Factory Tach
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Freshman User
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Factory Tach
I have a 85 F150XL and I am installing a factory tach. When looking through the Hayes manual it is not in detail enough for me to feel comfortable hooking it up. There is no factory harness or plug waiting for a tach. On the back of the tach are 4 terminals C, 8, G, B. Would really appreciate some help.
Thanks
Thanks
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Hallettsville, Texas
If Helm doesn`t have it, you can usually win them on eBay for a good price. The factory manuals are the only way to go. There are several different manuals for the year truck that you have. There will be an engine manual, a body and chassis manual, engine and emmissions diagnosis manual, a separate wiring diagrams package, specifications book and several others that I can`t remember without driving to my shop. I will be over there later today, I will look and see what I can find for you. I put a factory tach in my 86 crew cab at one time, but I don`t remember having to change the whole cluster. I could be wrong but I really don`t remember. I do remember that it just plugged in. The wiring diagrams would really help you. What year truck do you have?
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Tach responce
Originally posted by brown 4x4
You'll need the whole tach cluster to mount it in the factory position. Then it should just plug in and work, no modifications necessary.
You'll need the whole tach cluster to mount it in the factory position. Then it should just plug in and work, no modifications necessary.
Posting Guru
Joined: Jan 2001
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From: Nebraska
Correct. But I didn't realize the tach would even mount in a non-tach cluster. I don't know if you can still get an entire cluster new. They show up on ebay quite often, or a junkyard may have one.
It is possible to just wire it up with your existing cluster; you'll just have to study a wiring diagram.
It is possible to just wire it up with your existing cluster; you'll just have to study a wiring diagram.
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Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Nova Scotia
You can still mount the factory tach and wire the terminals the same way you would for a column mounted tach. I believe that B is 12v, C goes to coil, 8 & G are grounded.
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Originally posted by brown 4x4
Correct. But I didn't realize the tach would even mount in a non-tach cluster. I don't know if you can still get an entire cluster new. They show up on ebay quite often, or a junkyard may have one.
It is possible to just wire it up with your existing cluster; you'll just have to study a wiring diagram.
Correct. But I didn't realize the tach would even mount in a non-tach cluster. I don't know if you can still get an entire cluster new. They show up on ebay quite often, or a junkyard may have one.
It is possible to just wire it up with your existing cluster; you'll just have to study a wiring diagram.
New User
Joined: Nov 2003
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I just did this on my 82'. I looked on ebay and bought a cluster from an 86' Bronco. The cluster look basically identical in that they both have guages and not idiot lights. The difference between the two is that the one from my 82' (no factory tach) does not have the provision for a tach in the printed circuit. i.e. you can not just put a tach into a cluster that did not originally have a tach without wiring it seperatly. The 86' cluster has the tach already intstalled with the printed circuit connected to it. all you have to do is unhook the speedo cable and wiring harness and hook up the new cluster complete with tach. All the wiring for the tach is already on the harness, or at least it was for my truck. If your worried about it just test the harness real quick to see if your getting a tach signal.
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Joined: Jun 1999
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From: Nova Scotia
My truck has idiot lights so unfortunately, I can't just "plug and play". I have idiot lights on my dash... ans a spare cluster with a factory tach. My plan is to install the factory tach in my dash and wire it like a column mounted tach. That should work OK.
