One of the extra holes is probably for the fuel tank vent valve and the other may be for the fuel pressure sensor. I'm guessing though since I don't have the service manual available right now.

-Rod

Thanks Shorod. I can always count on you. I forgot that with the bigger tank my sending unit will be off. Can it be calibrated or do I need to buy a new unit for 18 gallon tanks. On the other hand I think the unit would give me an artificially low reading, which would be ok. I'll never have to worry about running out of gas. hopefully I can reuse everything attached to the old tank to plug those openings on the new tank.
Wish me luck!!:runaround:

I don't think you could calibrate it. I suspect that it would just take many more miles before it started to drop off of full, then once you burned through 2 gallons it would read correct. So 1/4 tank wouldn't really be 1/4 tank of the 18 gallon tank, but would be the same distance to empty as what you are used to.

-Rod

I'M ok with that. I dropped the tank this morning. Wasn't too bad. Hardest part was figuring out how to disconnect electrical connectors. You have to be Houdini to do it. A word of warning to others wanting to this. The Haynes manual mentions nothing of the pressure relief and vent valves that go in those holes. They are made out of Plastic and after 11 years are very brittle I snapped the nipPles trying to get the hoses off and that's cutting them. Well went to the ford dealer because autoZone doesn't carry them and the relief valve is 297.00!!!!!! :confused: The other one was only 87.00. What a joke. I'm so glad I'll be done with ford after this car. Better yet I should move back to NYC and get rid of all my cars and take the subway!! What a money pit!
Parts come in Monday. Hopefully everything goes well getting it back together

I'm so glad I'll be done with ford after this car.

Yeah, because most manufacturers charge way less for their far superior plastic parts. ;)

-Rod

Hey everyone here's an update. finally got the new tank in. Getting the vent valve and pressure sensor from ford was quite the adventure. I found the part numbers on a saite called www.fordparts.com (http://www.fordparts.com). Put in your VIN number and you can get illustrations for any system in your car. So anyway I call my local ford dealer and asked them if they have the two components. They said they would have to order them. fine Go there to pick them up and they only have the pressure sensor. The other one never came in. Great now what. I only have three days to get this thing back together. Call all around other dealers and one said they can get the vent valve next day but it comes with a hose. This is the really expensive one. So i taker a day off work go there to pick up the vent valve and lo and behold that part number includes BOTH the vent valve and the pressure regulator as well as the whole hose assembly and connector swirch for the venting assembly. so now I have an extra pressure sensor to return to ford for a probable stoking fee. Now my question is nobody at any ford dealers I taked to could have told me that the one part number 9C047 comes with basically everything that goes to that tank ecxcept the sending unit and that's why it cosat so much? What these guys never replaced a tank or any of these components on a 2001 Taurus in 11 years. Geez.
So word of warning. If you want to order the 9C047 vent valve it comes with everthing.
I guess the good news is I didn't have to do any jury rigging of hoses. It was just plug an play.
The strap were a little short for the 18 gallon tank but I went to Lowes and got some 4 inch stainless bolts and took care of that!!! Good luck guys!:loser:

Thanks for the information on the part number. Apparently in the case of the the 2001 Taurus anyway, the larger 18 gallon tank is not the same as a 16 gallon tank with a shorter neck.

-Rod