Tach install

[austin92]

So I decided to change my plans on a tach from the autometer alt. pick up and 2 5/8 gauge to a stock dash cluster that has a tach in it. Thanks to stealth13777 and langevette I have the cluster and gear cover with a tach pick up.

Now I’ve done a lot of reading on this install but I still have a few unanswered questions. One is swapping the timing cover and 2 is, I don’t think my harness has the plug for a tach.

Is there a way to remove the cover with out disturbing the timing gears? Gears are all the same whether the truck had a factory tach or not, correct?

Since I don’t think the plug is there for the tach pick up will the plug in the back of the cluster have leads coming out for the grounds, signal, and power? Is the power, constant or keyed?

Also, since I’m already going to be in there are there any recommended LED’s that won’t completely ruin the factory look? I don’t want to be blinded by my dash lol


1983 f350 6.9 zf5

 

[CDX825]

You can change the cover without disturbing the gears. You will have to re time the truck though as you will be disturbing the ip position.

Your wiring harness most likely does not have the plug for the factory tach. I know my 84 doesn't.

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MY recommendation for led bulbs would be to get some sylvania ones. I have used them in a few of my trucks and the quality is good. My 98 ranger has ones from super bright led and they work but the quality is lacking. Have at least two in the cluster that are flickering.

 

[austin92]

So remove ip then unbolt the cover and gears should stay in place? If I move them by accident I’m pulling the front cover? I did find that picture in my searches but the cluster I bought has the printed circuit board instead of those terminals. That sucks to hear about super bright LED’s, I bought a set of their reverse lights and they’ve been awesome


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[Thewespaul]

I’ve had nothing but good luck with sbl, probably one of the nicer led brands I’ve dealt with. That stinks to hear you had issues, maybe try swapping the bulbs around and see if the flicker follows it?

The way I pull the gear cover it’s a two person job. Remove ip and lines, then one person lifts the cover straight up while the other holds the gear in place, then clean everything up and install the new one the same way with one person holding the gear in place until the cover gets far enough over it

 

[IDIBRONCO]

And yes the gears are the same. If a tach was optional for your truck, you will have the plug and wiring for it. A tach may not have been an option until 85.

 

[austin92]

Thanks for those tips guys. Truck is an 83, not sure if tachs were optional then or not


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[Macrobb]

So remove ip then unbolt the cover and gears should stay in place? If I move them by accident I’m pulling the front cover?

Realistically, yes, the gear stays in place without much chance of movement. I've done it multiple times.

If it does move on you, you can get it back within a tooth or so easily enough - remove #1 glow plug, rotate engine until you feel air coming out of the GP hole just before the timing 0 mark on the damper lines up. Then, just put the IP gear back to the position it should be. See this for a diagram: https://www.oilburners.net/posts/854540/
As you can see, the two bolts opposite the pin are straight across with the pin at 4:30 o clock.

Worst case, you might be off one tooth. You'll hear it off when you get the thing running - one tooth retarded will smoke blue/white, feel "mushy" and have little power. One tooth advanced will clatter like mad, possibly smoke black and have little power.

 

[austin92]

Helpful info on the gears guys, thank you. Does anyone know what the 2 leads are from the tach sensor? Power in and signal out?


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[Cubey]

Is it possible to use a low priced aftermarket tach with a factory sensor? My 85 6.9 E350 has a plug in the timing cover so a sensor could be installed. I don't really care to change the cluster.

 

[CDX825]

Helpful info on the gears guys, thank you. Does anyone know what the 2 leads are from the tach sensor? Power in and signal out?


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So the factory tach has 4 connections on the back. Two of them go to the sensor and the other two are power and ground.

You can take the tach out of the cluster and put it in your existing cluster so your odometer is the same. Also the circuit board will fit. You would have to follow the traces and see if they are actually making a connection to anything on the plug that goes into the back.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Helpful info on the gears guys, thank you. Does anyone know what the 2 leads are from the tach sensor? Power in and signal out?


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I'm not positive on this but I don't believe that there's any power going to the pick up. The bottom of the pick up is magnetic. I believe that it works on the Hall Effect where the gear teeth moving past the magnet produces a signal.

 

[austin92]

I can’t find any info on it through google searches. Maybe I’m typing the wrong thing. Why do people buy/offer manual vehicles with no tach in the first place? Lol


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[IDIBRONCO]

Well, it does have a governor so you can't overrev the engine.

 

[snicklas]

I can’t find any info on it through google searches. Maybe I’m typing the wrong thing. Why do people buy/offer manual vehicles with no tach in the first place? Lol


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A tach in everything is actually a relatively "new" thing. The bricknose and newer Ford pickups were some of the first vehicles that I can remember that ALL of them came with a tach. Depending on the vehicle, it wasn't until the early to mid 2000's.

Thinking back to some of my most recent vehicles, including the ones here right now.....

My 07 P71, 07 QX56, 03 Excursion and both Bricks 88 and 89 have tachs. The 94 S-10 Blazer does not.

Going back, my 02 Neon, 00 P71, 91 Jetta, 92 Festiva, 88 Taurus, 91 Shadow and all the older ones that I remember my Dad having, did not have Tachs.

My 92 Bonneville, my 92 + Taurus/Sable's and Dad's 97+ F-150's did. Most late models seem to also.....

I've driven/ ridden in more manual transmission vehicles that did not have tachs than I have that have.

Just my personal observation, others may have seen differently.

 

[Isaac Ristow]

there is one aftermarket tach that can be setup to run with the stock sensor. its around $200 i would have to look at the facebook idi group to find what it was when i asked its written down somewhere