Custom instrument cluster build

[ROCK HARVEY]

This is awesome! I too have an 89 Ford F250 diesel. I would to the very same thing. If I may impose would you share this by sending this to me so I can follow what you did?

Yeah I’d be happy to help if I can. What is it you want me to send?

 

[noddaz]

That looks really nice. But don't you need two fuel gauges? Just kidding!

 

[XOLATEM]

Can I ask you about how you got the tach calibrated to your engine? I see that it connects to the 'W' terminal on the alternator, but is there anything else that needs to be done to get an accurate engine speed display ?

Reason I ask is that The Girl and I have a tractor with what I suspect is a bad tach. The wires from the 'W' terminal to the tach are good and it looks like I am getting a pulse from the Alt. A new factory tach is upward of 400 bucks and I thought maybe we could get by with a tenth of that.

I am fuzzy on how the Alt pulses could correspond to engine speed since the belt pulley ratios can vary...so...some method of tailoring to the specific application would have to be provided..?

Anyway...any help you could give would be appreciated.

Thanks,

X

P.S. That job on your instrument cluster was pretty cool....I might have to shamelessly copy that to my truck some time.

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

Can I ask you about how you got the tach calibrated to your engine? I see that it connects to the 'W' terminal on the alternator, but is there anything else that needs to be done to get an accurate engine speed display ?

There is an adjustment on the back of the tach that you turn to calibrate it. It’s a tiny allen screw head.

 

[kbenz]

There is an adjustment on the back of the tach that you turn to calibrate it. It’s a tiny allen screw head.

I'm confused here. How do you calibrate a tach if you don't know what the rpm's are?

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

I'm confused here. How do you calibrate a tach if you don't know what the rpm's are?

Good question. If you have one of the tools to set your timing, that’s the best way to do it. I have a Kent Moore Tach-n-time 33300 that I used. Otherwise, best bet is to get a non-contact tachometer for $25 on Amazon and measure the crank pulley at idle. If you have a working tach before you do the swap, you could also just set the new one to read the same idle speed the old one did and be close enough.

 

[kbenz]

Good question. If you have one of the tools to set your timing, that’s the best way to do it. I have a Kent Moore Tach-n-time 33300 that I used. Otherwise, best bet is to get a non-contact tachometer for $25 on Amazon and measure the crank pulley at idle. If you have a working tach before you do the swap, you could also just set the new one to read the same idle speed the old one did and be close enough

Ok. My tach hasn't worked since I've owned it. How do you measure the crank pulley at idle?

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

Ok. My tach hasn't worked since I've owned it. How do you measure the crank pulley at idle?

Optical or “non contact” tachometers look kind of like a timing gun. You stick a piece of reflective tape on the crank, and point the tachometer at it and it counts the revolutions.

 

[kbenz]

Optical or “non contact” tachometers look kind of like a timing gun. You stick a piece of reflective tape on the crank, and point the tachometer at it and it counts the revolutions.

Thanks a lot

 

[ROCK HARVEY]

Now that I finally got around to the finishing touches, I wanted to show the final EGT gauge install and what I did for a voltage gauge. I’m very pleased with the final setup. The LCD EGT gauge looks wierd in the photos but is bright and clear in real life. Both of these were very easy to install too. The only downside is that I lost both junk cubbies doing it this way.

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[rhkcommander]

I could never lose my cubbies!

Nice installs though. Redoing the cluster is on my list. I put in two switch panels eons ago, left side with vandal momentary push for start n glow, and toggles for foglights and manual reverse lights, blinking led for reverse, static leds for the other 3. I removed the wait to start / fuel lights for the second switch set.

Looks like my gallery pics are gone, oh well