My father's El Camino has the blank out unit on his El Camino. I bought and had sent down to him a tachometer out of another 1986 El Camino. My question is... How does it connect? Do I also need a cable?
1986 El Camino - Adding Tachometer
- Thread starter el corvino
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You'll most likely need to add a wire from the tach terminal of the HEI to the cluster plug.
The tach uses a mounting plate, it does not directly fill the hole left when the closeout plate is removed. The wires from the tach itself connect to posts on the adapter plate.
Also, if it did not have gauges in the center holes, you'll need the printed circuit for a gauge dash.
I have seen references to later Caminos already having the tach wire (white) in the harness, but no first-hand sightings myself.
Pic of plate attached
The tach uses a mounting plate, it does not directly fill the hole left when the closeout plate is removed. The wires from the tach itself connect to posts on the adapter plate.
Also, if it did not have gauges in the center holes, you'll need the printed circuit for a gauge dash.
I have seen references to later Caminos already having the tach wire (white) in the harness, but no first-hand sightings myself.
Pic of plate attached
I would have thought on GM's part, it easier and cheaper to print all the same circuit boards for 86 and just not add a tachometer on the El Camino and Monte Carlo cluster's, if not so chosen when selecting options. The more you know...
86 should have the stand alone coil? I believe you have to tie into a white wire at the coil. I also believe that the 86/87 printed circuit board (PCB) will accept the factory tach. The early PCBs had a separate connection for the clock in the tach which required the use of a full guage PCB or connection to constant 12V at least.
I've seen in alot of cases that the white wire at the cluster connection was present in most after I believe 83 or so? whether it was full gauges or not. Most case the white wire is coiled up under the dash.
I've seen in alot of cases that the white wire at the cluster connection was present in most after I believe 83 or so? whether it was full gauges or not. Most case the white wire is coiled up under the dash.
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I'm just baffled - He's going to have to dismantle it again and send me pictures... He said there was no hole or cut out behind the dummy gauge... Unless they just routed the wire about the circuit board to the coil? I was looking through a shop manual, trying to figure it out.
There will be a mounting plate to hold the blank plate. He would have to change that out with the tach mounting plate like the one Brian (Ribbedroof) posted above.
If I remember correctly my white wire was under the hood near disto up under the firewall. I had the clock instead of the tach.
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