Down at the column, just as you would with an automatic, I have a double purple connector that is the neutral safety switch. It's jumpered, however. I presume that was a previous owner and not factory?
Does it connect to the column in the same way an automatic does and then all the funky mechanical linkage on the M20 does it's magic? Or how does it work?
I've never had a factory four speed car, this one was taken apart and modified before I got it, and no diagram seems to cover it!
Wow, thanks Carl, I wasn't expecting to see one just sitting ready on eBay! Good news is that now that I know what it looks like, I have one. I skimmed past it in the big ball of wire looking for TWO purples.
The other good news is that I found my convertible top power feed and relay, so that circuit is now complete from battery to horn relay to switch to pump. The switch is also minty but doesn't return to center automatically anymore...
The switch shown above is correct. There is also a pin that bolts to the clutch pedal to operate the switch. I had all this stuff when I was putting the 4 speed in my Parisienne, then learned the 70 setup was completely different, so I sold it all. I don't remember where I got it, but someone reproduced the pin.
Re the pin for the clutch pedal to operate the switch, I thought I had a photo from when I sold the set but can't find it. In July 2016 at POCI in Iowa I ran into the guy that bought the set from me. If need be I could possibly contact him to see if he wants to part with the set, or at least provide a photo of the pin.
Just to clarify, The switch in question cuts power to the starter unless clutch pedal is fully depressed. The switch that wraps around the steering column on a manual trans serves only to control the reverse lights (on an automatic it also cuts the starter unless you are in neutral or park.
The fact that it had been bypassed worried me (why?) and the fact that the switch is so different from the brake switch (perhaps to handle more current) concern me. Combine that with the fact I've had and seen a lot of "hot start" failures in this circuit when its gets at all marginal in the automatic cars. So maybe they disabled it because the neutral safety became marginal and it wouldn't start!
I know I'm getting ahead of myself, so I measured the switch. I only see 0.3 Ohms in the switch which is likely OK I would guess.
I swept the switch through it's range of motion and it mostly stayed at 0.3 until it went "open". Sounds OK to me... is there anything else I can check?
Could be someone just didn't like having to push the clutch pedal to start the car. They might have just wanted to put it in neutral to start it.
I know when tinkering on my standard shift cars, sometimes it'd sure be easier to reach in and turn the key, then to have to sit down and press the clutch.
It was a new think for 69 and some guys just didn't like being told what to do by the man! The first owner of my LeMans convertible got really upset when he saw headrests on the car when he took delivery, so he threw them in the trash before accepting the car (headrests were also a new thing in 69)
