Okay, I ended up replacing the clutch switch after I broke it putting it back in (had swapped to the one I was using before but had to switch back with the dash swap). It's the one that mounts to the left of the clutch pedal and has the button that is pushed by the flat on the pedal arm (as opposed to the white one that is pushed by a rod running through it) and mounts via slotted holes.

My engine WILL NOT crank with this switch. If I bypass it with a piece of wire, it cranks. This is a BRAND NEW switch that I bought on eBay (cheaper). I ran a test on it with a DMM to check the resistance and get 15 ohms. Seems to me it should be close to 0, right? I don't believe I can return it (well out of the 30 day period, IIRC).

Can someone with a factory switch confirm the resistance reading for me? I already know there is no grease or anything inside the switch that should be causing me issues, unless the brass? contact is the issue. Maybe I should have saved the old one to swap the button contact into the new one (housing broke).

 

You should see much less than 1 ohm on the switch. A nearly unmeasurable fraction, close to 0. Usually milli-ohms.

15 ohms is too much resistance. If you measure the voltage on both sides of the switch while trying to crank the engine, you will probably see 12V on the input side and 0V on the output side.

15 ohms is unacceptable and you need a new switch. Unless you feel like you can pop it open and clean the contacts with an emery cloth.

 

Did I mention that the switch is a BRAND NEW Airtex switch? Been cycled exactly about 5 times. I've closed the (brass) contact for tighter contact with the wiring contacts and still have 15 ohms resistance even with no wiring attached. I'm thinking it's the contact that's attached to the button (the one I'm assuming is brass since it looks like it).

I think I may try a Delco next. Maybe that one will have a COPPER contact in it instead of the brass one...

 

Yup, I read that you bought this new one off fleaBay. That's exactly why I suggested measuring the voltage on it under load (while trying to crank).

 

With the switch in your hand and testing it at the terminals, the switch should read infinite ohms since the switch is a normally open switch. When you close the switch, you should get 0 ohms. Test the switch both ways. Opened and closed. I dont think you will get any voltage at the wire connector. All the switch does is send a ground signal to the starter relay to enable it and crank the engine. Should be a 2 wire connector. 1 is a straight ground and the other goes to the starter relay to ground the coil side of the relay. If you can jump the 2 wires together and the engine cranks, I suspect a bad switch. Doesnt matter if its new. I've had bad new parts right out of the box before.

 

That is incorrect. Maverick, make sure you do NOT ground either side of the clutch switch. You will cause damage to the wiring and possibly a fire.

The only starter relay there is on Camaros would be the Starter Enable Relay which is part of VATS which was not introduced until 1989.
The clutch switch on ALL model/year 3rd generation f-body vehicles interrupts the power to the starter, not ground. An example of a diagram for 1988 Camaro.

 

Sorry for the incorrect info. I've been working on cars for a long time and the clutch saftey switch systems I've messed with have been a ground switching systems. I didnt have the wiring diagram in front of me for this guys car so I assumed it was going to be the same type of system. After looking at the diagram, I see that the power to the starter solinoid is interupted by the saftey switch. But still, if he can jump the wires and the engine cranks, its going to be a bad safety switch.

 

Um, I already knew not to jump the switch to ground... I've seen what happens when a wire that isn't supposed to be jumped to ground ends up that way (stupid Chrysler!).

All I'm asking is if all of the replacement switches are made the same way. Like I said, this Airtex seems to have a BRASS contact on the button instead of what I would think would be copper. I'm probably going to end up going to the J/Y again and pulling out the clutch switch from the dash donor 93. Or getting a Delco NOS switch.

It wouldn't be an issue if: A. I hadn't thrown out the broken original that was on the clutch pedal assembly when I bought the car (broke the housing reinstalling it), so I could use that button contact; and B. I could use the clutch switch I had been using on the other car (the white one on the early cars that needs all sorts of room behind it for the actuator rod that there isn't room for with the 93 dash).

 

Well, I went and got the NOS Delco switch. I'll be keeping the Airtex in case something happens.

Found out that I'm going to have to do some work on the ignition actuator rod... Think maybe it got stretched or something at some point. The ignition switch is at maximum adjustment and the rod needs to be pulled towards the steering wheel an additional 3/8" or something like that to get the starter to engage. I'll dig out my other switch as well since it may be the rod that's the issue and not the switch (like I supposed it was in the first place), so I can have that as a backup as well (I trust old Delco parts a lot more than the cheaper new ones that are made in China).

Also going to have to check the starter motor again... I could swear that the starter drive inside it was pretty close to brand new, but it's only engaging half of the time. I'll try putting the spare motor in first to see if it's bad (I know for a fact that one works as it was the one I was using when I pulled everything apart 3 years ago... not using it only because it's got bearing noises).