• Hey Guest!
    British Car Forum has been supporting enthusiasts for over 25 years by providing a great place to share our love for British cars. You can support our efforts by upgrading your membership for less than the dues of most car clubs. There are some perks with a member upgrade!

    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Upgraded members don't see this banner, nor will you see the Google ads that appear on the site.)
Tips
Tips

"TACH RE-BUILDERS" / Who, Where etc etc??

toysrrus

Yoda
Offline
Hi Folks;

I have one Tach that is "Dead" / Does Nothing:

I installed my spare & It jumps all over the place & is Off about 2 -3,000rpm:

What info. can you people pass onto me relative to Re-Builders; Meaning Websites, Phone #`s etc etc:

With /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif Russ
 
toysrrus said:
I installed my spare & It jumps all over the place & is Off about 2 -3,000rpm:

This usually indicates a problem with the drive cable. Before I'd send out the tach, look to see if the cable has any kinks in it, and then try lubing it up. When a cable operated tach starts jumping around, it's usually the result of the cable winding up and unwinding, giving that pulsating jump to the tach. Same thing happens with speedos. NO, not the kind you wear at the beach. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/jester.gif
 
It works for the speedos that Dale and Pedro wear in Puerto Rico.
 
Hi Gents;

Thanx for the info: Art; I believe your right: Its less costlier to buy a new cable than to have it sent out for Whatever:

How in the world do I grease the cable?

Regards, Russ
 
Remove the cable from either the tach or speedo. It helps if the gauges are out so that you can get a clear shot at it.

After it's disconnected at the head, you can pull the inner (driven) cable out of it's housing. If it's all frayed and has jagged sections, it's toast. You will have to replace it in that case.

If not, wash it down with a good solvent cleaner, removing all grease and grime from the cable. Dry it well and lube it with a very light coat of white lithium grease, spread out and worked in with a cloth. Be careful because the cable may have jagged edges that you don't see easily and they will cut you quickly.

Slide the cable back down in the housing and be sure that it's as far in as it was when you removed the cable from the head. You may have to twist it a bit to get it to seat in the drive gear slot.

That should do it.
 
Hi There Brosky;

Interesting! Well; The weather here in NE PA does`nt look too Promising today: The weather man missed the boat one more time!

So; It may be a perfect opportunity to play with My Tach:

Thanx Again for the Info:

With Regards, Russ /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/banana.gif
 
Easy way to see if its the cable... connect the speedo cable to the tach. Okay, it won't be accurate (though I think the needle position will be close) but you'll be able to see if that steadies the needle.

Tachs are pretty simple compared to speedos (don't have the complex gearworks for the 2 odos) servicing and repair of both described here --

https://mywebpages.comcast.net/rhodes/
 
I have always used a dry graphite lubricant especially formulated for speedometer and tach cables.
 
TR6oldtimer said:
I have always used a dry graphite lubricant especially formulated for speedometer and tach cables.


Ditto on the graphite. White lithium grease will tend to gum up after time, this being a constantly moving part, not the best choice of lubricant, IMHO.
 
Hi There GeoHahn;

Hey, That sounds like it just will let me know Whats going on; Cable or Tach?

Regards and /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/thankyousign.gif Russ
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I have always used a dry graphite lubricant especially formulated for speedometer and tach cables. [/QUOTE]

You know guys, I have to agree with you on that. Any idea where to get the special graphite lube made for these?
 
NAPA auto carries it. You can get it online. Larger parts stores should also carry it.
 
The local speedo guy (where I get my replacement cables) says to just get a glop of plain old wheel bearing grease on your hand and drag the inner cable thru it.

I too thought graphite was the way to go but pass along this opinion from a local expert (does nothing but hot-rod & vintage speedos and other instruments).
 
I think that I would still use the graphite, with a NEW dry cable and housing. I wouldn't mix the two on an older cable setup unless you flushed the cable housing really well to get rid of original grease.
 
The graphite is a dry lubricant. It's viscosity does not change with temperature. While grease may work OK in your cars, as most are fair weather drivers. For those of you who do drive in the northern states in the winter, think about what cold does to grease. Yep, it's viscosity increases dramatically, which puts more stress on the tach and speedo cable, which means higher failure rates. Just my thoughts.
 
I always used white grease in the 'old days' but like dry graphite better today...
 
Back
Top