What is this on my steering column?
 

Can anyone tell me what this piece of gear is on my 1970 F250 steering column? It is electrically wired and zip-tied to hold a switch in place.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...id=244065&.jpg

That's your neutral safety switch...should be down on the column under the dash. Someone put it there for convenience. It mounts on the top of the column and a spring pin sticks straight up from the shift collar/tube and pushes the switch contact back and forth when you select gears. Pretty creative...never seen one placed right there.

Thanks for the info. I'm not at all familiar with the function. I'm assuming they previous owner wanted it to remain in one position. Do you know why they might want it to remain in on or off position?

I have that on my 69 what is it used for?

It's a safety feature, so your truck can't be started except in Park and Neutral. They break and wear out...especially the little spring pin that sticks up from the column collar into the switch itself. When that happens the truck won't start until the switch knob/arm is pushed left to the Park position, or close to center in the Neutral position. So the quick fix is to pull the switch and wire the knob/arm into Park or Neutral so you can start it...downside to that is it will start in D 1 2 and R, too, cause you have overridden the safety feature....bad news if you don't have your foot on the brake when it starts.

Two of the wires are for the back up lights, two are for neutral safety switch.

Like mentioned, sounds like the clip is broke off under the column that pushes on the tab. Easier to just hook the wires together and removed the switch. If I recall the two brown are for back up lights? Or maybe they are for neutral? Just hook the matching wires together and see which works.

I've had to remove these switches on a couple trucks when I put 4 spds in them. If I recall, the wiring from the switch goes to a 4 pin plug. Unplug and make jumpers and plug them in instead. A factory stick truck will have a jumper installed for neutral anyway.

The spring steel NSS selector lever's (DOTZ-7B097-B) knife blade end snaps off, or the little darlin' loses tensile strength and falls off the shift tube. Looks kinda like this: ]---

Since this part is obsolete, and peeps don't know where to find a NOS part (over 100 are still available-if one knows where to look), they get creative with the switch.

The NSS (C7TZ-7A247-A / Motorcraft SW600) fits all 1967/77 F100/350's.

DOTZ-7B097-B (replaced DOTZ-7B097-A & C5TZ-7B097-A) .. NSS Selector Lever / Fits all 1965/77 F100/350's.

How many DOTZ levers would'ja all like?

JST AUTOMOTIVE in Lebanon TN has 6 = 615-443-3086.

KINSEL L/M in Beaumont TX has 8 = 800-816-2894.

PARTS INTERNATIONAL in Farmers Branch TX has 10 = 888-727-0418.

GREEN SALES CO. in Cincinnati OH has 25 = 800-543-4959.

But wait, there's more! Scattered across the US at FoMoCo Dealers/obsolete parts vendors are more than 100 of these little darlin's.

Since the quantity doesn't exceed 3 at any one of these myriad sources, I'm not typing the info.