My Haynes manual does not describe how to swap out my neutral switch.

I have a manual transmission, 5 speed. The engine is a straight 6 (in case that matters). 1992, F150.

My truck has begun a new behavior where it sometimes won't start.

I have electricity when I turn the key.

If I step on the clutch and push a little to the outside, I can get it to start.

This happened to me about 8 years ago and a shop replaced the neutral switch (after I bought 3 batteries thinking I was killing them... :-( )

He didn't charge much. So, it shouldn't be too difficult.

But, I don't know where it is or how to swap it.

Help appreciated....

Thanks in advance....
Kevin

 

first thing to do is take that haynes manual and throw it away. as you have already found out, it is useless.
the clutch interrupter switch is on the clutch pedal assembly, and is a plunger style switch.
pretty much you will have to get under the dash with a flashlight and start looking.
there will be two switches. one for the brake lights, and one for the clutch.
the switch is only about $30 new at napa

 

You don't have a nuetral switch, but you do have a clutch switch. It is right above the gas pedal. There are sevaeral wires going to it, 2 that are for cruise control and 2 for the start circuit. There may be 2 more, but I think not. The ones for the start circuit are red with a blue stripe. If you unhook the wires and jump between those 2 and it starts, your clutch switch is bad. (put it in nuetral or it can take off on you). I cut those 2 wires on mine and spliced them together to bypass the clutch switch. If you choose to do that, don't cut them too close to the switch connector in case you decide to re-enable it one day.

 

If you manually operate the clutch pedal and look under the dash
you will see it operates the push rod that goes thru the firewall and
to the clutch master cylinder.

The clutch safety switch snaps on to that rod.

In the first picture the red arrow points to the retainer tab that engages
a pin on the clutch safety switch. This keeps the switch in position.
Press down on the retainer so the pin is no longer engaged. You can
now rotate the switch which makes it easier to work on.

Unplug the harness connector.

Squeeze the two tabs on the white plastic retainer and at the same time
slide the retainer from the switch.

The switch then snaps off of the clutch push rod.

 

I have a question to this. I did the auto to manual swap on my 1992 F-250 and I plugged in the clutch position switch to the same spot where it was located on the manual truck that I got everything from. However I have never had to touch the clutch to start it. My problem is that my cruise control has never worked since. I unhooked the cable going to the throttle because when turned on it throttles wide open. So, my question is can someone provide me with details or even better pictures of what I missed? I no longer have the manual truck body that I got my parts from, so I'm guessing I'll need to go to a junk yard, but the cruise worked perfect when it was a manual and I swapped the ecm out and everything. I even tried swapping out the cruise control unit under the hood with the one that was on the manual truck but I don't know if it worked or not. I've had the truck for 7 years and it never bothered me, but I am doing a full restoration on it and I've decided that I want it to work now. I still have both cruise control units. The reason that I didn't realize that I was missing something is that I did this same swap on a 1989 Mustang about 15 years ago and the cruise on it worked just fine, but it's neutral safety switch worked right.

 

the clutch interrupter switch has two parts to it. pedal depressed starts truck, but disables cruise control. pedal up enables cruise control but disables starter function.
so you need to make jumper wires to bypass the clutch switch in both modes to make the starter AND cruise work.

 

I kinda know that, that's not what I was asking, and as far as the jumpers go, I was more as king for a pic of the factory wiring and plugs that I'm missing. I have the clutch position switch and it's hooked up, so I'm guessing that there's something not connected for the cruise control that I over looked because at the time I was doing the switch I was happy with it starting without pushing the clutch but was unaware until much later that the cruise didn't work, so I apparently didn't grab something under the dash when I switched it and I don't have the parts truck anymore, so if I had a pic of everything under the dash that runs the cruise connect/disconnect I could go to a junk yard and get the factory wire/plug that I apparently missed. I could run jumpers, but I'd rather have all the factory stuff, this is in a restoration truck, not an engineered hillbilly style, no offense.

 

factory uses a jumper wire to bypass the clutch interrupter switch. only difference is it is a fancy jumper plug instead of a 3 inch piece of wire with two crimp connectors on it.