[Bryan Burns]

Can anyone tell me how the the switch and retainer clip goes together to hold the switch in on the trans. Thank you Bryan

[Peter Serio]

1968 A body Pontiacs used this set-up on the manual transmission floor shift cars.

[Bryan Burns]

Hi Peter, thank you for the reply. It doesn’t seem like the the switch and the retainer clip will fit inside the hole on the mount on the trans. I don’t want to brake it. Thank you Bryan

[Peter Serio]

I don't understand, you are working on a 68 GTO right? The clip and switch mount into the factory Hurst 4 speed shifter, at the rear of the shifter; not the transmission.

Clip goes in first, it has a tab that lines up with a slot in the outer radius of the circle hole then you press the plastic switch in and adjust. 1968 GTO; was one year only for lots of things including the arrangement of the back-up lamp switch mounted into the shifter assembly.

[Bryan Burns]

Thank you Peter, this is Bryan with the gold convertible I bought the shifter off of you. It just seems to tight to get the switch in with the retainer clip in but I will try again tomorrow. Thank you

[Peter Serio]

You want the switch in there snug so it does not back out when the lever pushes in on the spring plunger. It sort-of "clicks" into place, one thread at a time.

With the plunger all the way pressed in that's what makes the connection between the 2 wires that give power to the back-up lamps.

(The switch will "self adjust" the first time you go to put the shifter into reverse.)

[Mcronk]

I have a "problem" with the back up switch wiring. I can't seem to find it anywhere. The car had a aftermarket shifter but i replaced with a correct 68 GTO shifter. I have the switch etc. But cannot find the wire that plugs into it. Either it has been cut or "hidden" somewhere. Did the wire run from a engine harness or come from inside the car through the trans tunnel? What colors are the wires? Thanks!

[PurelyGTO68]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

I have a "problem" with the back up switch wiring. I can't seem to find it anywhere. The car had a aftermarket shifter but i replaced with a correct 68 GTO shifter. I have the switch etc. But cannot find the wire that plugs into it. Either it has been cut or "hidden" somewhere. Did the wire run from a engine harness or come from inside the car through the trans tunnel? What colors are the wires? Thanks!

There are two sections that you need. Ames has them both. The first harness runs from the dash harness through the firewall to the bell housing area. The second harness goes from there to your switch. There is a wire loom clip on the bell housing bolt and another one on the shifter.

[Mcronk]

So is it part of the engine harness that plugs into firewall bulkhead? It appears a previous owner replaced the engine harness and rewrapped it. He did a nice job and if that wiring is part of that harness i will unwrap it and hope those wires are there. He was the one who installed the better Hurst shifter that does not have provision for the switch. He raced the car in the FAST series. What concerns me is there were no bulbs in the back up lights either. There may have been a problem before or he may have used a engine harness from a different year that does not have those wires.

[PurelyGTO68]

No. Does not plug into the bulkhead connector. It plugs in to the dash harness near the steering column and routed through the firewall through that large grommet hole below the master cylinder. The harnesses you need from Ames are
M12695 and M12690
$23 each.

[Mcronk]

Thanks for being so thorough and providing the part numbers. I hate to be a knucklehead but i went out and looked and the only grommet hole underneath the master cylinder/booster i can find is where the speedometer cable goes through firewall. I actually have the brake booster out being refinished so i can see in that area easily. Evidently the harness and possibly grommet were removed. I also looked up under the dash around the steering column and did not see a empty plug in harness. I may need to crawl up in there further but right now i can barely get driver door open(small garage).

I will order the two harnesses and see if i can find another 68 that has the wiring to see how it is run.

Thanks.

[PurelyGTO68]

Originally Posted by Mcronk

Thanks for being so thorough and providing the part numbers. I hate to be a knucklehead but i went out and looked and the only grommet hole underneath the master cylinder/booster i can find is where the speedometer cable goes through firewall. I actually have the brake booster out being refinished so i can see in that area easily. Evidently the harness and possibly grommet were removed. I also looked up under the dash around the steering column and did not see a empty plug in harness. I may need to crawl up in there further but right now i can barely get driver door open(small garage).

I will order the two harnesses and see if i can find another 68 that has the wiring to see how it is run.

Thanks.

My mistake. The grommet hole is just above the bulkhead connector for the fuse panel. The blue and black wires route through there. Under the dash there is a matching connector with
Pink and Green wires.

[OG68]

Accessory grommet. Blue/black wires to the right of the master cylinder.

[Mcronk]

Wow! Thanks to both of you for the help and pictures. Like they say a picture is worth a thousand words!

[OG68]

Hers one more thing to help. Reverse light wiring in the lower left.

[Mcronk]

Awesome! Thanks again for so much help. I was able to locate the grommet/hole and the plug under the dash. The two harnesses are missing and i will order those. Thanks again!