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where to mount my new tach?

bigbadchev84

bigbadchev84

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anyone have a monster tach? where is a good place to install? i have one in my blazer its mounted on the side of the hump of the dash on the right side, but i dont think i want it there in my tuck, what are some good mounting spots? pics would be nice too if ya got them
 
that does look good there but i have a stick so i think it would get in the way, starting to look like my options are limited
 
bigbadchev84 said:
anyone have a monster tach? where is a good place to install?
Click to expand...

In a honda civic... preferably one with "dubs" and lots of hp-adding stickers. :crazy:


sorry, couldn't resist. ;) :grin: in all seriousness though, why do people spend money on tachs? I have never had one in any of the rigs I have owned... I haven't had a working speedo for 2 years now.. that hasn't been a big loss either. In any case, it seems like they are kind of expensive, so I assume there must be some reason... just can't think of what it might be.

j
 
i like mine, i have a heavy right foot, plus mine has a shift light that blinds me to remind me that motors arent cheap. plus i got mine off a buddy for 50 bucks so i cant complain.
 
Tach Mount Location

I mounted mine between the steering wheel and the driver's door on the instrument column face. I removed the lowest/leftmost screw from the face pannel and then replace the screw but this time with the tach being held in place. It's not a really secure mount that you'd want your 4-year old hanging on but it's highly visible, out of the way, and no modification or permanent damage. I've had it there for 3 years with no regrets yet. As far as the question, "why even have a tach". My reasons are...1) I know what my RPS are when flying down the highway unable to hear my motor. 2) It's reminded me to kick it back into overdrive when going from the trail to the highway more times than I can count. 3) My spedometer, like most of us with big tires, isn't right. The tach does not lie. 4) Nothing shows a rough idle or a vaccum leak like a bobbing tach. 5) A good tach can tell you when your auto-choke has reached "warm". 6) Keeping an eye on RPM's helps ME keep my gas usage down a bit by encouraging me to lift the lead-foot a bit. 7) Chick's dig RPM's... :cool1:
 
i agree with jekbrown what is the point if you have a automatic. i have the original 4 speed in my 86 and i found that not having a tach in it has not killed me and it is a standard :dunno: so if you just have to have a tach i think a good place to put one would be were the fuel gauge is. remove the fuel gauge and put a tach there and then buy a fuel gauge that will fit in the little spot were the clock goes. mine does not have a clock and i think it would be a good place to put it that way you can see the tach right in front of you. alos who needs that big of a fuel gauge anyway
 
why can't you hear your engine at high speed? stereo? super sound deadening stuff on the firewall? I hear my engine loud and clear, especially at high speed. lol! maybe no doors, no top and no interior carpeting or anything is the reason. Anyway, if you need a tach thats cool... i was just asking cause it seemed to me like a lot of $. :)

j
 
I put mine thru a screw that holds the sun visor on. Like it a lot just enough in the way not to be a pain to glance at.
 
how hard would it be to secure the tach or any aftermarket gauges in place of the original gauges?....the originals have the metal with the screw holes attached to the gauges...

If the electric fuel gauge is relocated to the smaller gauge cluster, how would it get the correct signal that was going to the other location for how much gas is left?....would this work? rigging up some wire with connectors on the end and tap it to where the gauge normally makes contact and same with the other end of the wire to the gauge??

Thanks.
 
Bross82 said:
how hard would it be to secure the tach or any aftermarket gauges in place of the original gauges?....the originals have the metal with the screw holes attached to the gauges...

If the electric fuel gauge is relocated to the smaller gauge cluster, how would it get the correct signal that was going to the other location for how much gas is left?....would this work? rigging up some wire with connectors on the end and tap it to where the gauge normally makes contact and same with the other end of the wire to the gauge??

Thanks.
Click to expand...


I have one guage like that. The oil pressure guage. Had to cut out the clear plastic, grind the back out a little, and it fits right in there. I have seen the whole guage cluster done up like that though. I would do the whole thing myslef if I could find a speedometer that would fit. You can barely see it in these pics, but it's the seconed guage on the top right (i'm sure you knew that) and it shouldn't be much of a hassel to change the placement of a guage.

mytruck1-8.jpg


mytruck1-9.jpg
 
well, i'm not too worried about them fitting...i think they will all fit ok. its just making sure they stay in place....like if i replace the fuel gauge with a tach....it will only have a few wires attached to it, and those might not really hold it up too well.....i'd like to keep everything in the dash and not in external pods

also, what do you think of the thing with rigging up the fuel gauge in a different location?

thanks
 
check Wraenkings photos in the gallery... he just did the 4 on the left in a stock dash....

i went a different route....
13480dash_install.jpg
 
Bross82 said:
well, i'm not too worried about them fitting...i think they will all fit ok. its just making sure they stay in place....like if i replace the fuel gauge with a tach....it will only have a few wires attached to it, and those might not really hold it up too well.....i'd like to keep everything in the dash and not in external pods

also, what do you think of the thing with rigging up the fuel gauge in a different location?

thanks
Click to expand...

I'm not sure about the stock guages and interchangeability, but I don't think that it will be held in by the wires alone.

After market guages come with either a metal piece that wraps around with a screw to tighten or a thick rubber band like material around the back. This is used to PIN it. the outside piece is too big to fall in the hole, but the hole is just smaller than the band on the back to keep it from falling out. Make sense??? Sorry, i'm not a master of my own language yet
 
Not nearly as good looking as royken's, but I like this location as you don't have to look away to find your tach.
1017Picture_351.jpg
 
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thanks everyone...

ryoken, are those autometer pro comp gauges??? those are the gauges I was actually looking to swap most of the originals out to...

did you first use what came with the gauges to install them and hold them in place? or did you use that custom panel when you got them? did you make that panel or get it someplace??

also, how did you end up hooking up the fuel gauge? since the gauge was (or atleast on my 85) where you look to have the autometer tach....how did you tie it into the printed circuit so it works from the left side of the dash?

thanks
 
Bross82 said:
thanks everyone...

ryoken, are those autometer pro comp gauges??? those are the gauges I was actually looking to swap most of the originals out to...

did you first use what came with the gauges to install them and hold them in place? or did you use that custom panel when you got them? did you make that panel or get it someplace??

also, how did you end up hooking up the fuel gauge? since the gauge was (or atleast on my 85) where you look to have the autometer tach....how did you tie it into the printed circuit so it works from the left side of the dash?

thanks
Click to expand...

yeah, i don't wanna hijack your thread here... mine is full custom, so it really wont apply much here.. just showing other options...

yeah, they are Pro Comps... had most of them laying around the garage from another project.. just had some damage on the rings.. the fuel pressure on the hood and oil pressure are liquid-filleds..

it is a custom panel.. made of composite fiberglass. the gauges are held in place by the L-brackets that come with the gauges. no printed circuit board, all straight hardwired...

pretty sure you can install small ones on the left side of a factory bezel without hacking the circuit board.. you just wouldn't tie into the circuit board with those gauges. bypass it and hardwire them. probably have to hog out the hard plastic behind the gauges for wire access.. think thats how wraenking did his...

a big tach in place of the fuel gauge may be difficult trying to retain the circuit board due to how deep the tach would be sitting in there.. personally, i was glad to ditch the whole circuit board..

here is one with them installed in a factory bezel.
jkjlkjljh.jpg



for a full autometer setup, this one here is your easiest option i would say. just keep in mind, the flatpanel style like this one will leave the gauges angled down...
http://coloradok5.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=342&stc=1


heres how mine was before the new dash..
13480dash11.jpg
 
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