98SVT

There doesn't seem to be any instructions anywhere on how to replace a return type fuel pump - most importantly how to get the fuel lines out of the pump. I've looked at various youtube videos but they haven't been of much help. Specifically, I have gotten the return (white side) line out but on the red side, well, here's a picture. I need to know if I can just rip the line out or if there's a less brutal way to remove it. Thanks.

It's a shame really. These parts will all go obsolete at some time and many of us are still going to have our cars. Sometimes I think it's actually easier to get parts for my 60's era cars that it is for my '98. I wonder if the guys over the pond are having as hard a time with parts availability for their Mondeos as we are starting to have over here? I would imagine more Mondeos have been sold world wide than Contours here in North America. Karl

Thanks Terry. I had a feeling they were as good as they were going to get. Karl

I finally got the car in to get the cables replaced and picked it up yesterday. First impression is that while all gears are now accessible without grinding or the MTX popping out of gear, the shift process seems kind of "rubbery." With the shifter in neutral, it feels very solid but during the "rowing" process the shifter movement isn't very firm. Is that the way they felt when these cars were new? I've never had a new car with a cable shift so I don't know. I've read something about this being the case with the new ST Focus as well (I think) so maybe it is a normal feel on a cable shift. I can live with if if that's what it's suppose to feel like but I just want to make sure that there isn't any other part of the mechanism that can be fixed or adjusted to give the shifting a firmer feel. Karl

I couldn't edit my prior post. Disregard what I posted about what the cables look like. I was only looking at the ends that go to the shifter. The MTX ends are white and black and look to be replaceable. The question will be, can we still get them? Seemed like the parts guy thought they were discontinued. I'll try to order a couple when I take the car in to get the cables installed. You'd think I was going to hold on to this car forever! Well, so far I haven't found anything that I can afford to replace it so maybe I will. Karl

Yes! Cable ends were indeed on the cables. Not sure if they are replaceable or not though. That might have been what the note was referring to that I mentioned in an earlier post. Maybe that means they never wear out? That would be nice! When I get them installed, I'll report back to say whether or not they fixed my problem. By the way, the part number is XS7Z 7E395 AB. Both cable ends were black - one was bigger than the other. This may be an upgraded number and part from an "earlier" late type cable assembly as as such, has no replaceable parts. Karl

I ordered the cables yesterday and they should arrive tomorrow but I won't be able to pick them up until Friday. Now the interesting part. They may NOT include the collets. Why? Because they seem to be discontinued! According to the parts counter guy the cables don't include any user replaceable parts. Replaceable wasn't the word used - I can't remember what the word was - but to the parts guy, that meant no cable ends. He just wanted me to not be surprised (angry in his words) if they weren't attached to the cables when they came in. The picture from the parts manual wasn't clear one way or the other on whether the collets were there and there was no indication separate part numbers for collets. I may have to convert my MTX to a rod shift if that's at all possible if I can't get any satisfaction with these cables. Karl

Thanks Terry. I'm off to the dealer today for other business and will see what the parts counter can do for me. Are the cable ends on the new type cable assembly replaceable? I'm thinking that maybe I should order some replacements before THOSE go discontinued. Karl

Adam, did you ever get around to swapping out the early cables to the later ones? I am in the same boat. No black cable end and after the dealer replaced the white one, the shifter doesn't feel right and first gear sometimes first gear isn't completely engaged and will grind or pop out of gear when the clutch is engaged. Dealer says it's because the black cable end is bad. Well, why did Ford discontinue it then???? It seems almost more important than the white one. Karl

I removed the coil pack and guess what? Still couldn't get those plug wires off as I figured would happen. The problem is getting a grip on them. Fingers, at least mine, don't have the power to pull them off. I searched through my roll away and found a long plier like tool that is used on drum brake cylinders that had the little bent ends that I could grip the plug wire boot "wings" without tearing them up and viola, I could pull them right off. I just needed to transfer the pulling effort from below to above the level of the UIM where I could get some leverage. That's why I wondered if there was a "special" Ford tool for this job. The rest of the job was as someone described, cake. Karl

Well, I'm against doing anything unnecessary unless there is some tangible benefit and also because the less you do, the less that can go wrong. I've already removed one of the bolts off the coil pack to move that condenser thing out of the way so I guess I'll remove the others and see what happens. Karl

I'll remove it as a last resort. I can't even get to the number 1 plug wire to grip it well enough to pop it off and the coil pack isn't in the way for that one. The boots seem to be stuck on from being on there so long I guess. I just don't want to break anything by forcing stuff. I wonder if there isn't a "special tool" that the dealer guys use to get these off. I would imagine that they've seen enough Contours by now to warrant one. They are stock Ford wires by the way - probably the originals - but I've had no problems with them (misfiring) and don't want to break any of them wrestling with the boots.Karl

I'd be happy if I could just get the plug wires off of those back three plugs without destroying them or anything else around them. The ones on the front bank were pretty hard to get off but at least I was able to get hold of them. The back ones are just far enough below the intake to barely get fingertips on them. Not much strength in fingers - tips or otherwise. Karl

If you have posts (you have 7), you won't get kicked off.Karl

From what I've read, there are two problems: The temp is running a little hotter and there is a coolant leak. Both will probably be solved by replacing the whole pump, not just the impeller part. By doing that, you will "fix" the loose cone (if that's the higher temp reason) and you'll fix the leak as it's probably located at some point around the big gasket that seals both halves of the pump together. The new pumps from Ford have the upgraded plasic impeller which should last for a long time. Making sure you get all the broken impeller parts out of the system will also help. :thumbsup: Karl