Neutral safety switch

[Roadrunner351w]

I recently went from column shifter to a floor shifter and the problem is the neutral safety switch I am using a B & M shifter. When I hook up the neutral switch to the shifter the truck will crank 1 maybe 2 times and then it will just click like a bad starter and when I jumper across the connector and bypass the switch it cranks and runs great. At first I thought maybe the wires I was using were to small, so I increased the gauge size of the wire this time it cranked maybe 4 or 5 times and then again click, click. So right now I have the switch bypassed. Oh yea when it was a column shift I had no problems at all with the neutral switch. Any ideas anyone? thanks

[FORDification]

Hmm....that sure sounds odd. Where are you connecting the NSS to the truck? Are you hooking it up at the harness connector where the original NSS was plugged in?

[Roadrunner351w]

Yes I am using the original wiring harness on the truck for the NSS.

[Thunderfoot]

Weird things like this are 99% a bad ground issue... Try cleaning the back side of the starter solenoid where it mounts to the fender and the fender so that it is grounding good to the fender and be sure the ground wire from the engine to the cab is making good contact as well.
If this works let me know and I'll explain more as to why it was having problems.

[Roadrunner351w]

All grounds are good I have even added a couple extra grounds to each side of the fender wells and to the body from the engine. The only grounding problems I currently have is the occasional tail light ground problem which I am going to eliminate that this weekend when I finish building my own tail gate with all rear lights mounted in the tailgate. Will take pictures after it is done.

[Thunderfoot]

OK, then I would suspect the micro-switch is not carrying the load or rated for the amp load the starter solenoid needs to activate. (or the starter solenoid could be drawing more then it should)
If the solenoid doesn't get enough power to the activation coil inside, it will not make the contacts of the starter relay close completely to activate the starter.
This is why I started with a bad ground as having a poor ground connection causes more power needed to make the circuit, as a poor ground adds extra resistance = more current needed.

[Roadrunner351w]

I don't have the factory starter relay. I got rid of that by using a starter from a '93 four wheel drive ford because I needed a starter that would clear the headers and this starter is small enough to fit without removing the headers and it is also a high torque starter.That with the micro switch I should have thought of that being a electronic tech. Thanks I will check that. It is amazing that how sometimes simple things can slip your mind. This weekend I will check the switch. Thanks again

[Thunderfoot]

that starter change will do it, as that micro switch wont handle the current for it... That relay in the starter takes more current then the fender mount relay does to activate. Even a lot of the newer vehicles that use that type of starter use a small relay to activate the starter, it is just a relay like you would find for power door locks or power windows (Bosch style).
I converted over some of my stuff to the newer style starter like that, but just used the old fender relay to activate the starter. (overkill I know but it's quick and easy and looks close to stock afterwards )
Here are the instructions that came with the conversion kit that I got.

[Roadrunner351w]

Thanks for the tip but can you email me details for some reason I can not see the image you posted here I have that problem with a lot of the images on this site for some reason. Anyway thanks again and please email the image.

[Thunderfoot]

Email sent