356 motor in a 912, how to get the tach to work..

[Franco912]

Hello,

I recently purchased a 1966 912. Lots of fun. The question I have relates to the operation of the tach. The tach doesn't work and I was just informed that, because I have a cable drive on the motor and my tach is electric ( no place to put a cable) that someone must have put an earlier 356 motor in the car. They indicated that in 1965, the last year of the 356, the tachs were electric. My question revolves around my options to make the tach work. I have a truncated cable coming off the crank that is just tied off in the engine compartment and a non-functioning tach. It'll most likely drive me crazy and besides, your just have to have a tach.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Frank

[C. Clark]

Frank,
I'm not sure what configuation you have electricly, but it would seem if the tach in the dash is electric and the motor is a cable drive unit upgrading the dist. to a .009 or possibly the .050 would work, if all the original wiring for the electric tach are all in place, that said I no very little about the earlier 356 engine, but I believe RPMs are measure by the times the dist. rotates in the later models.
Good luck,
Chas.

[Franco912]

Chas,

Thanks. I think you are right. hee has to be a simple way to measure engine rotation. Thanks!!

Frank

[adot]

Frank

Back in the engine. The coil has one color wire going to the dist. and the other (mines RED) going to the ign. key. Follow this RED? wire from the coil and see if there is another wire running with it. Your looking for a black/purple wire. This black/puple wire should go to the tach. If you find the black/purple (tach) wire, try hooking it to the coil, same side as the dist..

GoodLuck
Brett