Neutral Safety Switch Cleaning Guidance

Alright everyone... I have a 98 Jeep Cherokee Classic with a 6 cyl engine and 4wd.

Everything was going fine until I reached the point where it says to put the nut back on a couple of turns and use a flat headed screw driver to pull the NSS straight off without turning it. It doesn't want to come off. I checked to make sure that all the bolts were removed (with the obvious exception of the nut that was put back on. It wants to turn along the access point where the nut is attached, but not come off. I followed the directions step-by-step what am I missing. I really don't want to go to the dealership.

Any advice - guidance would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks!
Katydid

They tend to stick on there. Try to pry(gently) from farious angles. Be careful, because you can break it, and that means buying a new NSS. A little PB Blaster may help, as well. HTH.

PB Blaster can help. So can tapping LIGHTLY with a LIGHTWEIGHT plastic or rubber hammer (1 pound or less head weight.) Sometimes, the act of driving a little further ONTO the shaft will give you a "running start" when taking it off.

Also, I have found that prying against the nut just doesn't work. Get some thick flat metal bar stock (about 1/4" or so - two pieces) and insert them between the NSS and the transmission case. Alternately pull on each one (to generate a "wiggling" action) until it comes loose - that usually works for me.

When you reinstall, never-seez on the shaft goes a LONG way toward pulling it off next time! Don't get any on the nut threads - just put some on the shaft and slip the new NSS on.

A little tip - when you get the screws out of the NSS case, put the switch - and both hands - in a largish bag before you open it up. There are two springloaded contacts in there, and it's possible that they'll "spring out" when you take the top of the case off. You won't be able to find them if they get loose, and I can't find my drawings to make some more (I've got to figure out where I put those...) Opening it up in a bag contains everything, and you can then open the bag back up and see if there's anything loose. Cheap insurance, y'ask me.

I'll typically use either a 1-gallon Ziploc bag or a paper grocery bag. Those plastic grocery bags just aren't worth a damn.

5-90