Well, I'll go get a new one and see if that fixes the problem. Now I've just gotta figure out what that lever is for...it's bugging me. Thanks for all the help!

 

Yea it's bugging me as well. Try to eliminate as many other things as possible before you buy that switch. I hear they're kinda expensive. I dont remember how much mine was, it's been so long. Did you jump it like you were talking about?

 

Naw...not yet. it's gonna be a while before I get around to it. I've pulled my engine and am awaiting a 400 from TMI. Once I get that baby in and running, then I'll take all of these ideas and get my backup lights working again.

 

Well, dont forget to let us know what you find.

 

that lever connects is the kick down.the kick down rod hooks to it and to the carb so if you floor it the kick down kicks it into passing gear.

 

AH! Ok the kickdown! That had crossed my mind but I wasnt sure. Thanks.

 

Greetings from Germany. '79 F250 C6 transmisson

Thanks to various posts in this forum I was able to fix my backup light problem
and want to give something back here which could help others with 78 or 79 F-series or
Bronco with C6 automatic (NSS on the transm.).

Special thanks to "81-F-150-Explorer" who posted the most valuable information above here which finally lead me to success.

My truck had a switch installed on the dashboard for the reverse light and
no function when putting gear in reverse. My goal was to remove this switch
and make it work as it should.

I did the test as stated above by "81-F-150-Explorer" and learned that the problem must
be the Neutral safety switch on the transmission.
I cleaned, removed it and cleaned it again after disconnecting it from the connector.
Make sure you mark the position of the switch' plastic inner nut and install it
again later exactly in this position otherwise your reverse light will go on
at a gear other then reverse and you may break it when cycling through gears.

I figured that the cables attaching to the NSS had a short. Maybe they sat in oil or other conducting dirt.
I think this is the most common fault cause. I don't think that something goes wrong inside the switch and
you cannot open it anyway and in this case better buy a new one.

To fix it I carefully removed that black rubber insulating and holding the cables together.
You need to carefully cut the rubber away without cutting the cable insulation. When free of the rubber it looks like this.

I attached the switch to the connector again and tested it by turning that inner plastic nut and STRIKE!,
the back up light only lighted at one single position
instead in all positions as before

Then I seperated the cables as much as possible from each other, cleaned it,
blew it with compressed air and filled it up with a hot glue gun.

Then you can install it again and everything is fine