A quick call to my dad's house ( they own a '99 & a '2000 ) and he said when my brother swapped in the trans from the '98 GC ( we lost that one ) my brother had to adjust shift cable to trans . The floor shift will have a shift interlock to the steering column so the ignition lock will also lock the shift lever. That is why you can toggle the shift lever and get the jeep to start. My dad and brother went through this . Check this adjustment first before swapping neutral safety switch.