Removing the Tachometer

larry47us · 03:19 PM

My 73E Targa has a tach that that works fine, but doesn't light at night. I was told that there was probably a wire missing between the ground and the other bolt on the back (I haven't looked at it yet.)

But, my newbie question is "how do I get the sucker off?" I know that I have to pull the Steering wheel first, but after that?

Then, does anyone know what bolts I should wire between?

TIA

larry

jabb · 03-03-2005, 04:23 AM

There is a big rubber ring around the outside of the Tach that creates a Friction fit into the Dash. Just grab the Tach and pull it out. Sometimes its easier to get the clock out than stick your hand inside and push the Tach out from the back. In the Past I have done this without having to remove the steering wheel.

asphaltgambler · 03-03-2005, 04:41 AM

You can use a putty knife and some soapy water to work it out. You may have enough room with-out R&R the wheel.

kevjandon · 03-03-2005, 05:34 AM

Have you seen Finding Nemo? "Just keep swimming".

Well it's kind of like that, "just keep pulling"

It will come out sooner or later.

Wil Ferch · 03-03-2005, 05:37 AM

Careful !!!!!!

Early cars ( don't know which years)....do NOT use friction fit, but do use some sort of mechanical fasteners, ( as I recall)....

Any "early" guys confirm ?

- Wil

bob tilton · bob tilton's Garage

65-68 gauges are held in by L and U brackets. wish mine "popped" out.

Wil Ferch · 03-03-2005, 06:00 AM

Thanks Bob....

Hate to see some poor guy grunting and groaning ( and "bending" stuff) if he had to remove a bracket first......

Wil

jpnovak · 03-03-2005, 06:10 AM

OK Here are a few tips.

The 73 is a press fit using the std rubber gasket. The problem will be that you can not remove the tach from the dash unless you take off the steering wheel and plastic column cover.

Pull steering wheel (should be self-explanitory)
Remove horn ring. there will be 4 screws at 2,4,8,10 O'clock-ish. There will also be two small screws on the outside behind the turnsignal stalk and wiper control. The cover is a clam-shell fit and will pop apart. Then remove the tach by simply pulling it out.

You may be able to loosen the tach and access the back through the speedo hole or the dual gauge hole without removing the steering colum cover.

larry47us · 03-03-2005, 06:21 AM

Guys, thanks very much.

Jamie, thanks for the personal step by step. Having just replaced the stock wheel with a period Prototipo, I have a full understanding of what it means to pull the wheel. Notta big deal.

Watch out TACH, here I come!!!

larry

larry47us · 03-19-2005, 02:40 PM

I finally got to removing the Tach so that I could hook up the wire for the light. I was replacing the stock wheel with a Prototipo and at least I know now how to do that.

So I took the whole thing apart again. Got the clamshell off, but it took a few more screws and attachments than I thought. Then I pried out the speedometer, and pushed the tach out from the back.

Now I got it out. The guy that built my car said that all I had to do was hook up a wire from the @#$ to the $%& and the light would work. Well, here's the way it looks.

The top two connections are for the blinkers.
There are three spade plugs plugged into sockets at the bottom. The second position from the left is blank - there is no connector. And there is a ground (that blue wire floating in the middle) that is just not hooked to anything.

And, I don't see anything to hook it to. What do I need to do to get the light working? I know that it does work, because it worked when I picked up the car, but the tach didn't. Then Mike pulled the tach, swapped some wires and the tach works fine, but the light doesn't.

What do I need to do to get the light working?

tia

larry

larry47us · 03-19-2005, 03:22 PM

OK, I figured out that the reason that the light doesn't work is that the blue wire is a ground, and it is supposed to be connected to the chassis or dash or something. If I touch the spade plug to the body of the speedometer or oil gauge, or if I touch it to the metal of the steering wheel, the tach lights up. Sooooo, where is it supposed to be hooked to?

Do I just put a wire from the body of the oil gauge (connector to a nut at the back) and have a spade receptical on it to hook this wire to?

Or is there supposed to be another wire just hanging around back there?

larry

Jay Auskin · 03-19-2005, 03:38 PM

Larry--

There's those 3 'cylinders' with wires coming out the center of them. Those are the light bulbs. If you'll look closely, you'll see that the bronze colored part will slide out of the lighter metal colored housing. The bulb will be attached to that. If you don't figure it out, let me know, and I'll snap a picture. If the bulbs are OK, then yes, it's a wiring issue. I have a wiring diagram for your car if you need more info.

Good luck!

larry47us · 03-19-2005, 10:22 PM

Jay:

Thanks, I figured it out. I knew that it was the ground, because when I touched the case of the Tach to the case of the speedo, the tach lit up. The question was where to plug the ground strap from the Tach.

When I pulled the oil gauge, I noticed that there was a spade (male) sticking out of the case in the back. It was welded in place. Perfect.

I grabbed a bit of blue wire, and two crimp on spade connectors (female). Created a jumper about 6 inches long. Plugged it onto the back of the oil gauge, and into the wire from the Tach.

Success.

thanks for the help.

larry