Neutral Safety Switch Help

Topic: Neutral Safety Switch Help (Read 1509 times) previous topic - next topic

Neutral Safety Switch Help

March 16, 2016, 08:03:11 PM

I wasn't sure if this was drive line electrical material or engine, so I chose engine for the thread post.

I am at the point of completing a Column to console shift change on a 1985 302 TBird AOD.
Now, from what I have read concerning this change, the engine will not start if the column shift shaft (if still installed) is not in the Neutral position.
The info I understand for this shift change mod states that when removing the column shift handle, place it into Neutral first, then remove the handle from the column. It also added that if the gear selector shift shaft (shaft going through the firewall) remained in the car, that the column selector needs to be in Neutral.
So, if I am correct the neutral safety switch is in the steering column and even though it is no longer being used, it still stops the car from starting unless in Neutral.
I asked because I am not getting an engine turn over when turning key to start with the old column shift shaft and gear selector handle still in the car. I plan on removing these items next, but I wanted to run the engine for a bit to make some adjustments with new console shifter, cable, and carb, and a couple other things.
Also, after removing the old column shift shaft and shifter handle, do I need to solder the neutral safety and reverse light switch wires in a loop to close these 2 circuits so that they will work with the new console shifter?

Neutral Safety Switch Help

Reply #1 – March 16, 2016, 11:10:57 PM

The neutral safety switch is on the transmission.

Neutral Safety Switch Help

Reply #2 – March 16, 2016, 11:59:55 PM

X2, as long as the floor shift works okay, the nss is in the trans, not the shift linkage.

Neutral Safety Switch Help

Reply #3 – March 17, 2016, 12:43:43 AM

"SOLVED"

Thanks guys for help. I feel sort of dumb on this one. After going over this problem in my head I realized what the instructions for the column to console were trying to say. The car will not start unless the transmission is in Neutral or Park. It doesn't matter if the column was in any position at all. So I checked the ratchets of the shifter and it seemed to be just a small amount from being in the Park notch 100%. Though it felt it was in park, just not quite enough to allow the safety switch to activate for starting.
The way I found out was I moved the console shifter to Neutral instead of Park and the car started.
This means I need to get back under the car and maybe this time I will adjust it first in Park and then see how the other gear notches fall when using the console shift. it will take some fine tuning, but I feel it will be ok.

The 1985 Ford Thunderbird with an AOD transmission was able to swap in a Console shifter from a 1987-1993 Ford Mustang GT 5.0 AOD and was a perfect fit.
I reversed the transmission shift lever which was a tight fit, by loosening nut and sliding out the shaft enough to rotate it 180 deg. to the next locker flat spot on the edge of the shaft.
The cable worked perfectly also.

Here is a latest pic, working with distributor, I may update to MSD