67-72 Tac...

[Andy4639]

First off I want to start out by saying this is not a thread for bashing. It's just a observation I have made today regarding 67-72 chevy truck tac's.

I took mine to a local place today to have them check it out. It has worked in the past but as of about 3 weeks ago it hasn't done a thing. So they carry in back and test it. I have know idea what they did, they come back and tell me it needs a new board for $350.00 to fix it! They said it would be better than a new one.
http://dandmrestoration.com/printing/

So I get on line and start looking and I can buy brand new ones for $90.00 + shipping less than $120.00 total. What am I missing here other than I will have original Tac if fixed verses a new one.

LMC is $89.00 + shipping
E bay $89.00 and up + shipping
Brothers was $89.00 but shipping was cheaper.

[Killer Bee]

$350 parts & labor or parts only?

OE parts or aftermarket?

those variables make a big $$$ difference..

[LockDoc]

-
Hey Andy,

I bought one of these.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tachometer-...UAAOSwFVNco2l7

I haven't finished installing yet it but it looks good...... 60 bucks and free shipping.

LockDoc

[mongocanfly]

D&M did my complete dash for the IH...they did a great job with everything I asked...but they ain't cheap...but came highly recommended....no aftermarket support for IH so I didnt have much choice if I wanted to keep a stock look...
But I'm very happy with how it turned out...

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Hey Andy,

I bought one of these.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tachometer-...UAAOSwFVNco2l7

I haven't finished installing yet it but it looks good...... 60 bucks and free shipping.

LockDoc

Dang Doc! I knew I should have posted this before I bought the dang tach!
I'll be ordering one of these also to fix my old one I guess and have a back up. Just ordered it thanks Doc, I'll have a back up now and may try piecing together a speed warning cluster.

Now if I could find the speed warning stuff to do a whole dash. I'd have a nice period correct cluster for the Ramp truck.

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by mongocanfly

D&M did my complete dash for the IH...they did a great job with everything I asked...but they ain't cheap...but came highly recommended....no aftermarket support for IH so I didnt have much choice if I wanted to keep a stock look...
But I'm very happy with how it turned out...

They fixed my 64 SS Impala tac a couple of years ago. I was very pleased but I never knew I could buy the boards myself.
They are 30 minutes away so it's nice to have them near by but...

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by Killer Bee

$350 parts & labor or parts only?

OE parts or aftermarket?

those variables make a big $$$ difference..

That was for everything out the door fixed.

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

-
Hey Andy,

I bought one of these.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tachometer-...UAAOSwFVNco2l7

I haven't finished installing yet it but it looks good...... 60 bucks and free shipping.

LockDoc

LocDoc how do you plan on doing the 2 wires? I guess I will solder them to the tac but not real sure as to how. I may leave a little of the original wire on the tac and solder the 2 together. The factory wires are much smaller than the new ones by the picture anyway.

[Andy4639]

Comparing the 2 boards. The wires and such.
They may be the same size after looking at it closer.

[Andy4639]

Well I found everything to mount the studs with now to figure out how to make a tin to work with it.
The red washers are off the original tach. The others all came from ACE hardware.

Anybody know of a round tin out of a model of vehicle that I could use?

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

LocDoc how do you plan on doing the 2 wires? I guess I will solder them to the tac but not real sure as to how. I may leave a little of the original wire on the tac and solder the 2 together. The factory wires are much smaller than the new ones by the picture anyway.

Andy,

I have a really small soldering iron and a solder sucker from repairing the later model (2000 - 2006) instrument clusters so I just de-soldered the wires and soldered the new ones on. I think the wires may be the same size but with less insulation on them so they look smaller.

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Andy,

I have a really small soldering iron and a solder sucker from repairing the later model (2000 - 2006) instrument clusters so I just de-soldered the wires and soldered the new ones on. I think the wires may be the same size but with less insulation on them so they look smaller.

LockDoc

How did you get to the end of the white wire under the metal part to solder it, is my question. The black wire is a easy job.

[Andy4639]

I made a request on our facebook truck club page late last night asking if anyone had a Speed Warning speedometer with tach dash they wanted to sell are do some trading on for mine. I then went to bed.

I got up this morning early to get started on my son house installing the water lines and cabinets, fridge, dish washer and stove.

So I'm doing my morning computer stuff and a old friend messaged me and said to call him. So I did. He has given me a 3 hole factory 68 truck cluster with speed warning in it. He took it out of his son truck when they did the LS swap a few years ago. He said it worked then but not sure now but for free I can make it work I'm sure. He said it turns free. I will make a trip up to see him & my dad Monday and report back.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

How did you get to the end of the white wire under the metal part to solder it, is my question. The black wire is a easy job.

