Add a tach?

[oldmann1967]

My '81 Scotts does not have a tach. I want to replace the LARGE fuel gauge with a large tach, then put a small fuel gauge in one of the blank spaces in the bezel. What do I need to do? Can I get a small fuel gauge and plug and play from the big fuel gauge? What do I need besides the harness for the tach? I see I can buy this stuff from LMC.

Thanks!!

[77ChevySharkBite]

I would look into maybe going to autozone or something that a cheaper alternative in reference to a tach, um....from what I've been told if you get a new fuel gauge you'll have the get all new equipment such as the "bobber" that goes into the trucks tank, as far as wiring I dont see why you couldn't use the old wiring and it work.

[liftlawssuck]

You need to replace the printed circuit board on back of cluster and possibly the white plastic housing. Can't remember on that last one. Your best bet is to buy a whole instrument cluster that has a tach in it. Look on the parts boards here. They come up quite frequently. Not real cheap but available. I bought all my stuff right from GM. The only thing I didn't buy was the tach itself.

[xole]

This is pricey but does the trick.

http://www.gmsportssalvage.com/?q=node/1530

[J Knight]

Originally Posted by xole

This is pricey but does the trick.

http://www.gmsportssalvage.com/?q=node/1530

I installed this one last year, works perfect.

Here is some install pics, start at post #54

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...el+gauge+combo

[68Timber]

Originally Posted by xole

This is pricey but does the trick.

http://www.gmsportssalvage.com/?q=node/1530

Love this option.

[oldmann1967]

Yesssss! Thanks!
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[Evil Trailblazer SS]

I searched for months and paid $200 for a donor tach cluster, plus had to buy the last brand new NOS '81 cluster case in GM's entire dealer network, a new printed circuit from Classic Industries, some gloss ultra white spray paint, 3-chip LEDs, and here is what I ended up with...




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[Cramitthefrog]

If you have or can get the tach and small fuel gauge the only thing you need to get is a housing that has the clock in it which are fairly easy to find. You can reuse your printed circuit. This is very easy to do with just some junkyard parts.I could explain more and maybe track down some pics if you want to piece one together.

[86 Silver]

Originally Posted by Evil Trailblazer SS

I searched for months and paid $200 for a donor tach cluster, plus had to buy the last brand new NOS '81 cluster case in GM's entire dealer network, a new printed circuit from Classic Industries, some gloss ultra white spray paint, 3-chip LEDs, and here is what I ended up with...




Posted via Mobile Device

Gotta ask as I'm doing the same thing you did. Bought the wiring harness from LMC and ran brown to distributor, black grounded, and cut off the pigtail end for power/red and spliced on make end then plugged right into fuse panel....tach won't work! All other gauges work. Any ideas??? How did you wire in the tach?
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[Duramax40]

Thanks for the good info guys. I too am trying to find a tach/clock cluster for an LS swap project.
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[Evil Trailblazer SS]

^^^Exactly! As long as you don't have a dummy indicator dash, the printed circuit "should" work fine!
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[wraprail]

You can do it on the cheap with a clock cluster, small factory fuel guage and a tach from a 1970-81 camaro (very common in wrecking yards and they read to 7000 rpm)
Solder a wire on circut board from your fuel guage signal and attach to new fuel guage with ring termanal, add power and ground and mount where clock was. (Only one screw but its enough)
Tach just needs power and ground from circut board and run one wire to dist. for tach signal. I also used the speedo from camaro which just bolts in and reads 150mph.

Less than $50

. [IMG][/IMG]
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[gmachinz]

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[82ccshorty]

are the diesel versions valuable?

[gmachinz]

Typically-no. The gas big series trucks had a 5K tach. Those would be the better route. They are good for tach cluster parts should you find a 5K tach from a big series truck.
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[82ccshorty]

I didnt know this truck I just bought has one that comes with it but it's a diesel cause it's a 4k
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[gmachinz]

Well, I take back the comment about them being not so desirable-if you wanted to pay the money you can send it in and have it re-faced/calibrated for whatever RPM you want-a friend of mine just got his 1984 factory tach back and it had a burnt circuit board-it didn't need re-faced or anything but wiht a NEW board and calibrated it cost him $160 with shipping both ways-took about a week and a half turn around time-works great now. You could reface it, throw a quartz clock in the lower left corner and call life good!

[1985-GMC]

Have you ever come across one?

[82ccshorty]

I have a diesel one but how can you tell if it's mecanical
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[1985-GMC]

Instead of wires connecting to the back of it it has a cable, kinda like the speedometer.

[82ccshorty]

On the tach?
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[1985-GMC]

That is what we are talking about isn't it?

[gmachinz]

I guess I've never seen a mechanical tach even in the big series trucks.
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[1985-GMC]

Hey where'd my first comment go mods? I wasn't trying to buy one from him, I just wanted to know if he had one.

Originally Posted by gmachinz

I guess I've never seen a mechanical tach even in the big series trucks.
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Dieselwrencher said he has seen some, im just trying to find a picture of one.