I bought a 95 F150 XL that has a few minor issues. The most annoying one being hard shifting. This really isn't so strange since the overdrive button on the shift selector has been broken off and the wires are just taped together. So, how do I go about bypassing the overdrive. 99.99% of the driving I do will never require overdrive. It seems if I twist two wires together and leave the third, it should bypass it. Right?

 

Just go to a junk yard and harvest a selector **** with the OD button, the JYs are full of donor vehicles. Shouldn't cost you more than $5 and about 30 minutes.

 

I understand there are many options to replace it, but just wondered if anyone knew which two to connect to bypass. I would need to drive an hour each way to get to a junk yard. Not worth it.

 

I'm not sure your hard shifting is caused by the broken button or taped wires etc. It could be but I doubt it.

The parts you need are available from Ford, if you have a Ford garage close. To repair it right, you will probably need the shift lever containing the wires, the button on the end and I think another piece that holds the button on. Maybe 60 to 100 dollars total.

It's not terribly hard to replace the lever. You need to remove the key tumbler so you can remove the plastic cowling around the steering column. Just a pin to slide out to remove the old shift lever. Then just unhook the old wires and plug in the new wires that go through the shift lever. Install the pin to mount the new shift lever. etc. As they say assembly is the reverse of removal.

 

I wish I knew more about wiring to help you. Hey guys! He doesn't want to fix it right now, he wants to bypass the overdrive button. Just tell him which wires must be connected!

 

Agree 100%.... if it's shifting hard into OD its not because you selector is hardwired..by-passing it will leave your truck in 3rd gear and waste a ton of gas... I think that alone would be worth the drive to the junkyard.

 

You can also try some place like car-parts.com, it's an online JY with hundreds and hundreds of different JYs that will ship parts. Got a powered mirror for my convertible, in awesome shape, for $40 shipped when one wasn't available locally and new was over $100.

 

Nice... and he will not have to waste any gas driving..

 

I won't waste a ton of gas. As I said in the OP, I drive this truck locally. Zero highway and 99% is at 40 or under.

Thanks for the heads up about that not possibly being the issue. I'll change fluid and filter as well.

With all that said, can anyone just answer my question instead of trying to convince me I'm asking the wrong question?

 

Just un-tape them.. pull them apart and open the circuit ..