Doing a re-wire on a '53 Ford F100 panel truck. Running Chrysler 360 with 904. Trying to figure out how to wire the neutral start switch. I have three prongs on the switch and I have the plug from the donor car. I know one prong is power, one is backup lights and one is neutral start. Which prong is which? Also, I don't know is how to wire the neutral start. Is there another part on the column I am missing? I am using an ididit column, so no switch parts there.

Thanks for any help.

TJ

the center wire completes the ground circuit to the starter relay. the outer 2 wires are for the back up lites. hope this helps.

You could switch to an earlier one-wire neutral start switch that would have one stud and a nut to attach the single wire. Not necessary, just would look a bit neater.

OK, let's see if I have this right. The wire from the relay (on the firewall) to the starter solenoid gets cut and routed to the neutral safety switch and then back to the starter solenoid. If the trans is in neutral, the current goes through neutral start switch and allows starter to turn. If not in neutral, switch allows no current and no start. Is that how it works?

Is all I need is the center post with a wire from the firewall relay to the neutral start and then on to starter solenoid. Or does the wire from the firewall relay go to the power pole on the neutral start and then a wire from center pole to solenoid? Seems like I need a wire in and a wire out if it works like a switch? I am confused....

no, the center wire on the NSS is a ground for the wire coming from the starter relay.

the starter relay will only work when it is grounded,
the trans has to be in neutral or park for ground...

the 2 outer wires on the NSS are the + in and out to the back up lights, when you are in reverse it completes the circuit Ron...

maybe this will help.
the angled push on wire should be start from your key and the other push on wire goes down to the middle wire on the NSS Ron...

Slowly, I am starting to get it. Sorry for being so thick.

Ron, my problem is I am not using the MOPAR starter relay. I am using the Ford relay. The Ford relay as one terminal for the battery connection and one to the starter solenoid just like the MOPAR. There are two more terminals, one is "coil" where the wire from ignition goes and the other is "ignition". I am guessing the wire should run from the "ignition" post on the relay to the center post on the neutral start switch. Nothing to the solenoid.

personally I would use a mopar relay since you are using a mopar engine and they are set up for the mopar NSS.

ford has a different set up for Neutral, I believe it is on the column or on the shifter.

the Mopar one is much easier.

mopar starters have 2 wire.
ford only uses 1 wire (battery cable)

is there a NSS on your column or your shifter?

No nothing on the column or shifter. Using an ididit with column shift. I'll have to research how the Ford relay works and figure out what to do. May just skip the neutral start thing.

Thanks for the help.

When using the Ford style firewall solenoid you can't use the ones that have the "I" and "S" terminals, you have to get the type that has two un-labled terminals and then run the Start wire to one terminal and the other terminal goes to the center pin on the Mopar NSS.

At the Mopar starter you will need to run a jumper wire between the large terminal and the smaller "S" terminal.

No special attachment to the Ford relay other than the fact I have all the wiring under the hood done. I'll look into the un-labeled Ford relay since it would be a simple swap out.

Thanks everyone for the help.

Wow, thanks John.

Just a few questions. I am using the old starter button. I assume the wire from the start switch replaces the wire from the starter button to the Ford relay. Also, it was hard to read, does the wire going to the starter solenoid go to the start wire (small wire) or the battery cable wire (I am guessing the small wire)?

Can I get this at NAPA?

learning some thing here,,,

OK, we're interchanging the word "relay" with the word "solenoid"....the ISO relay in my drawing will be added to the start circuit and energizes the existing Ford solenoid. The ISO relay is available from many sources, just ask for a "30 Amp ISO Relay"....most come with the connector and short pigtail wires.

The solenoid I'm referring to is the existing Ford firewall solenoid; the existing wire that now goes from the Start button to the solenoid "S" terminal is interrupted by the ISO relay in my schematic I.E. the existing wire goes to terminal 86 and jumpers across to 87. The wire from ISO terminal 30 goes to the "S" terminal on the existing solenoid and terminal 85 goes to the center pin on the NSS. This way the starter will only be powered in Park and Neutral by a ground from the NSS.

As before, in order to use the Ford solenoid with the Mopar starter you will need a jumper between the two terminals on the Mopar starter; this is assuming you are powering the Mopar starter large terminal from the Ford solenoid large output terminal.

But if you are hooking the battery positive cable directly to the starter and using the Ford solenoid only as a relay, no jumper is needed and the output side of the solenoid would go to the small "S" terminal on the Mopar starter.

Confused yet?

I got it John. I only have to mount the new ISO relay under the dash, interrupt the start wire from the starter button to the S terminal on the Ford relay and wire it to the ISO relay in two spots and then run one new wire down to the neutral start switch. Oh, and add small jumper wire at the starter solenoid since I am using the start terminal on the Ford relay.
Yeah, I was confused about the use of "solenoid". I've always called the thing on the starter that engages the bendix gear a solenoid. Anything else I call a relay. But I have heard many people call the thing on the Ford firewall a solenoid.

Anyway, it's all good. You're the best, thanks for the help. If you get to Florida, I am buying...

essentially, the difference between a solenoid and a relay is the amount of current they handle. They function the same. They both use an electromagnet to engage a set of contacts, in the case of a starter solenoid it will also engage the bendix.