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Topic: need help with tach

in Forum: C3 Electrical


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need help with tach (1/11)
 8/26/12 11:46am
RedVetteinprogress
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West Bend, WI - USA

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1985 silver coupe & 1975 red coupe


Joined: 3/18/2010
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Help! I have a 1975 car with a tach problem. The thing was acting strange so I replaced the circuit board. That helped somewhat but now the faster I go the more the tach reads high. At 70 MPH I show 3500RPM and it should really be about 2900RPM. Should I try another circuit board or what? Tearing the dash board apart again is not something I'm looking forward to doing. Could the problem be with the Tach filter? What does the filter do and where the heck is the thing located? I should add that when I turn the key to ON, the Tach reads 0 and I think that is correct. THANKS much for any help you guys can give me! Darrell
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Re: need help with tach (2/11)
 8/26/12 12:20pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


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Not sure if the '75 have a tach filter like the later cars, but if it does, it will be in the "Tach" circuit coming from the dist cap connection, which should be a brown wire. Tach filters are normally in that circuit not too far from the cap connection, and may be bolted to the top bellhousing bolt.

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Re: need help with tach (3/11)
 8/26/12 1:12pm
Case75
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, - Canada

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1975 Corvette 383 stroker w/Patriot 190 heads, Eagle stroker kit, Comp 279TH7 cam, DUI distributor, Edelbrock 7116 intake, Edelbrock 1806 carb, Hedman Hedders, TH400 w/TCI Breakaway 2400 stall, Transgo 1-2 shift kit.


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Tach filter is mounted on the intake manifold very close to the distributor, visible from the driver's side. 1975 is the first year with the electric tach due to the switch to HEI that year and thus the tach filter. You can check to see if the tach filter is the culprit by bypassing it. Unplug the tach filter from the distributor, unplug the brown wire coming through the firewall from the tach to the tach filter, plug the brown wire from the tach directly into the distributor. If the tach works properly, you have a bad filter. You won't hurt the tach by bypassing the filter. It is only there to filter out electical noise from the circuit which can give wonky tach readings.

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Build Date: May 7, 1975. 383 w/267 RWHP/310 RWTQ
Re: need help with tach (4/11)
 8/26/12 10:46pm
daveo76
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Vancouver, WA - USA

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Doesn't sound like the filter to me.  I replaced my board with one from Wilcox and they have good videos on YouTube about how to calibrate.  Which vendor did you get yours from?  

When I started my car two weeks ago after rebuilding the motor (and tach and a whole lotta other stuff) the tach was bouncing around like crazy.  I was worried that I did the board wrong or it was bad, but I later discovered that the filter was connected electrically but I didn't screw it down to the intake like it's supposed to be - it was just hanging there suspended by its wires.  As soon as I bolted it down to the manifold the tach settled down and is working better than it ever has in 11 years of owning this car.  Must need to be grounded for it to work properly.  


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1976 Silver/Firethorn.  L48, 4spd.  Original 2 bolt, vortec heads, 9.4:1 CR, Speed Pro Cam: 224/224@0.050, 112 LSA, Eagle Steel Crank.
Re: need help with tach (5/11)
 8/27/12 10:19am
Case75
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, - Canada

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1975 Corvette 383 stroker w/Patriot 190 heads, Eagle stroker kit, Comp 279TH7 cam, DUI distributor, Edelbrock 7116 intake, Edelbrock 1806 carb, Hedman Hedders, TH400 w/TCI Breakaway 2400 stall, Transgo 1-2 shift kit.


Joined: 6/19/2012
Posts: 230

daveo76 said: Doesn't sound like the filter to me.  I replaced my board with one from Wilcox and they have good videos on YouTube about how to calibrate.  Which vendor did you get yours from?  

When I started my car two weeks ago after rebuilding the motor (and tach and a whole lotta other stuff) the tach was bouncing around like crazy.  I was worried that I did the board wrong or it was bad, but I later discovered that the filter was connected electrically but I didn't screw it down to the intake like it's supposed to be - it was just hanging there suspended by its wires.  As soon as I bolted it down to the manifold the tach settled down and is working better than it ever has in 11 years of owning this car.  Must need to be grounded for it to work properly.  


I was thinking the same thing Dave; might be the calibration of the board. I just wanted OP to know how to bypass filter. Good point about grounding the filter. Very important. I got my board from Wilcox as well.

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Build Date: May 7, 1975. 383 w/267 RWHP/310 RWTQ
Re: need help with tach (6/11)
 8/28/12 12:41am
daveo76
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Vancouver, WA - USA

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1976 Silver/Firethorn. L48, 4spd. Original 2 bolt, vortec heads, 9.4:1 CR, Speed Pro Cam: 224/224@0.050, 112 LSA, Eagle Steel Crank.


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Let us know how this one turns out.  Maybe if you don't have luck with calibration you could try to call Wilcox.  I've been wondering how their customer service is.  Good luck!

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1976 Silver/Firethorn.  L48, 4spd.  Original 2 bolt, vortec heads, 9.4:1 CR, Speed Pro Cam: 224/224@0.050, 112 LSA, Eagle Steel Crank.
Re: need help with tach (7/11)
 8/28/12 8:03am
lukesvetteLifetime Member
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HOWELL, NJ - USA

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With the key in the run position is the tach at 0 RPM? If not, you will need to re-zero the tach. I had to do that with mine after I changed my PC board.

Has to be done with the tach out of the dash (guess you know how to get it out...)

It basically requires carefully removing the needle, applying a 12V source to 2 out of the 3 studs on the back (I have to find the article for you that tells which 2) and carefully pressing the needle back on.

Be very careful if you try this. The needles tend to get brittle with age, but you can find them if you need one.

Good luck

Paul
Re: need help with tach (8/11)
 9/4/12 1:30pm
69BBConvLifetime Member
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I suggeest that you make sure that the gauge and the filter are well grounded before attempting to recalibrate or re-zero the tach.

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Re: need help with tach (9/11)
 5/13/19 7:55am
cinorLifetime Member
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, - Canada

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can someone post a picture of the position of filter with it plugged in, pretty sure I have it figured but just want to be sure. 75 corvette

 



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Re: need help with tach (10/11)
 5/13/19 2:36pm
Adams' AppleLifetime Member
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Duncanville, TX - USA

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#1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas


Joined: 11/8/2003
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Joel Adams
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Re: need help with tach (11/11)
 8/1/20 3:53pm
BillHanna
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Cana, VA - USA

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I realize that this forum issue goes back a few years, but I have the same problem with the tach reading about 1000 RPM high on my '75, depending on the engine speed.

I too replaced the circuit board and filter, and zeroed the tach as described.  When the key is turned on, the tach does go to zero.

I did not realize that the tach was off until I installed EFI, which also has a tach readout.  I wanted to see for sure which was off, so I bought a hand-held tach that you point at the pulley with a bit of reflective tape on it, and this agreed with the EFI reading.  (BTY, this little hand-held tach is pretty nifty and only cost $22.00.)

I have no intention of going back and pulling the dash again (3 or 4 times already was too much!), but I am curious if anyone found the cure for this.



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