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addition of a tach

R

riv1973

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i was wondering how easy it is to add a tach to our instrument cluster on our 1988 blazer. i was thinking of swapping it for the fuel gauge and moving the fuel gauge to the small blank spot in the cluster and put the tach in the large spot where the fuel gauge is now ( to the right of the speedo). is there anything that i need to do with the printed dash circuits? or can i get the LMC tach and fuel gauges and hook them up.

john
 
Easiest way is to take the whole cluster out and swap in a complete tach cluster. The housing, printed circuit, and the two gauges are different. Easy to modify the housing for the oem tach if you get one.
 
Option 2 is to buy a LMC tach addition kit:
www.lmctruck.com

Tachometer Conversion Kits

Explore our tachometer conversion kits for Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy and Chevrolet/GMC Suburban 1973-91. Ideal for revamping and personalizing.
www.lmctruck.com www.lmctruck.com

but they are backordered... so you will have some waiting to do.
Did this for my 73, but ended up replacing most of my other gauges to make them match, so it got more expensive.
 
the big dollar option is Dakota Digital. I'm staring at about $3000 shopping cart on their site, but it gets me new gauges and a dash computer, big tach, TPMS, GPS speedo, extra air pressure sensors for airbags, all sorts of fun stuff.
 
Or find one of the C60(?) truck clusters/tach that integrates the tach and fuel gauge. I believe that requires minimal work to install.
 
Jegs has one called the invision, digital but keeps the old look, I like it 15E10684-CFFF-481C-8986-29E41AA67815.png
 
82355 said:
Nothing looks as good as the factory style.

Martin
Click to expand...
Agreed.
I saw on somebody’s cluster, the base of the needles were black and I liked it. Think I might try it. Maybe on the shortbed first since I don’t have the bezel in yet.
8C75FA73-7030-4807-B4DB-703194CD5950.png
 
I found a 1977 cluster on ebay. anyone know if the 1977 cluster will work on my 1988 blazer?
 
riv1973 said:
I found a 1977 cluster on ebay. anyone know if the 1977 cluster will work on my 1988 blazer?
Click to expand...

You can make it work. The font is different. The 1980+ tach clusters are much less common than the 1973-1979 tach clusters.

Martin
 
Here is when I put a '79 tach cluster in a '90 Blazer.

Wiring up a 1979(?) cluster in a 1990 K5.

My 1990 K5 has a doubler, so I no longer have a speedometer output on my transfer case. I bought a used 1979(?) gauge cluster with a factory tach for $20. I am not sure on the age of the used cluster, but it has all electronic gauges, and the older font. Anyway, I chased all the wires and the...
ck5.com ck5.com

In hindsight I wouldn't have because I don't like the mismatched fonts. It is hard to find the late model tachs though.

Martin
 
riv1973 said:
I found a 1977 cluster on ebay. anyone know if the 1977 cluster will work on my 1988 blazer?
Click to expand...
The pin out of the big connector may also be different. I had to check mine and move a few pins around when I changed from the original 73 to a "78" with tach and electric oil pressure. Fairly easy to mod, worth checking before you plug it in an let some magic smoke out of a gauge.
 
6872xtc said:
I really wish that I would have coughed up the coin for the reproduction C60 tach/fuel gauge combo before they quit making it. :doah:
Click to expand...
I bought one, now I’m thinking i should have got ahold of them to troubleshoot why it doesn’t work before they went out of business. Hadn’t heard that. :eek:

Time flies
 
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