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My 66 has a cruiseomatic auto trans, and there is a neutral safety switch mounted to the top of the column. When I got it, the engine would start in all gears, and upon inspection there were no wires connected to the switch.
So as I’m now going through all the wiring, I found some wires coming off of the top of the transmission on the drivers side. There are two wires- both red with a black stripe. These wires were routed into the cab, but I don’t think they were connected to anything. Is this also a neutral safety switch? I have heard that some trucks have them mounted to the column, and some have them mounted to the transmission. Could it be possible that there would be two? Or is it more likely that maybe my trans is not original and was swapped at some point? I’m so confused.
My 66 has a cruiseomatic auto trans, and there is a neutral safety switch mounted to the top of the column. When I got it, the engine would start in all gears, and upon inspection there were no wires connected to the switch.
So as I’m now going through all the wiring, I found some wires coming off of the top of the transmission on the drivers side. There are two wires- both red with a black stripe. These wires were routed into the cab, but I don’t think they were connected to anything. Is this also a neutral safety switch? I have heard that some trucks have them mounted to the column, and some have them mounted to the transmission. Could it be possible that there would be two? Or is it more likely that maybe my trans is not original and was swapped at some point? I’m so confused.
Well that's your clue. That is not a Cruise O Matic, that's a C4 and after 1976 NSS.
In your case, you have a neutral switch on the trans. You could use either, but only one. If you wire your ignition start circuit through the trans switch, it should only start in park or neutral. You can test it by connecting an ohm meter through the wiring for continuity when in park or neutral position. If there are a second set of wires from the trans nss, they are for backup lights.
So as I mentioned, neither switch was hooked up when I got the truck, and ever since I got it, the truck could be started in all gears.
So today I ran the wire from the ignition switch to one of the terminals on the column mounted NSS switch, and the other terminal back to the ignition switch, and then the truck wouldn’t start at all no matter what gear it was in. I pulled the wires off the NSS switch and jumped them out and it started right up. So is the column mounted switch bad? Or does it need to be adjusted?
Check either switch with an ohm meter/continuity tester. If you get continuity when you set the shift lever in both park and neutral, those are the wires you want to use. If the switch needs adjusting, the tester will tell you when adjustment is correct.
I was able to get the column mounted switch working by cutting the starter wire going to the ignition switch and running it through the NSS, and then adjusting the switch back in forth by loosening the two hex head bolts and rocking the switch side to side until my ohm meter buzzed when in park and neutral. I guess it just needed to be adjusted, and maybe the PO assumed it was broken and so he pulled the wires out of the switch?
As for the transmission mounted switch, I just cut the wires to that one real close and left it alone.
Curious now about what transmission I have exactly. I guess it’s not original like I thought. I’ll have to craw back under and look for some numbers to post up and maybe you guys can tell me the origin of this trans.
So one final question... am I still supposed to be able to take it out of Park when the key isn’t in the ignition? Because with no key in the ignition, I can go through all the gears and back to park. I would have assumed part of the NSS’s function was to prevent that? Is there anything that should prevent that? Was that no a safety issue back in the day?
That was the purpose of the NSS. You can go through the gears, but cannot start it in Drive. Now, we have the switch on the column and the auto has to be in park to start. In your case, other than the NSS, there is no relationship between the ignition and the shift lever. There is no safety issue shifting into various positions as long as the truck won't start other than Park and Neutral. That way you know the truck won't move when the ignition is energized.
That was the purpose of the NSS. You can go through the gears, but cannot start it in Drive. Now, we have the switch on the column and the auto has to be in park to start. In your case, other than the NSS, there is no relationship between the ignition and the shift lever. There is no safety issue shifting into various positions as long as the truck won't start other than Park and Neutral. That way you know the truck won't move when the ignition is energized.
Huh, okay. I assumed that at some point they changed that because I have a 1970 GM column and th350 trans in my other truck, and it won’t let you take it out of park until you turn the key.
Where is the backup lamp switch on your truck?
Is your NSS like the later models where the one switch handles both functions? Or are there only the two wires in to and out of your NSS?
Where is the backup lamp switch on your truck?
Is your NSS like the later models where the one switch handles both functions? Or are there only the two wires in to and out of your NSS?
Paul
It didn’t come with backup lights. The column mounted NSS only has two terminals on the back... one in and one out.
And the trans mounted switch, which I’ve been told is a later trans, only had two wires coming out of it.
Makes sense. It's just the first time I've ever seen a trans-mounted NSS without the usual (for later models anyway) 4-wire setup. Very interesting, as Artie Johnson used to say...
When did backup lamps get mandated, and when did Ford change to trans-mounted switches? Wasn't it also for the '66/'67 model year changeover for the lights? On the Broncos the '67 models (actually late '66 models) got the backup lamps added. The '73 models got the C4 option, but at that point the NSS was on the side like yours. Albeit with the 4 wire setup.
Pickups with the C6 did not get the NSS mounted on the side of the trans until about '77-ish or '78-ish. Before that it stayed on the steering column. But also with the 4 wires. So for me, it's curiouser and curiouser. Love learnin' new stuff.
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