Hi all,

I am going to put a '79 steering column, automatic, in my '78 F100. The wiring harness in my '78 has the plug(coupler) for the neutral safety switch, however, the steering column out of the '79 does not have the wiring harness for that on it. It is a tube type column. Does anyone know how the neutral safety switch connects on the 78-79 steering columns? Thanks, Rick

 

Out of all the Ford trucks I've owned, 67-79, none have had the b/u-neutral switch on the column. It has always been situated on the transmission beside the selector.

 

mk,

Thanks for the response I will try and look at one of the 78-79's to see if I can figure out how it hooks up...

The reason I thought it would be on the column is two-fold. A) My shop manual shows it there ('78 Truck Shop Manual; Volume 1 Chassis; page 17-02-2) B) the column that I took out (not the original column) had it mounted on the bottom of the shaft just before it gets to the weather guard, although it didn't appear to touch anything.

If you could explain to me how to hook it up to the C6 transmission I would be very thankful.

 

Rick, you don't have to have it hooked up. It's purpose is to let the truck only crank in park or netural. It is a safety issue, and not critical to the operation of the truck. I run two trucks without safety switches. You have to be aware of this, or it will like mine start in drive, or any other place that the selector is located. I rather like it as the FEs are very cold natured and tend to come uncranked til they warm up. I can hit the key while it's still rolling and keep going.

I know that there those here that are opposed to that idea, but that is the way it is.


John

66 F100s
In the still cool hours of the night, you can hear chevys rusting away.

 

There should be a switch mounted on your C-6, next to where the selector linkage hooks up, with wires coming out of it. According to the 78 F series wiring diagram in front of me, you should look for an unemployed plug coming from the main trunk across your firewall with red wires having a blue tracer on them. This plug should hook up to the wires from the transmission. Hope this helps.

 

I swapped a C6 into where there was a manual. There are 4 leads. Get a continuity tester. when two of the leads light up the test light in P & N, they interupt/connect the ignition wire that goes to the starter solenoid. The other two interupt the power to the back up lights unless you are in R. I studied the wireing diagram in my Haynes manual and figured what color the wire from the ignition switch to the solenoid was. I cut it and patched the ends into the two leads that connect in P and N. I found the switch for the back up lights (w/ the 3 tree shifter) and patched those lead into the other two leads. I found a connector that matched up with the neutral safty switch in the trailer wiring acc. Of coarse it has it's own colors but you know what they are.
happy wiring
BBT
ps I have gotten two columns for my 76 in wrecking yards and they both had a neutral safety switch at the base of the column. My C6 also has a neutral safety switch but I don't use that one.

 

 

When I first put my current truck on the road I tried to figure out how to cross wire the neutral safety switch from the Dodge drivetrain I was using at the time. It seemed an impossible task so I ended up bypassing it. I've run this truck since '93 without the neutral safety and back up lights wired into a toggle switch. It works like a charm - like John said though you have to remember what you're doing to stay out of trouble.
Since then I've put a Ford drivetrain back in it and it's still that way and I have no intentions of changing it. Unless you're doing a Concours restoration do what you got to do with your equipment to make you happy and comfortable.

Later
Trail Rider

 

I will go ahead a look at the wiring diagrams and see if I can work it out...for right now I am going to pass it up and see if I have any problems with it! The only inherent problem that I forsee is that my tranny is out of an '72 LTD and there is no way of knowing how much the previous owner removed! And believe me, this gentlemen has changed whatever he could...it does make for an interesting learning experience though! Thanks again...