Ford coupe
Senior Member
can one wire up a way for a 55 to start only in park as the neutral switch is a pain beccause i have to jiggle it around every time i go to start the car// must be a better way
neutral switch
- Thread starter Ford coupe
- Start date
dmsfrr
Well-known member
The switch may need adjustment to work better in neutral?
It was designed to start in neutral to avoid passing thru reverse after Every startup, helping cut down on wear of those internal parts.
A conveniently located push button switch could be added to the car as a temporary replacement for your troublesome original NSS.
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It was designed to start in neutral to avoid passing thru reverse after Every startup, helping cut down on wear of those internal parts.
A conveniently located push button switch could be added to the car as a temporary replacement for your troublesome original NSS.
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Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
You can bypass the neutral safety switch altogether by opening the hood and disconnecting the two red wires from the switch at the base of the steering column. Then connect the two red wires together. The switch is only an "enable" switch. By connecting the two red wires together, you complete the circuit.
I would not recommend using a '58/58 or later NSS for a '55 Ford-O-Matic. The early Ford-O-Matics were designed with the NSS in mind so that you wouldn't need to shift from park-to-reverse-to-neutral-to drive. It was too much wear on internal parts and linkage components. Beginning in 1956, Fomoco started to introduce many more safety features on their cars. You have a parking brake, right? I always leave mine in neutral when I park and pull the parking brake on a level surface. If the car is parked on a downhill road, turn the front wheels into the curb, and do the opposite on an uphill road. That way, if the parking brake cable snaps, the car can't roll away.
I would not recommend using a '58/58 or later NSS for a '55 Ford-O-Matic. The early Ford-O-Matics were designed with the NSS in mind so that you wouldn't need to shift from park-to-reverse-to-neutral-to drive. It was too much wear on internal parts and linkage components. Beginning in 1956, Fomoco started to introduce many more safety features on their cars. You have a parking brake, right? I always leave mine in neutral when I park and pull the parking brake on a level surface. If the car is parked on a downhill road, turn the front wheels into the curb, and do the opposite on an uphill road. That way, if the parking brake cable snaps, the car can't roll away.
KULTULZ
Well-known member
Ah yes, disable the NSS. Come out one morning and start the car, while it is in gear because you left it that way or the linkage is worn/out of adjustment and it runs into the garage on fast idle.
Makes perfect sense to me.
There is no added wear as the START IN PARK was an added safety feature. Probably too many filing insurance claims for damaged garages and soiled seat covers.
Makes perfect sense to me.
There is no added wear as the START IN PARK was an added safety feature. Probably too many filing insurance claims for damaged garages and soiled seat covers.
dmsfrr
Well-known member
Didn't the start-in-Park NSS come out about a year after Ford upgraded the Fordomatics from air-cooled to fluid cooled in mid '56? At the same time beefed them up for the stronger 312 engines. That might explain some of their reasoning behind the different style switches.
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
By no means am I a big fan of bypassing any factory safety feature. But if you are in a store parking lot, 5 miles from home and you got nothing, you can pop the hood, unplug the two red wires from the switch and plug them together, and voila, you are on your way.
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
I took one out of a '58 Fairlane 500 that was in a junkyard years ago and put it in my '55. It enabled start in either park or neutral.
KULTULZ
Well-known member
1958.
It was an OPERATOR CONVENIENCE I would think. FORD was still using the F/M in addition to the C/M for 1958. If the linkage was worn and/or out of adjustment it might start in gear with the older design.
... sheesh ...Well, actually with either switch design. The switch has to be adjusted properly and all linkages operation correctly.
... wake-up son ...
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paul2748
Well-known member
Don't disable the neutral safety switch. It's there for a reason. Lots of people have smashed their cars into their garage wall doing that. Never mind those who ran over other people or ran into other cars. Bad advice to do this.
As far as parking in neutral, why? That is what park is for. Wear and tear on a car that is not used everyday? Ford had to design it so park was used all the time.
Lots of people went to the 58 switch. Should be no problem
if the switch is not working correctly, adjust or replace it.
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As far as parking in neutral, why? That is what park is for. Wear and tear on a car that is not used everyday? Ford had to design it so park was used all the time.
Lots of people went to the 58 switch. Should be no problem
if the switch is not working correctly, adjust or replace it.
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paul2748
Well-known member
Crestliner2
Junior Member
so would you know if this would apply to a 1952 Crestline Vicky? My pin broke off the gear selection shaft and now it won't engage the NSS thanks
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
The pre-1955 NSS's had ring-tongue terminals at the NSS start "enable" terminals. Trace those two wires up to the main wiring loom and locate the "bullet" connectors on those two red wires. Pull the wiring at both bullet connectors off and connect the two wires coming from the dashboard together with one of the rubber coated connectors. This completes the circuit.
BUT if you do this, the car will start in ANY gear. So make sure your gear select lever is in neutral before starting.
Repair or replace that lever that has the actuating pin at the base of the steering column, then reconnect your NSS wiring as it was originally and you are back in business.
Bypassing the NSS should only be done as an emergency fix to get you back home from the boondocks.
Disabling the p/n switch isn't that different than manual transmission. Need to think about what you are doing. Drove many a mile before you had to step on clutch to get it to crank. Only loss is no reverse lamps. It's never referred to as an emergency brake, It's called a parking brake. If you have to "jiggle" it may be time to check adjustments or selector. Consider it an anti theft device. Anyway the 58 switch does work in P and N, just let idle come to normal before pulling it into D.
Daves55Sedan
Well-known member
There are two main spots that can cause slack in the position of the gear select lever. Most common is the rubber bushing through the actuating lever of the gear select shaft at the base of the steering column. That rubber bushing also has a nylon insert inside it, but it rarely goes bad, however the rubber gets real soft and sloppy with age, likely being broken down by oil fumes thrown off by the crankcase vent tube.
The second most common trouble point is the gear select link that goes down to the trans. If you take out the cotter pin at the link where it connects to the hole in the lever at the trans and pull that rod out, you may see a vast amount of wear in the shaft, causing a lot of slop.
Either one of these can cause the gearshift lever to droop and miss the contact closure in the NSS.
BTW, if your NSS is a repro from china, it is no good right out of the box. They are made with substandard materials and lousy manufacturing methods. A new repro will only last a year at most before contacts burn out or literally fall off the contact arms.
The second most common trouble point is the gear select link that goes down to the trans. If you take out the cotter pin at the link where it connects to the hole in the lever at the trans and pull that rod out, you may see a vast amount of wear in the shaft, causing a lot of slop.
Either one of these can cause the gearshift lever to droop and miss the contact closure in the NSS.
BTW, if your NSS is a repro from china, it is no good right out of the box. They are made with substandard materials and lousy manufacturing methods. A new repro will only last a year at most before contacts burn out or literally fall off the contact arms.