I agree with Jeremy about the pedal operated safety switch.  I did a 98 Cobra harness for 68Mustang a couple of years ago and I seem to recal that the switch looked like it could be easily adapted to our cars.  I'd go with Jeremy's suggestion and go looking for a Fox switch. 

BB

Bullet Bob wrote:

switch looked like it could be easily adapted to our cars. BB

Easy is a relative term.  I bought the clutch safety swith and still have it sitting on the shelf.  The only write up I've seen of someone installing it on a classic mustang involved removing the pedal assembly which involves removing the steering column.  It is too deep of a rabbit whole for me at the moment.  Seems you have to get it in the right position and right angle for it to actuate correctly.  No real way of doing that other than trial and error hence pulling the pedal assembly.

The switch on the cluth simply leaves open the ciruct untill the cluth in pressed which then closes the circut.  Regardless, to your point, it can be done.

http://www.americanmuscle.com/clutch-safety-switch-8693.html

If you have a newer T5 w/ the pigtail harness on the actual transmission then you can splice in the NEUTRAL saftey harness which prevents the car from starting when not in neutral (as I understand it).  I've heard different things but apparently one setup replaced the other in the early 90s.  I bought a new T5z from summit and it came with the pigtain NSS so that's what I'm going to do when I rewire the whole car. 
 
 

Last edited by TremendousWand (4/06/2015 10:37 AM)

IMHO, just another gadget to go wrong! Have been driving 62 years and no clutch-starting mishaps....
Strongly adhere to the "KISS" method!
Howard 

TremendousWand wrote:

hmartin025 wrote:

IMHO, just another gadget to go wrong! Have been driving 62 years and no clutch-starting mishaps....
Strongly adhere to the "KISS" method!
Howard 

Ha, you old timers crack me up.  I've heard it all before: "seat belts were optional" "power steering is for wimps"

It only took one time of the car lunging forward about 2 feet that scared me straight.  I admit it was my fault for not realizing I was in gear but none the less.  This is a rather tedious mod.

Yes, us "old timers"...
Us "old timers" never had a "write-up" to do anything...we just did it, and still do.  IMO, too much of the car hobby has evolved to catalogs and kits.  If you can't order it out of a catalog or buy a kit to replace your radiator cap...you just have to do without, I guess.

I realize not everyone has the same abilities but if I couldn't figure out how to install a pedal-actuated switch in a couple of hours, I think I'd consider stamp collecting.

Just for the record, the one used on the 98 Cobra has to be fully extended to close the contacts.  I would just make a quickie bracket and mount a micro switch so that it will only be closed when the pedal is all the way down.

Or do like Howard says and keep doing like us old timers have been doing forever...check neutral before starting.  But if you have youngsters driving the car, better install the switch.

Old BB

Last edited by Bullet Bob (4/06/2015 2:18 PM)

Ah, I see "Us old timers" eh!!! Maybe you younguns should stick with auto trans! Much easier to handle! that way you have a built in NS switch! Hey, heres an idea. Hook your ignition into NS switch, then the engine wont run and keep you outta troubla!!! 

Howard

Last edited by hmartin025 (4/06/2015 2:54 PM)

I have NEVER attempted to start a car with a standard transmission without having the clutch pedal actuated, that's with or without a NSS. I guess this makes me an 'old timer' too. Or just someone with a little common sense.

When Bob Hanlon rebuilt our T5, he took the NSS out. I was thinking about using it, but I said the heck with it. If I were to decide I wanted one now, I would use a pressure switch on the Hydraulic Clutch Line. That's what we did for our brake switch. 

But I'm an old timer, so I think we'll just skip it. 

Bob

If it were me I would find it easier to drop the trans than run some new wires and fab up a clutch pedal switch.

hmartin025 wrote:

IMHO, just another gadget to go wrong! Have been driving 62 years and no clutch-starting mishaps....
Strongly adhere to the "KISS" method!
Howard 

I LIKE the way you think hmartin......just another gizmo!!
 

I've been driving standard transmissions all my life. There has always been a vehicle in my driveway with a stick in it. I gave my daughter my 2008 Ford Fusion SEL with a 5 speed (you won't find many of those out there). So I understand what the guys are saying about not needing a safety switch. I get in automatics and start reaching for a clutch. My point is I'm not you and whomever else drives your car. If someone normally drives an automatic, your only 1 brain fart away from trying to start a standard without pushing in the clutch. God knows I have enough of those. And as far as where to put it my thought is this: If you stall a car in traffic, you’re going to push in the clutch, you don't need to put it in neutral. On the other side of the coin, if you want a remote start you need a neutral switch. So if you want one, put it in.

