Tachometer suggestions

[DCurrent]

Hello gents,

 

I'm thinking I'd like to find a tachometer for my Plymouth. Something period would be nice but I'm not real keen on what to look for. Done some searching on ebay, but there are so many newer contraptions out there that I don't know if they'd even work on the old girl. I'm not real stupid when it comes to this, but to be honest I've never messed with a tach because I've never had another car with a manual trans. Any direction would be great.

 

Darren

[Robert Horne]

I bought a boat tach for my 38, has white face, works great.

I believe has 3 wires, one for light, one to coil, one ground,

or hot, my memory not working good.....

With the numbers going from 0 to 4,000 or 5,000 on boat tachs,

they are easy to read.....

[Don Coatney]

I bought this one on epay several years ago. If I recall I paid less than ten bucks for it. Most tachometers available today go up to ten or twelve thousand RPM's. I wanted one more in range of the capabilities of my engine.

 

 

 

 

[Lumpy]

I heard that the tachs of the L6 don't have numbers on them, just the words: "Slow" and "Slower".

 

Sorry...could not resist.

 

ken.

[Don Jordan]

I got mine from http://www.westach.com/ they made it for a 6v pos ground. I can show pictures if you want. It doesn't make the car go any faster but it gives me a giggle to look down and see it.

[Tones52]

I've checked Ebay periodically for a 6 volt tach and they were few and far between. The ones there were pricey, too.

 

So I emailed Westach to see what it would cost for their 6 volt tach that would work with my Plymouth that has the Petronix HEI.

 

This is what they sent me back:

 

Our 2CT53-6VW is a 2" 0-5,000 rpm 6 volt pos or neg ground with a white face black lettering.$124.65

Light kit 186-6V is $5.80

The steering column mount is 692B-714  $17.80

 

They said it would take a few weeks to build it. But, this will be the info I'll give to the family before my birthday and/or Father's Day

Edited January 26, 2014 by Tones52

[Don Coatney]

Does your Pertronix unit use hall effect technology or is it a magnetic switch?

 

Follow this link for some interesting reading

 

http://www.breakerless.com/igntionfacts.htm

[DCurrent]

Just to be clear I luckily don't have to search for a 6v as my car is converted to 12v. I did notice that 6v tachs are few and expensive if you find one. Never thought about a boat tach. I'm not a boat guy but seems most of them would be made for two cylinders, or are you referring to the boats equipped with a car engine? 

[martybose]

Just to be clear I luckily don't have to search for a 6v as my car is converted to 12v. I did notice that 6v tachs are few and expensive if you find one. Never thought about a boat tach. I'm not a boat guy but seems most of them would be made for two cylinders, or are you referring to the boats equipped with a car engine? 

The boat tach on my car is a Chrysler Marine 270 degree 5000 RPM tach for marinized Slant 6; works great with my HEI ignition!

 

Marty

[Andydodge]

Dunno if this helps but this is the type of tacho that I had on my Plymouth coupe, the chrome bezel had the look I was after, it was an Oz made brand, Speco but I'd think that there should be a US made one similar.....andyd

[DJ194950]

Does your Pertronix unit use hall effect technology or is it a magnetic switch?

Don, Pertonix ign's are hall effect per their website.

Besides replacing older point type igns. says also can be used with multi-spark cd type ing.'s also.

Not sure what the cd type is used on but I do know it's a capacity type.

You you newer car guys add an explanation of this? App's?

Tks all,

Doug

[t-bag]

my car is converted to 12v and i used a small tach from autometer that fit in a blank hole in my dash. I can't remember what was in the hole originally, could have been ing. switch?

[Don Coatney]

Don, Pertonix ign's are hall effect per their website.

Doug

I don't think so.

 

For over thirty years, the Ignitor has proven itself in applications ranging from race cars to tractors. The Ignitor replaces breaker point and troublesome factory electronic ignitions with a dependable, self contained and maintenance free electronic ignition system. The Ignitor has been called the "stealth" ignition because of its quick installation and nearly undetectable presence under your distributor cap.

