installing tach when there wasn't one.

[Chillin014]

In my 83 el camino I got screwed with the clock where the tach SHOULD BE...and is on some models. ..since finding the factory clusters with the tach is just too expensive and hard to do, what i want to do is put an aftermarket tach where the clock is. Has anyone done this? I'm not sure if there are wires back there I can just tap into to make it work or what (obviously I have no idea how a tach works in these cars). I would love to eventually replace all of the gauges, like the speedometer and such but for now I just want a tach because its driving me crazy. not to mention the lighting of the gauges is poor at best.
something simple like this would be fine for me http://store.summitracing.com/partd...925228+4294839077+4294815748+115&autoview=sku

 

[megaladon6]

i have the same tach in my car. the wiring is simple. ground, keyed power, light power, and signal wire---goes on the tach gnd wire. trying to fit it into the cluster i will leave for someone else.

 

[pose_442]

It should be fairly easy to install a tach on your Elky. Many tachs have a single wire hookup that goes to the distributor or #1 plug.

If the factory HEI distributor is on the motor, there is a plug for a tach next to the red power wire. Plug the signal wire into this, splice in a wire for the illumination (I'd splice into the radio or A/C illumination wire for simplicity and for proper dimming). Then hook up the ground.

As far as the install in the dash pod is concerned, I'd get the size closest to the clock or clock delete size, and fab up pod or brackets to fit.

Also, check ebay for these as they will go in the same way. Check out the link below.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Chevy-Mo ... enameZWDVW

 

[Chillin014]

thanks guys. and wow...I never saw stock tachs that cheap!
hmm...now i have some thinking to do...

have any of you replaced the speedometer with aftermarket as well?

 

[Chillin014]

also im reading something about a tach filter...is this necessary?

 

[megaladon6]

the tach filter is necessary for the stock tach.

 

[ryanwitski]

yes it is needed to give the tach the proper signal.

 

[kevinrocks]

I installed the 3" sunpro tach yesterday. 4 wire setup. White (lights), red (power), black (ground) and green (signal wire, to hei) i put my power to the fuse box, lights to the ashtray light (since Im not a smoker and dont use the ashtray) and the ground is one I found under the dash. The single wire just plugs up as said, and then you go. I put mine in the corner near my a-piller and dash. I like it there, but if you're not wanting it to show, this wouldnt be the best place.

Hooking it up was the easy part. running and tucking the wires were the hard part. (none of it is really hard) took me about 20 minutes. Most of that was tucking and hiding the wires.

 

[gmachinz]

Look at your underdash wiring behind your radio-you should find a white wire with a brown female spade terminal receiver-that is where the tach filter plugs in. I have a nice, complete 1985 SS tach/gauge cluster pod for $150 if you want the whole she-bang. They are getting pretty scarce so yes, they are going to cost some coin for a nice factory setup. It sure makes selling a car easier when you have nice original options in the dash...I try to keep an inventory of them but I build so many g-bodies that it's kinda hard.

 

[srercrcr]

It's about damn time these babys started being worth something!