69 transmission switches

**t7389sg** · #1 (**permalink**) 07-19-2008, 08:38 PM

I just pulled the tranny in my 69 SV to replace the clutch. The tranny has 2 switches on it. There is one inside of the bell housing and another up near the shifter on top. Neither where hooked up to the wire harness in the car. The one in the bell house is for the reverse lights (I think) but what does the one on top by the gear shift lever do. Is this car supposed to have a neutral safety switch? I was planning on connecting these wires back up to the wire harness when I put the transmission back in the car. FYI the transmission came out of the car easy peasy after reading the great advise here on this forum. Thanks to all here. Steve G

**ossodiseppia** · #2 (**permalink**) 07-20-2008, 06:50 AM

It sounds like that tranny is from a later model car. 69 model year cars only have one switch.

**papajam** · #3 (**permalink**) 07-20-2008, 07:43 AM

I concur. The 69s have only one switch located in the bellhousing. It's for the reverse lights.
The wiring diagrams show that the first use of a second switch, located in the shift tower, was in 1974 as part of the seatbelt interlock system.

**t7389sg** · #4 (**permalink**) 07-20-2008, 08:39 AM

This project is full of surprises. Does anyone know what other differences between the 69 and 74 transmissions are? This transmission does shift very well. No 2nd gear crunch whatsoever.

**Bill S** · #5 (**permalink**) 07-20-2008, 11:03 PM

I'm pretty sure that a '74 or later transmission would have the short shift rods, in which case the original '69 bellhousing would not have worked. The short rod isn't long enough to activate the hanging reverse switch. Does the reverse light switch hang from a bracket or screw into a threaded boss in the bellhousing? If it is the latter, the p.o. must have used the bellhousing from the later transmission. There shouldn't be any problem with that since they are both hydraulic clutch cars.

**t7389sg** · #6 (**permalink**) 07-21-2008, 07:30 AM

It hangs from a bracket and stands off from the flat part of the trans. I can get my finger in behind the switch and activate it. That kind of surprised me as I was expecting it to be screwed into the transmission.

**Bill S** · #7 (**permalink**) 07-21-2008, 09:37 AM

Hmmm, sounds like your car has an early bellhousing with a later transmission. If you put the transmission in reverse does the shift rod protrude through the oval opening enough to activate the switch? If not, you'll either need a later bellhousing (I've got one) or to block the oval hole and tap it for the screw in switch. I can post a picture of this procedure if you like but '74-'81 bellhousings are common enough that I think replacement is the better route.