Malibu tach confusion

[bracketchev1221]

Ok, here is my question. I have an 80 Malibu with the chevy 229 V6. It also has the sport gauge dash with a clock and no tach. What is required to install a tach in place of the clock AND have it work for a v8? Thanks.

 

[gnvair]

You should have the white wire for the tach under the dash IF your car came with the optional gauge cluster with the gauges but the large clock instead of the tach.
This will have the spade connector on it that connects to the short harness that goes through the firewall (the one with the tach filter) that plugs into the distributor.
As for the calibration of V6 vs V8, I believe there was something on the back side of the factory tach that could "calibrate it".

 

[bracketchev1221]

You should have the white wire for the tach under the dash IF your car came with the optional gauge cluster with the gauges but the large clock instead of the tach.
This will have the spade connector on it that connects to the short harness that goes through the firewall (the one with the tach filter) that plugs into the distributor.
As for the calibration of V6 vs V8, I believe there was something on the back side of the factory tach that could "calibrate it".

Thanks a lot. So I guess I need to buy a short harness with the filter and the tach. Hopefully that is all I need to do.

 

[O. D. Showtime]

You'll need the mounting bracket for the tach..the clock bracket won't work..

The 78-85 tachs had the clock within the tach and the bracket had a cutout for the clock mech.

The standard large clock bracket isn't the same..

Chevy used different tachs for V6 and V8..

 

[bracketchev1221]

Aw poop. I'm never gonna find THOSE parts.

 

[PBGBodyFan]

You'll need the mounting bracket for the tach..the clock bracket won't work..

The 78-85 tachs had the clock within the tach and the bracket had a cutout for the clock mech.

View attachment 125970

The standard large clock bracket isn't the same..

View attachment 125971

Chevy used different tachs for V6 and V8..

View attachment 125972

I bought a NOS 86-88 "non SS" tacha few years ago, same RPM coloring for the LG4 and from what I could find, LB4 cars (only found a few factory tach 4.3 cars in pictures, tachs look the same between LG4 & LB4) and inside of the box it had stickers for V6 & V8. It reads correctly on my SBC, always wondered if the 4.3 tachs are really different at all. Odd that the new tach would have stickers for both inside.

 

[79 USA 1]

I understand the difference between the LG4 & L69 V-8 tach's is the red line. I have a 85 SS tach (L69) for my 79 Monte Carlo and it has the 5500 RPM red line where as the 78-79 dial face LG4 set in the car has a 5000RPM red line.

LG4 78-79 Dial face



L69 80-85 Dial face

 

[Cwc]

I have a nos tach bracket for the clock I would let go