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Tach ? again

7

76 jimmy Az

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Tempe, Az
I heard some people talking about adding a tach early and i have a question. I have a 76 jimmy manual so i would really like a tach but is it as easy to install as connecting it to wires?i think i want a autometer one
Thanks
 
The easiest way to mount one is a hoseclamp on the steering column.As for the wiring it should only take 4 wires.1 ground-1 power with the key on-1 to the dash lights and one to the coil.If you have a HEI ignition there is a spot on the distributor cap to plug it into.If not I think it goes to the coil but I can't remember,It's been a long time since I had anything without HEI.Hope this helps.

<font color=red>Wanna'keep wheelin? Get involved!
Check the "Land Use" section of this board.</font color=red>
 
If you have an older ignition system with points, the tach wire goes to the side of the coil that feeds the distributor, which if my memory is correct is the negative side.

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Eagle86K5
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Masonry...It's a Good Thing
2B1ASK1
 
Yes I have mine too the negitive side of the coil also!
Don't you love thoes brain farts Eagle86K5??LOL
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Rock ON!
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72 K5
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Led Zeppelin
 
Ok, so I bought a tach today, and it says to connect the green wire to the negative side of the distributer, and it says it might also be labeled tach. I looked on my truck and there it was, a little thing jutting out from the distributer cap that says tach. I was looking in the haynes manual just to get a better look at the connection, and it looks like it would be hard to connect. It looks like it should have a little plug to go into it, but the green wire is just a wire. Will I have to pull the distributer cap to put it on, or is there some other way to do it, it looks like it would be hard to reach. Thanks


Blazer: A hole in the air, surrounded by metal, into which one pours money
 
What I did is that I bought a little box of 10 connectors at a local shop about $0.75. I used only one for that cable. Now I have peace of mind that I won't have a loose connection.

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What the heck!...Drive it like gas is $0.50/gal!!!</font color=black>
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Most of you that are hooking up Tach's for the first time are going to be disapionted, becasue you going to go out
and drive around trying to get peak HP, and peak Torque.
And then the "TRUTH" will seattle in and two weeks later you tach will be lucky to see 2500 rpms.
Happy Taching..................
 
Yeah, that happened to me. I had no idea what my rpm range was. I discovered 90% of the time I'm in the 1000-3000 range. Only when I'm really in a hurry (i.e. having fun), I get to 4500 rpm. That might be because I have 3.08 gears and 31" tires.

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What the heck!...Drive it like gas is $0.50/gal!!!</font color=black>
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I have a tach mounted by the e-brake release handle and I want to put it on the dash. Is it hard to mount it on the dash?

<font color=green>Money</font color=green>--&gt;Blazer
 
Hey Kibils, You need a .250 Female spade connector to plug into the "Tach Output" coming off the distributor. Strip the wire from the tach, then crimp on the female spade onto the wire. It might be easier to pop off the cap to plug in the connector, but it can be done by "feelin' and pokin' ". GM has a special connector for this, but the female spade has always worked for me. These instructions only apply to the HEI style distributor. Old points style, just hook the wire on the Negative side of the coil, like Eagle said. Good luck!

Michael
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http://jmartin.net/parker/goose.htm
 
Thanks for the info on the spade tip Micheal, I have been contemplating throwing one in myself just have not figured where to put it. Looks funny on the steering column, it moves everytime I put it in gear!


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Eagle86K5
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Masonry...It's a Good Thing
2B1ASK1
 
Thanks for the info on the spade connector! I hope to pick one up tommorow and then put everything in place!

Blazer: A hole in the air, surrounded by metal, into which one pours money
 
I installed mine today on the left side of the tilt assembly. Thanks, Michael! The spade connector worked great!
It's really a piece of cake on an HEI system.

Blazin' in Flagstaff
 
I installed everything over the weekend and it works great, I mounted it on the steering column. On eproblem I did have was, I spliced in the light wire from the grey wire coming out of the dimmer switch. The light worked fine. Now, the light doesnt come on in the tach, and the tach stops working all together, and when I turn the lights out it starts working again. Is this a short or a bad connection? or just a faulty tach? Thanks

Blazer: A hole in the air, surrounded by metal, into which one pours money
 
Try hooking the wire up elsewhere... the tach is taking up too much amperage that the dimmer doesn't have to give.

NEVER been stuck... *yet*
 
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