The white wire is a ground wire and there is actually a really small wire terminal end on it with a screw that holds it to the tach body from underneath. I just cut the White wire off at the end of the terminal, removed the small piece of heat shrink tubing from the terminal and soldered the new wire to the terminal stub. You may want to just leave an inch or so of the original White wire and solder them together. Just be sure and use heat shrink tubing over the solder joint. Like I mentioned in the thread above I have a special soldering iron with a very small tip but it still gets hot enough to solder the heavier joints. The reason the terminal stub is hard to solder is because it is so close the the heavy metal tach housing.

If a guy felt comfortable doing it you could remove the needle and the two screws that hold the face plate on. Then remove the screw that holds the White wire terminal to the housing and then solder the small terminal to the new white wire and put it all back together. I was a little worried about getting the needle back on the shaft correctly so I didn't do it that way..

I hope you can follow all of that.

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

Thanks LocDoc,
yea I'm thinking cut the white wire and solder and tubing. That's the easy way.
Thanks.

[Andy4639]

Well I picked up the 3 hole dash yesterday from Tommy and got it took a part. Cleaned it up and soaked the gears good with Lithium grease over night. The thing turns great no binding at all. All I need is the wiring harness and the brass connector that the 12 volt wire connects to. The new tach I hope shows up this week also.
This will be a very nice addition to the Ramp truck interior for sure.

[Andy4639]

OK LocDoc,

I got both the board & the new tach from Brother's today.

I fixed the old tach and I think it's good to go. Continuity test was good. I hope I fixed it. I ended up pulling both the old wires off and soldering the new wires back in place it wasn't hard at all. The hardest part was getting the old studs out of the old board! After that it was a piece of cake. Hopefully sometime this weekend I will test it out. If I get time I plan to install the speed warning speedometer also. I need a pass through hook up for it though first.
In the last picture you can see where the wire connector sticks out the side. I just pulled the wire loose and re-solder the new wire in place. Did the same with the black wire.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

OK LocDoc,

I got both the board & the new tach from Brother's today.

I fixed the old tach and I think it's good to go. Continuity test was good. I hope I fixed it. I ended up pulling both the old wires off and soldering the new wires back in place it wasn't hard at all. The hardest part was getting the old studs out of the old board! After that it was a piece of cake. Hopefully sometime this weekend I will test it out. If I get time I plan to install the speed warning speedometer also. I need a pass through hook up for it though first.
In the last picture you can see where the wire connector sticks out the side. I just pulled the wire loose and re-solder the new wire in place. Did the same with the black wire.

Looks good Andy. Let us know how you come out with it when you have a chance to test it. We are finally suppose to have some decent weather next week. Maybe I can get mine installed then.

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

Same here. Been remodeling our son house the past few weeks so time has been short on truck stuff. I'm searching for a connector for the speed warning stuff right now also like this one but one I can install and take out. The tin connector.
Going to try and use what I have found so far which is the last 2 pictures.Will clip the factory connector off the speedometer head and replace with a spade connector.

[Andy4639]

Both Tachometers are working. I hooked them up temporarily to the ramp truck to see if they would work. Scared me the first time. Neither one worked. I then looked and the 12 volt wire was not hooked up to the fuse panel!!!

They both work now. But they both read differently. So tomorrow if I have time I will see about adjusting them if I can.
The guy I ordered the board from said it was adjusted to a v-8 already though.
It looked to be right around 4-5 1000 in neutral.
The brothers was more like 6-7 1000.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Both Tachometers are working. I hooked them up temporarily to the ramp truck to see if they would work. Scared me the first time. Neither one worked. I then looked and the 12 volt wire was not hooked up to the fuse panel!!!

They both work now. But they both read differently. So tomorrow if I have time I will see about adjusting them if I can.
The guy I ordered the board from said it was adjusted to a v-8 already though.
It looked to be right around 4-5 1000 in neutral.
The brothers was more like 6-7 1000.

I think I would tend to lean towards the new one being correct Andy. I know they test them before shipping. I wouldn't be in a hurry to do any adjusting on it

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

I think I would tend to lean towards the new one Andy. I know they test them before shipping.

LockDoc

Is 6-7k for idling in neutral though. That seems high to me. I thought 5-6 would be normal. But I would rather it be a little high than low.
The brothers tach is a nice smooth reaction to it doesn't jump all over the place.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Is 6-7k for idling in neutral though. That seems high to me. I thought 5-6 would be normal. But I would rather it be a little high than low.
The brothers tach is a nice smooth reaction to it doesn't jump all over the place.

Without knowing what your engine is actually idling at it will be a crap shoot adjusting either one. Do you have a dwell meter with a tach in it?

LockDoc

[Andy4639]

Originally Posted by LockDoc

Without knowing what your engine is actually idling at it will be a crap shoot adjusting either one. Do you have a dwell meter with a tach in it?

LockDoc

Yes that what I was planning to use but not sure it will work with the HEI.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Andy4639

Yes that what I was planning to use but not sure it will work with the HEI.

I guess I can't answer that. All I have ever used mine with is points.

LockDoc