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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

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Old Feb 3, 2019 | 06:00 PM
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Back to square one!

ok! After fixing a couple burnt ground wires after the jumping debacle, I found some more problems. Got a new tach and clock. They didn’t work when I installed them. Checked voltages and they’re good. But when I plug them in no workey!!!;also installed speedometer from donor cluster. It doesn’t work either. Any suggestions would be appreciated!!!
 
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Old Feb 3, 2019 | 07:34 PM
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Check the circuit board where the wiring plugs in. The copper can be corroded and it also can come loose from the clear plastic and get wrinkled. A little super glue to glue it back on the plastic works for me. Take your speedo head out and put it in the other cluster.
 
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Old Feb 4, 2019 | 05:57 AM
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You could check continuity of the four circuit board ribbons that support the tach.
You could clean the tach per the thread in the Stickies.
Hopefully you didn’t get a bum tach, but they’re going on forty years old.
 
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Old Feb 4, 2019 | 06:04 AM
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Checked clock with another power source and it works fine. Forgot to mention that both clock and tach are not original to the truck. I wired in both. So now I guess I’m going to re-wire both from scratch and go from there��
 
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Old Feb 4, 2019 | 09:00 AM
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I don't know if the tach uses straight 12 volts or if the IVR regulates voltage to it, but if it uses straight 12V, I wonder if you could remove it from the cluster and wire it to the coil for testing purposes?
 
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Old Feb 5, 2019 | 01:43 PM
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Originally Posted by packagerjr
I don't know if the tach uses straight 12 volts or if the IVR regulates voltage to it, but if it uses straight 12V, I wonder if you could remove it from the cluster and wire it to the coil for testing purposes?
Yes. I have tested tachs with the hood open. On the back of the factory tachometer, connect 12v to "B", green wire on coil [-] to "C" and a ground wire to "G" if six cylinder and also to "8" if a V8.
 
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Old Feb 5, 2019 | 04:51 PM
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Finally after many days and short hours, I got everything to work! I just went back and re-did all the previous grounds I had used. Cleaned up everything behind the dash instead of the rats nest that was there. Also found out that I will need to start hunting for a new printed circuit board(plastic) without the tach wiring. Undid the main molex plug so many times it pulled the copper off two spaces where it plugs in. I have a couple of the circuits that have the tach etched on it, but my tach is hard wired. Not sure if I could use one of those board because I tried once before and it didn't work the tach. Not sure if it would double feed the battery connection on my tach. Thanks to everyone that chimed in with suggestions!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
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Old Feb 5, 2019 | 06:25 PM
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If you have a 1980, they can be a little oddball in the wiring department. I m not sure the tach cluster is plug and play like it is in the little bit later models.
 
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Old Feb 5, 2019 | 06:27 PM
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I wonder if LMC sells that board?
I think I seen it posted you could still get them.
Dave ----
 
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Old Feb 6, 2019 | 08:28 AM
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They are also available on eBay [used and NOS].
 
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