Adding a tachometer
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More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 685
Likes: 25
From: East Central Indiana
Adding a tachometer
Hello again everyone.
I have a 1988 Ford Ranger, 2WD 2.0L manual. It's a piece of ****, but it runs.
Anyways, it doesn't come with a tachometer, and I'd really love to have one installed.
What's the easiest, cheapest, best way to get one and install it? What does everyone recommend?
Thanks for your time.
I have a 1988 Ford Ranger, 2WD 2.0L manual. It's a piece of ****, but it runs.
Anyways, it doesn't come with a tachometer, and I'd really love to have one installed.
What's the easiest, cheapest, best way to get one and install it? What does everyone recommend?
Thanks for your time.
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 1,265
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just installed my scangauge. http://www.scangauge.com/ love it, tons of features, couldn't be easier to install.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,147
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The last tach I had bought was a sun, it had that 60's look with the black housing and chrome bezzle. I attached ti the steering colum, then had the shop hook it up for 50 bucks. This was on an 89 jeep comanche, not as hard as todays stuff I would imagine.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 8,462
Likes: 4
From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
Well you gotta run the power wires and the wires for the lightning. That's actually the hardest part. Afterwords you just run a wire from the gauge (typically the green wire) to the tach signal wire on the PCM, which is present whether you have a tach or not.
The gauge will have better descriptions and go more in-depth. Someone with the four banger can tell you where to find the tach wire other than the main bundle.
The gauge will have better descriptions and go more in-depth. Someone with the four banger can tell you where to find the tach wire other than the main bundle.
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 139
Likes: 0
From: northern Illinois
If you have a wiring diagram and the instructions for whatever tach you buy there shouldn't be any problems. It's a great upgrade, and makes driving more fun in my opinion. Wendell, It's good to see another former Comanche driver on here. They were great trucks, but they are all getting a little old now. The newest one is 15 years old now. Mine was a 1986 2.5 2x4 what was yours? I had some headwork and put in the biggest cam Mopar ever sold done on mine. It ran like a motorcycle, I shifted it a 9000 rpm( I know this because I added a tach). It was still dog slow, but a blast to drive. My ranger is more comfortable, but that old jeep touched my soul. I still miss her every day.
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More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 685
Likes: 25
From: East Central Indiana
Hello again everyone.
I got lucky today, I was snooping through my dad's garage, finding all kinds of usefull stuff. And I ran across a aftermarket tachometer! Looks slick too.
It's a super pro, and it has what looks like an "mw" symbol in the bottom...
...if that means anything to anyone...
The problem is I don't have any documentation on it.
It has 4 wires;
black & red (I assume these are for power...)
green & white
I'm guessing the green wire goes to the coil (I think the coil has a spot called "tach")
and the white wire is for back-lighting...
If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.
I can just run the back-lighting wire to a parking lights wire, correct?
Also, is there any calibrating to be done? Or will the tach automatically be accurate (hopefully)
And what rpm should my engine idle at? It's a 88 2.0 4cyl.
And for best mpg I should shift at 3k rpm correct?
Thanks for all your time and patience.
I got lucky today, I was snooping through my dad's garage, finding all kinds of usefull stuff. And I ran across a aftermarket tachometer! Looks slick too.
It's a super pro, and it has what looks like an "mw" symbol in the bottom...
...if that means anything to anyone...
The problem is I don't have any documentation on it.
It has 4 wires;
black & red (I assume these are for power...)
green & white
I'm guessing the green wire goes to the coil (I think the coil has a spot called "tach")
and the white wire is for back-lighting...
If anyone knows for sure, please let me know.
I can just run the back-lighting wire to a parking lights wire, correct?
Also, is there any calibrating to be done? Or will the tach automatically be accurate (hopefully)
And what rpm should my engine idle at? It's a 88 2.0 4cyl.
And for best mpg I should shift at 3k rpm correct?
Thanks for all your time and patience.
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 769
Likes: 12
From: Moneta, VA
Your wiring sounds good. Green to the negative side of the coil, black to ground, red to a switched 12V source, and white to 12V lighting source.
You should get a warm idle between 550 and 800rpm just guessing. The four bangers seem to like to shift between 2700-3000 for the best power/fuel econ/wear and tear mix.