If you want a switch on the clutch just get something like this:


http://www.ebay.com/itm/MICRO-SWITCH-LIMIT-SWITCH-W-LONG-SIMULATED-ROLLER-SPDT-10-AMP-NOS-/331517767281?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4d2fffae71

TremendousWand wrote:

Bullet Bob wrote:

Us "old timers" never had a "write-up" to do anything...we just did it, and still do.  IMO, too much of the car hobby has evolved to catalogs and kits.  If you can't order it out of a catalog or buy a kit to replace your radiator cap...you just have to do without, I guess.

 
For the record, I always yield to you old timers.  I scratch my head as to how cars were restored before the days of the internets.  I've only had to go junk yard diving once.  I fully admit things are much easier now days.  In defense of us young guys, we are keeping the tradition alive.  I'm working hard and spending a lot of good coin so I can pass on my stang to my 3 year old when she gets of age.  That includes wiring up a NSS cause I'm not taking any chances.  Who knows, by then we'll probably be in flying cars or teleporting to places.

 

I agree!  I am neither a young un' or and old timer, I'm still in the middle somewhere.  I have a deep appreciation for the knowledge and wisdom from the older generation, Mustangs included.  My Dad is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to our cars.  I just wish he was more internet savvy, he would be on here a lot if he was.  We have been building our cars side by side, he has given me a TON of information and ideas and he has also taken some from me.  I have had manual transmission cars with and without a NSS.  I'm not really worried about me making a mistake.  It would be the unfortunate circumstance with a child or someone who didn't know.  You can't be too safe, can you?  Besides, If I were to take my car to the local drag strip, they require that there be a NSS!

Kristang wrote:

TremendousWand wrote:

Bullet Bob wrote:

Us "old timers" never had a "write-up" to do anything...we just did it, and still do.  IMO, too much of the car hobby has evolved to catalogs and kits.  If you can't order it out of a catalog or buy a kit to replace your radiator cap...you just have to do without, I guess.

 
For the record, I always yield to you old timers.  I scratch my head as to how cars were restored before the days of the internets.  I've only had to go junk yard diving once.  I fully admit things are much easier now days.  In defense of us young guys, we are keeping the tradition alive.  I'm working hard and spending a lot of good coin so I can pass on my stang to my 3 year old when she gets of age.  That includes wiring up a NSS cause I'm not taking any chances.  Who knows, by then we'll probably be in flying cars or teleporting to places.

 

I agree!  I am neither a young un' or and old timer, I'm still in the middle somewhere.  I have a deep appreciation for the knowledge and wisdom from the older generation, Mustangs included.  My Dad is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to our cars.  I just wish he was more internet savvy, he would be on here a lot if he was.  We have been building our cars side by side, he has given me a TON of information and ideas and he has also taken some from me.  I have had manual transmission cars with and without a NSS.  I'm not really worried about me making a mistake.  It would be the unfortunate circumstance with a child or someone who didn't know.  You can't be too safe, can you?  Besides, If I were to take my car to the local drag strip, they require that there be a NSS!

First, let me apologize for "loosing it" a bit.  I do fully appreciate the younger folks and what they bring to the party.  Nothing makes me happier than to see young people, and kids especially, getting involved in this great hobby.  I had the good fortune to work with and learn from guys who were there in the twentys and thirties and I love to pass along stuff that I've learned from them.

What fired me up was the comments about not having a "write up" on how to adapt a switch.  We are where we are these days because someone looked at a situation and decided to figure out how to make it better....Ed Winfield ground his first cam for a motorcycle in a YMCA shop, with a file.  Then went out won his next race. 

It bugs me that the catalog and kit mentality seems to be watering down the original concept of doing something unique through application of your own ingenuity.  It's having the effect of making it unnecessary for one to figure out how to do something...just buy the kit and bolt it on.  I guess it's just part of the grand scheme of our society becoming less self reliant and more dependant butt (Thanks again Mike) I don't have to like, and I don't. 

We have here a great collection of individuals.  We are different because we choose to keep a part of history alive and functioning...even if it isn't very practical, economically efficient, or even as safe as today's replacements.  And we are individuals because we each choose to do it in our own way.  Most of us here aren't check writers who hire everything done.  We'll work years to get it done by themselves to the best of our ability and that's something to be proud of.  So when I see the kind  of workmanship and ingenuity being applied by the likes Kristang, Rudi, Hakan, Ramses, and so many others, I guess I just went a little crazy when I read that something simple (to me anyway) wasn't going to be done because there were no published instructions.

Hope to see y'all in Wimberly. 

BB