Neutral Safety & Reverse Switch on 68 Bronco

[tsang]

Hey guys, been searching the forums, but can't seem to find much info on the Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) and Reverse Switch options for a 68 Bronco with stock 3-speed column shift and original trans. It seems like there was something mounted to the column near the firewall, like a plunger. I'm thinking it was for the Reverse Switch:

The previous owner (not my parents) jumped something on the Reverse Switch wires (black/red) The circled shows the black/red connectors originally mounted to the plunger housing shown above:

Nothing on the transmission as far as pigtails go. Here's the transmission model info plate:

From what my folks tell me, they were always able to start in gear. On the original harness, the potential NSS wire (red/blue), going from ignition switch to solenoid, doesn't appear to be split by an NSS, nor is it jumping one that I can see. As the Painless manual notes, most Broncos left the factory without an NSS. So I wanted to know what my options are for adding an NSS or Reverse Switch or both, or not adding anything and jumping both sets of wires (red/blue NSS, black/red Reverse Switch). Besides lurching forward when starting without the clutch depressed, what does an NSS protect against? And what does jumping the black/red Reverse wires affect?

 

[Doyle]

I believe that a NSS was only used on automatic vehicles of that era. Jumping the reverse switch out will make the backup lights burn all the time.

 

[Broncobowsher]

'68 never came with a neutral (or clutch) safety switch. This is from an era when you were expected to be smart enough to know how stuff works. You still had vacuum wipers and the drum brakes were only on the second year of self adjusters. If you even optioned the radio it was AM only. So a very basic vehicle.

But you are correct on the reverse light switch. On the column and when the shift rod comes up for reverse it pushes the button and that turns on the reverse lights (which were also only in the second year of existence).

 

[DirtDonk]

The data tag you're showing is for the Dana 20 transfer case, and not the transmission itself. The serial number covered up should be just that. The gearbox's individual serial number, but nothing to do with the vehicle VIN.
Member Viperwolf1 has been keeping track of Dana 20 serial numbers to track changes. Not sure if he's doing all years, or just the transition between '72 and '73 when they changed the shift mechanism.

What they said about the NSS. Only on '73 and later Broncos with automatic transmissions. With those, the neutral-safety and backup lights were integrated into the same switch.
Your old switch looks to have the common problem of having fallen apart at some point.
This is what a new one looks like: https://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/3-Speed-Backup-Light-Switch/Bronco_TailLights

Paul

 

[chuckyb]

A little tough to see but here is the stock reverse light switch mounted on the steering column on my 68. It’s mounted onto a curved bracket and the silver-ish band holds it down.