Neutral Safety Switches

Kurt Arends

PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
I have started picking up neutral safety switches when I think about it. I found 2 '69 Cads today, but both were missing their switches. I found 2 '70 Cads that still had theirs. The 2 '70s had different switches. One had a 4-post, the other had a 6-post switch. Several eBay listings show them as being the same from '69-'70 and some show '69-'73.

Can anyone tell me if these do, in fact, work for multiple years?
 
Photos of the 2 different switches out of '70 deVilles.
 

Attachments

  • Neutral 1.jpg
    Neutral 1.jpg
    78.1 KB · Views: 289
  • Neutral 2.jpg
    Neutral 2.jpg
    66.1 KB · Views: 291
You can put a 70 switch on a 69 and start the car. The back up lights will not work and it doesn't have the vacuum port for the purge valve. So no they are not the same. It might be that the different models took different switches in the same year. I have a picture of a 69 on the computer. I'll post it.
 
The switches many times will have a 3 digit number stamped on the metal face of them, which will correspond to the last 3 digits of the part number. There are quite a few different ones, and it is best to tag them with the year of the car that they were removed from. This will give you a good starting point, but not always, because if a switch failed, getting the car running is more important than things like back up lights, so they might have put the wrong switch into the column, just to get the neutral safety feature working. The switch pictured below is a 1993386 which corresponds to being a 1968 switch. Some years used as many as 4 different switches. Don't go by what eBay sellers claim, because they are usually more interested in selling a switch then they are in correctly identifying the switch. The best way is to use the stamped number, and without the stamped number, a visual representation of the terminals, and compare it to your original.
If you provide me the 3 digit numbers, I might be able to locate them in the parts book.
 

Attachments

  • MVC-020L.JPG
    MVC-020L.JPG
    42.8 KB · Views: 261
  • MVC-021L.JPG
    MVC-021L.JPG
    42.5 KB · Views: 263
The 2 that I took out of '70 Cads are 063 and 137.
063 is identical to the one in Paul's photos. I am tagging them, as to model, year when I pull them off.
 
Last edited:
1960 1961 1962 1963 = 1993560 / 1993622

1965 1966 = 1993688

1964

#650 non-tilt Hydramatic 64
#651 tilt Hydramatic 64
#652 non-tilt Turbo Hydramatic 64
#653 tilt Turbo Hydramatic 64
#560 all models 60-63

However, a 1963 (with the 390/Hydramatic) comes with the #560 NSS and the 1964 (with 429's) with the Hydramatics (62 series, 75 series or CC ) come with either the 650 or the 651 NSS.
Source: Jason Edge

Possible Replacement:

I just read something interesting in the Yahoo Cadillac Chat group. A guy with a 64 Cad tilt column car couldn't find a replacement #653 Neutral Safety Switch but he did locate a #688 for a 65-66 Cad tilt column. It was cheap, so he tried it. It worked after he ground 1/16 inch off the end of part that goes into the column. The backup lights, brake release and start in neutral/park all work. Good to know for future reference.
For more information, read this webpage.

1968 = 1993386 (may not be stamped on backside)

1969

the parts catalog lists 69-73 as the same switch. Group 4.054 part number 1994063. Some where along the line, they changed the part number to 1994137, but still listed for those years.
For more information, read this webpage.

the entire 71-73 switch can be used on the 69-70 (the extra two terminals would not be used).
This is a generally held opinion, and I have no personal knowledge about it.
Paul
 
I now know that I am going to have to start carrying a large bath towel with me to cover the dried racoon, pack rat, and mouse $#!+ on the floor boards in these things! Thank God they are easy to take off!
 
Last edited:
her is the switch out of the 69 CC with air. it was broken when we took it off and we attempted to hold it to gather with the hog rings. it worked for a while. what we should have done was champed it and glued it back in place with the quick bond. it would be on the car today. live and learn. the vacuum ports are for the rake pull off and the purge valve for the AC. that is 69 only
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2658a.jpg
    IMG_2658a.jpg
    139.1 KB · Views: 247
  • IMG_2659b.jpg
    IMG_2659b.jpg
    113.8 KB · Views: 259
If anyone has any NOS switch's can they post a pic. That would help if ran across one to help identify it. Here is A 60-63 switch. When in the yards I do the same thing but also grab from the early FWD cars also.
 

Attachments

  • 20181219_130159.jpg
    20181219_130159.jpg
    170.1 KB · Views: 141
  • 20181219_130221.jpg
    20181219_130221.jpg
    156 KB · Views: 137
Well there ya go! Mike Mykulak needed the 1994063 for his '69 Superior and Paul needed the 1994137 for his '69 M-M........... and I found both of them on 1970 Cadillacs!

I guess we learn something new every day!
 
Last edited:
.........but it is what the Cadillac LaSalle Club states as being correct and it is what Mike and Paul currently have on their cars, so......??
 
Neutral safety switch

I read that a vehicle using a 4 prong will work on a 6 prong switch even if the 2 extra are not used. Also read that they are 69-73 not only 69-70. I think the non a/c cars used the 4 and the 6 were for the A/C equipped vehicles.
 
What I was getting as was the 70s you got them off may have been replaced with older ones some time in there life.
 
now here is the one I have on the peg board we were using it in the 69 till we discovered the backup lights didn't work. it's one I rebuilt. as you can see it's missing a couple of tabs. the number on the back is 137
 

Attachments

  • IMG_9449.jpg
    IMG_9449.jpg
    105.2 KB · Views: 121
  • IMG_9450.jpg
    IMG_9450.jpg
    120.4 KB · Views: 105
Cadillac Parts Book

Here is what the Cadillac Chassis and Body Parts Catalog shows. Oddly enough, it makes no referrence to the 1994063 part number at all. Just the 1994137 part number.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_2852 (1).jpg
    IMG_2852 (1).jpg
    112.6 KB · Views: 104
NOS GM 1994063 transmission neutral safety and backup lamp switch stamped 063 fits 1969 1970 Cadillac all model, this is the early version
of the switch gm later superceded it to 1994137 and added terminals.
This switch has the vacuum control for the parking brake. Picture below

I'm not sure exactly what year this did come from, but the parts catalog lists 69-73 as the same switch. Group 4.054 part number 1994063. Some where along the line, they changed the part number to 1994137, but still listed for those years. It may be they did change the position of the terminals from the original design.
http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=104775.0
 

Attachments

  • 1994063.jpg
    1994063.jpg
    106.9 KB · Views: 102
My guess, and it is only a guess, is that the 4 terminal 1994063 is an early production switch, and that the 1993137 is a later production switch, as I have found this information on multiple websites, every time someone ask a question about the 1969 / 1970 neutral safety switch.
 
Back
Top