• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.
    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Sprite Tachometer Conversion

Share this page

Kurtis

Kurtis

Jedi Warrior
Country flag
Offline
I currently have a later Spite/Midget speedo and tach in my Bugeye. I have the original Bugeye gauges and an unbutchered dash. I would like to use the Bugeye tach, but don't have the proper generator/drive for the connection. Has anyone successfully replaced the internals of a Bugeye tach with the internals from a later tach - converting it from a mechanical tach to an electric tach?
 
Yep, is lots of info some place.
 
I know I've seen it someplace too, I'm hunting thru my bookmarks and reference info. Here's a link to a commercial outfit you may find interesting in the meantime:

https://www.caigauge.com/
 
Frank Clarici has some instructions for Tach. conversion in his Alternator Conversion writing. I'll see if I can find it and send it along. I did have a problem with my wiring and did get the fix instructions from John Twist at University Motors. Have not completed this, but will also be glad to share this. Hang on, I will post this stuff as soon as I find it.
 
THX Paul. I can't find the *&%&%^$ site I *KNOW* was bookmarked.

It's Heck to get old... but I s'pose it beats the alternative. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif
 
Frank Clarici email address is: spritenut <spritenut@exit109.com>
I am sure he will share his information with you. I think I deleted my copy. If you have any problems with getting the wiring correct, I will send along John Twist's information.
 
I'm always surprised to see my name posted.

I put together a PDF about several tachs I've converted. You can download it at/from:
https://home.mindspring.com/~purlawson/files/Smiths%20Tachometer%20Conversion-R1.pdf
If the link doesnt work, just go to:
https://home.mindspring.com/~purlawson/
and browse.

I converted a mechanical GT6 tach to an electronic movement, converting your Bugeye tach will be a similar process. You have to find a donor and you have to make a spacer to attach the donor movement to the inside of your existing case. You also should plan on adding a calibration trim pot in parallel with the movement so you can calibrate the gauge.

Download my PDF and feel free to write with any questions.
 
Dunno why, Doug. You've solid information and well explained. A touchstone! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Thanks Doug! That's exactly what I was looking for! And thanks to everyone else that responded.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Dunno why, Doug. You've solid information and well explained. A touchstone! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/iagree.gif
 
I did this in the last couple yrs after the third gen gearbox broke. I found the electrical part easy. To install the smaller tack I cut the back out of the bugeye can and installed the later can into the old can. I cut the newer can back about an inch and if I were to do it again I'd take off as little as I could (instead of the inch) because at night the light doesn't get to the gauge. The new tack is an improvement. The speedo is a simple remove the old and then the later speedo installs to the same screw holes. All this to get functioning gauges. Good luck and let us know how it works out.
 
Jumping in a little late, but I just did this to my tach.Took the guts out of my old RVI tach and replaced them with a guts from a RVC tach. works good and can't tell unles you get real close

Carl
 
Back
Top