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Wiring an electric tach in a Bugeye

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I am attempting to replace my mechanical tachometer with an APT electric tach. Can anyone tell me which connections must be made? On a negative ground 1275 with alternator, does the tach get wired into the positive or negative side of the coil? Is there any wire that goes to the alternator?

Tim C.
 
Tim

On a modern tach there should be four wires:

Ground, perhaps the case, perhaps a green or black wire. This should go to the chassis of your negative ground car

Power or +12, perhaps red. This should go to any convenient switched power source. Switched sources are often white or green wires in the bugeye. Green are fused, white are not fused

Sense, who knows what color. This should go to the "Points" side of the coil. If your coil was properly reversed when the electrical system was changed, this will be the negative side of the coil.

Lighting, again who knows what color, but is the power for the light inside the tach. If you can find a red wire with a white tracer or band on the bugeye attach the light wire there and the tach will light when you turn on the dash lights.

Disclaimer: I have never seen your bugeye, please verify your wiring matches my suggestions.

Cheers, good luck
 
ThomP,

Thanks for the reply. I believe I have everything wired up as you indicated, and do still have the original wiring harness so the wire colors are as you indicated. I'll fire it up this weekend and see if I can keep the smoke in the wires this time! As for your disclaimer, I'm attaching the URL where a photo or two of my car is seen. It's a little hard to miss at the shows I go to!
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creger.html
 
Hi Tim,
i dont suppose you work for Gateway?... own a farm..?


Nice car


mark
 
Kinda hard to miss that car! After seeing the paint, I'd check the driver/restorer and forget the wiring harness!

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I connected and test fired the new tach this weekend, looks like everything works, and NO SMOKE! Thanks for the help from fellow listers.

Tim C.
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