 

Specifications

• Operating Voltage: 8-V to 16-V DC
• Temperature Range: -50 to 300F
• RPM Range: 0 to 15,000 RPM
• 12-V NEG Ground (some 6-V NEG, 6 & 12-V POS ground kits available)
• System is designed for use with most point-type coils, optimal performance achieved when used with our Flame-Thrower® 40,000 volt coil.
• Works great in stock point-type distributors as a trigger for multi-spark CD ignitions, eliminating the need for expensive aftermarket distributors.
• No complicated wiring makes installation easy.
• A solid-state electronic ignition system. "Never change points again!"

[Plymouthy Adams]

I believe if you were to read a bit more you will find that the Pertronix igniter depends on the installation of a permanent magnet..thus the Hall effect is the trigger. 

[Don Coatney]

I believe if you were to read a bit more you will find that the Pertronix igniter depends on the installation of a permanent magnet..thus the Hall effect is the trigger. 

May be the case but I did not see it advertised as such.

[Plymouthy Adams]

It is not advertised as that and only if you go and look at the "parts list" and read on actual installation do you get the directions for magnet installation......at least this applies to the Pertronix unit I have looked at in the past...

[DJ194950]

There is a plastic? part that goes over the lobes of the dist. that fits tightly and is under the standard rotor used in that dist. with magnets that are spaced evenly and the the # of magnets corsesponds to the # of cyl's of the motor.

In the past the co. I worked for intalled them in 2 cyl. wisconsins 4 cy's of same and 6's of several brands including Furd! Saved many service calls in the field, plus cap replacements, rotors, and plugs ect.(point replacement, adjustments etc. again) in the shop.

Are they called flying magnets as they rotate with the dist.? Only has a small pickup inside the dist. to See the magnets and collapse the field in the coil=spark when needed.

The co. I worked for had about 1000 units in the rental bus. that used the pertonix ign's as far back as the 90's.

I decided to save some $$ and try it out in my 50 Suburban, seems fine, but almost no miles as it never got 100% finished. Maybe in my future?

Also put in my Ply.50 4 dr. with about 2K working fine so far!

[Don Coatney]

Thanks, I stand corrected.

[William Davey]

I installed the Westach 0-5000 rpm tach on my 6V pos ground truck.  It works well with the Pertronics ignition, but I did have to put the trigger wire on the opposite coil terminal from that specified in the directions.  I don't remember which terminal it's on (+ or -), but I hooked it up wrong the first time and just got erratic readings with no damage to the tach.  Called Westach who suggested connecting to the opposite terminal - problem solved.  

[t-bag]

You all probably all ready know petronix does not make a system for the older mopars. I know this site is for p15 d24 cars but i have no place else to go. The lagdon  electronic ing. has worked well for me and my auto meter tach has been trouble free.;

[Frank Elder]

You all probably all ready know petronix does not make a system for the older mopars. I know this site is for p15 d24 cars but i have no place else to go. The lagdon  electronic ing. has worked well for me and my auto meter tach has been trouble free.;

Yes they do....you just have to check the, Massey Harris?..... section, they had our motors in their combines.

[Plymouthy Adams]

the Pertronix website is a bit different than some for application chart...to to their site, click on Exciter I for instance, enter your distributor number (example IAT-4003) and it will return a number of applications dependent on 6, 12 and 24 volt and also positive or negative ground...

 

 

 

http://pertronix.com/support/ignitor-kit/default.aspx

Edited January 29, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams

[William Davey]

Pertronics does in fact carry systems for almost every Mopar.  If you contact them directly, they walk you through the selection process including 6 or 12 volt and pos or neg ground.  They will also match up the system with the correct coil.  I have used their systems on a boat since 1999 (SB Chevy) and on my truck since 2007 (1955 C-3 with a 259 V-8).  You need to know which distributor your vehicle has since several were used over the years.