Tach Question

[Cusm]

I want to add a tach to the stock gas location, but I am on a tight budget. I love the looks of Solo-Wookies dash, but I do not have the budget for all new gauges, and I think a new tach w/ the rest of the gauges remaining original would look a little trashy.
I have been told that stock Camaro gauges will work in the 73-91 dash. I need to know what year to look for and if anyone has done this I would love to see pics and know how involved the mods of doing this are. Thanks.

 

[solowookie]

Hey, blazzinor is running a factory tach of some kind...

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.blazzinor.coloradok5.com/photo.html>http://www.blazzinor.coloradok5.com/photo.html</A>

You might want to send him a private message and ask him how it did it etc...

<font color=blue> Jeff </font color=blue>

 

[BadDog]

Factory tachs were available but are hard to find.

Bad Dog

85 K30 CUCV, 350 TBI, TH400, NP205, D60/C14, 4.56 Locked
Soon: 4" lift, 40" tires, massive cutting, shorter wb and rear overhang.

 

[Cusm]

I have checked on factory but they are almost impossible to find and about $120-180 to buy in unknown working condition. I have looked locally (the guy at one Pick-Up ONLY salvage yard said he has never seen one in 15 years) on flea-Bay, and Aftermarket shops(LMC, Cheyenne Pick Up, etc) and have not found one worth $20 let alone $120.
I was told that the Camaro tach is cheap and readily available, but I never heard what year or what kind of mods were involved.

 

[dyeager535]

I am still working on finding out what year Camaro the tch is that I have in my truck. My dad can't remember what year he got it from, and I have been scouring the wrecking yards for similar...nothing so far..late 80's were totally different...I still thnk the font/colors look like late 70's early 80's..thats what vintage I would focus on, but not rule out the 70-81 series, nor mid 80's...

Just looked on ebay for "camaro tach" and found this http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cgi/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=580753721&r=0&t=0 Without being able to compare sizes, not positive, but I bet thats it.

Not at my truck right now, but I am almost 100% sure that my dad used the needle off the gas gauge on the tach, to replace the "fat" needle on the Camaro one.

There isn't much to the changeover. Unbolt the fuel gauge face from the stuff on the back of it. Unbolt the Tach face from the electronics on its back. Glue (black silicone is invisible) the tach gauge to the fuel gauge face. (have to cut the holes for 4wd and brake in the tach I believe first) Rivet (my dad did anyway) the Camaro electronics to the now joined tach face/gas face. Done with that. Now again, not sure if any mounts or anything had to be removed from the tach face, but if so, no biggie.

Going to have to cut a hole in the back of the blue dash piece to get the wires through also I assume. The correct Camaro tach will take a seperate plug, and will NOT require any mods to the printed circuit board, (not really a board anyway) for the tach itself. The plug is easy, one wire to the dist. cap, one to the fuse panel (ign. hot) and one to ground, I used the grounding strip (bus bar) thats already under the dash on my '86.

The only other thing is now you don't have a fuel gauge. I believe from the same Camaro, he removed the small gas gauge, and did the same thing, only this time removing the clock. the clock is tied into the printed circuit board, but so is the fuel gauge. Run wires from the correct copper path on the printed circuit board from the original fuel gauge, (be careful soldering the circuit board!) and solder them to the clips that make contact on the back of the clock/gas gauge.

That should do it, all done : )

Dorian
My K5 and Chev/Olds tech/links page: <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html>http://www.dorianyeager.com/index2.html</A>

 

[POWERMAD]

Hey there
I know that you said that you were working on a budget.
I'm on a budget also, and have been buying gages one at a time.
I have a Sun super tach II. It is about the same size as the fuel gage.
I am going with Auto meter gages. So far I have coolant and volt meter gages. As soon as I get the oil and fuel gage I will install them all in one shot. I have found Summit to have the best prices on gages. The Schucks in town wanted $73 for the coollant gage. Summit had it for around $40.
I realize that this is way off of what you want to do.
I just thought I would pass along what I'm doing with my dash.
Check out Mike Ervins dash this is realy cool.
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/clt/m/g/mgervin/photos/gpics.htm>http://personal.clt.bellsouth.net/clt/m/g/mgervin/photos/gpics.htm</A>
See ya


my truck's not dirty, it's earth tone paint

 

[solowookie]

wow, he did a great job on the install... They look very clean and very nice..

This will give me and idea of what my will look like when I get my alluminum bezel...


<font color=blue> Jeff </font color=blue>

 

[TX Mudder]

I picked up a 73-75 tach cluster for about $100. Well worth it! Looks great, no fitment problems or worries or hassles, etc.
-- Mike