Fuel probems on my 89 TC

[flagmaster]

Well, I think this is a fuel problem, let me tell you the whole storey...

This is my first post here, and I will try to give all the info for a good dignosis, plus forgive my poor spelling skills.

First, its an 1989 Lin Town Car, and has 140,000 miles on it. Been running like a dream. Even the Air Conditioner with RG-12 in it works wonderfull. BEST car I have ever had, and I really wanna keep this baby going.

I made the boo boo of letting the car nearlly run completely out of gas. Proabaly with in seconds of stalling out the motor.

When I put some fresh gas in, all hell broke loose.

Symptom #1 - Extreemly long cranking times. 60 to 500 seconds is usualy what it takes to get it to fire up. (I have a HUGH car stereo, and thus a HUGE car battery that can handle this extreem drain---and so far my starter has not show any signs of dammage).

Symptom #2 - After it finally starts, if I leave it in idol, the exhaust smells really lean to me.

Symptom #3 - If I do a very slow, delibrate press of the gas pettel at idol, the engin rev's up and sound fine, no check lights, all is well, but if I punch it (in idol) it floods the engin.

#4 - After floding it, I can usualy start it right back up, but if it sits off for anything more then about 60 seconds, I have to go thur that long crank process again.

#5 - If I try to put it in gear and drive it, I have the same issue with the gas pettel, if I go very slow and easy, and really baby it, I can make the car get up to about 20 mph, but when the auto tranny shifts, nomrally it kills the engin, and if I try to drive nomrally, or hard, It kills the engin.
(the car is not driveable this way).

#6 - Im not sure what its proper name is, but if I unplug the cable going to the electrical motor assy that is on the throttl body, the car usualy starts better, but has major trouble running at idol (it stals out with this unplugged).

#7 - swapped out the fule filter, no difference at all.

#8 - swapped out the fule pump with one from Auto Zone, helpped alot, but still not fixed. (crank time dropped to closer to 60 seconds down from 500---and the not running time was extended from just a few seconds to several mins before I would have to go into the re-prime thing.

#9 unplugging the vacume hose to the fule regualtor makes nearlly no difference in the preformace of the car---it poor with it on or off.

#10 replaced 5 of the 8 sparkplugs (3 are too tuff for me to do), this also helpped alot, but still poor results.

After reading some other posts on here, it looks like I might have a bad fuel pump replacement?

What do guys think?

Carey

[flagmaster]

Turns out this may not be fuel related at all. Chaning all the plugs, wires, disttrubuter cap and roter have made a world of difference!

Odd how 1 thing (running out of gas) can total throw you off, leading you down a path of a bad diagnosis. I may not have had to change my fule pump at all perhaps...

Carey

[Towncar]

Hi Carey -- WELCOME to the boards !!


Sounds like you got it all taken care of

[rhandwor]

You should have two pumps one in the tank and another back by the tank. To check the in tank pump disconnect the fuel line inlet to the big pump. Put a coffee can under it and have somebody try to start. This is only used to prime the big pump about 3 or 4 psi. While it will run on the big pump it will cause harder starting and problems on curves and going up a steep driveway.
I think you solved your problem but I'm not completely sure.