The tach should have a switch for 4, 6, and 8 cylinders on the back. Otherwise, it's a 8 cylinder tach only and you'll probably end up with readings twice what they should be. Thats always pretty fun to have when a non-car savvy person rides with you... "Dude, I always shift at 6K. Watch me take it up to 8K! Haha, Honda thinks it's special with a 9K redline."
You should get a warm idle between 550 and 800rpm just guessing. The four bangers seem to like to shift between 2700-3000 for the best power/fuel econ/wear and tear mix.
The tach should have a switch for 4, 6, and 8 cylinders on the back. Otherwise, it's a 8 cylinder tach only and you'll probably end up with readings twice what they should be. Thats always pretty fun to have when a non-car savvy person rides with you... "Dude, I always shift at 6K. Watch me take it up to 8K! Haha, Honda thinks it's special with a 9K redline."
Last edited by Tiggie; Mar 14, 2007 at 06:52 PM.
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Thread Starter
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More Turbo
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 685
Likes: 25
From: East Central Indiana
it doesn't have a switch.
it has a screw in the back but i'm pretty sure it's to hold the thing together.
I can't remember for sure at the moment but it goes up to 8k I believe.
it has a screw in the back but i'm pretty sure it's to hold the thing together.
I can't remember for sure at the moment but it goes up to 8k I believe.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,436
Likes: 117
From: Virginia
Just an off-beat, but still related question to this thread:
Did any of the 80's Rangers come with a factory tach in the gauge cluster? If so, which ones and does anyone know where to find them?
jason867 - IIRC the manual for my 88' 2.3L says ~800 RPM. When ever I have to check the RPM I have to hook up my diagnostic gauge to this green wire.
Tiggie - Very funny, I'll have you know my Acura/Honda feels VERY special with it's Japanese version 9500 RPM tach swapped in.
Did any of the 80's Rangers come with a factory tach in the gauge cluster? If so, which ones and does anyone know where to find them?
jason867 - IIRC the manual for my 88' 2.3L says ~800 RPM. When ever I have to check the RPM I have to hook up my diagnostic gauge to this green wire.
Tiggie - Very funny, I'll have you know my Acura/Honda feels VERY special with it's Japanese version 9500 RPM tach swapped in.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 769
Likes: 12
From: Moneta, VA
Originally Posted by G2IC_Wraith
Just an off-beat, but still related question to this thread:
Did any of the 80's Rangers come with a factory tach in the gauge cluster? If so, which ones and does anyone know where to find them?
Did any of the 80's Rangers come with a factory tach in the gauge cluster? If so, which ones and does anyone know where to find them?
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,436
Likes: 117
From: Virginia
That might make sense. I do have one that I picked up a while back that I was told came from a Ranger (or BII) that looked like it would fit just fine. When I went to install it the dash plug on mine looks similar to the hole on the cluster but it's different.
So if anyone like jason867, or me, wanted a factory look it would be a huge PITA to do it? That sucks. I am sure that will be a pain in the butt to find just the dash harness plug. Or is this one of those things that would just be easier to replace the harness under the dash with the one from the donor truck?
So if anyone like jason867, or me, wanted a factory look it would be a huge PITA to do it? That sucks. I am sure that will be a pain in the butt to find just the dash harness plug. Or is this one of those things that would just be easier to replace the harness under the dash with the one from the donor truck?
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 769
Likes: 12
From: Moneta, VA
Originally Posted by G2IC_Wraith
That might make sense. I do have one that I picked up a while back that I was told came from a Ranger (or BII) that looked like it would fit just fine. When I went to install it the dash plug on mine looks similar to the hole on the cluster but it's different.
So if anyone like jason867, or me, wanted a factory look it would be a huge PITA to do it? That sucks. I am sure that will be a pain in the butt to find just the dash harness plug. Or is this one of those things that would just be easier to replace the harness under the dash with the one from the donor truck?
So if anyone like jason867, or me, wanted a factory look it would be a huge PITA to do it? That sucks. I am sure that will be a pain in the butt to find just the dash harness plug. Or is this one of those things that would just be easier to replace the harness under the dash with the one from the donor truck?
It does suck. Gen I Rangers are my favorite, but not that many had tachs, espeically 2WD models like I want. And a tach is one of my favorite options.
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