Installing tach in standard dash?

[pabster]

Howdy all!

Once again I'm dreaming about little improvements to my Charger... anyone have experience replacing the blank spot in a standard dash (when I say "blank", I mean it looks like a crosshair and does nothing) with a tachometer in a 3rd gen Charger? This is the piece I'm thinking about putting in. OK, I'm not going to pay $200 for it, but you get the idea. Anyway, how much of a PITA is it to pull this off?

http://www.herbsparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=CS166

Thanks, guys.

 

[sdyer233]

also interested in this, any wiring involved?

 

[Grabinov911]

Gents,

I used the OER tic-toc-tac from Classic Industries. There IS some wiring, but not difficult. It requires a ground, an ignition-hot lead, a constant-hot lead for the clock and a lead from the distributor. My car is a 70RR with NO standard tach (I had the crosshairs too) and, believe it or not, I was able to find BOTH the tach lead AND the clock lead - with an existing connector to mate to the OER clock wire - under the dash and in the engine compartment. If I remember correctly, the tach lead is grey under the hood, and it will be in your wiring harness even if you don't have the tach. The clock lead is also grey and is loose under the dash. I ran a wire from the existing tach lead under the hood to reach through the firewall to the tach.

 

[tpodwdog]

other that ripping your dashboard out to access everything....its easy youll need to :

ground the unit
illuminate it (wire into the dash lights)
run a" key on" hot wire to it
run a wire to the coil negative (-) from the tach

put the dash back together and hope everything that WAS working still is !

 

[hunt2elk]

Gents,

I used the OER tic-toc-tac from Classic Industries. There IS some wiring, but not difficult. It requires a ground, an ignition-hot lead, a constant-hot lead for the clock and a lead from the distributor. My car is a 70RR with NO standard tach (I had the crosshairs too) and, believe it or not, I was able to find BOTH the tach lead AND the clock lead - with an existing connector to mate to the OER clock wire - under the dash and in the engine compartment. If I remember correctly, the tach lead is grey under the hood, and it will be in your wiring harness even if you don't have the tach. The clock lead is also grey and is loose under the dash. I ran a wire from the existing tach lead under the hood to reach through the firewall to the tach.

That should about do it. I'm not sure how it sits in your Charger, but in my 69 Road Runners I can remove - replace them through the ashtry hole. Just 3 small screws that hold it in there.

 

[YY1]

The "tic toc" is a specific 1968-70 Rallye dash part.

There is a specific part for the 68-70 non-rallye dash as well.

The 71-74 non-rallye dash is different.

If someone knows for sure if the 68-70 non-rallye tach will fit in the 71-74 non-rallye clock blank, I'd sure like to know.

I was planning to put an oil pressure guage where my non-rallye clock blank is.

I have an aftermarket tach clamped to the coulmn, indexed between the temp controls and the fuel gauge.

Pab- I'd be willing to buy your blank, if you're not going to keep it.

- - - Updated - - -

Just looked at the Herb's link- very interesting.

Not sure it was ever offered from the factory, though.

 

[mrsnicks]

They sell the same tach here and a harness to wire it up (harness extra of course)

http://www.whitegauges.net/products...uction-Tachometer-Gauge-Wire-Harness-Kit.html

Patrick

 

[HT413]

I also plan on buying that tach (though for a 69 non-ralley) and here's what I did in the mean time. I wired a cheap Sun Pro tach and have been using it for a year. Reason is I've heard tht my cheap Pro Comp 6AL system burns up tachs so I used the $30 Sun Pro as a test. So far so good, looks like the tach problems written online with my igniton ssytem can be chalked up to user error... as usual.

 

[rsd859]

Where can you find a tach that doesnt cost $200? I like the idea of not having a aftermarket tack hose clamped to the steering column or screwed to the dash.

 

[pabster]

Just to be clear, I haven't bought the tach yet. I'm still trying to figure out if it's worth the effort. Pulling off the dash sounds like a bitch and a half, so unless I can replace it through the ashtray or some other shortcut, I don't think I'll do it.

 

[rsd859]

I'm going to attempt to pull mine this weekend (my dash). I'll let you know how it goes.

 

[pabster]

Good luck! Take pictures!

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Just to be clear, I haven't bought the tach yet. I'm still trying to figure out if it's worth the effort. Pulling off the dash sounds like a bitch and a half, so unless I can replace it through the ashtray or some other shortcut, I don't think I'll do it.

remove the radio should be more less enough to get room and attach it. I have beeen able to install or work on a clock of a standard cluster without pull out the cluster. Maybe just loosen the screws of clsuter to get more play in and out.

Its some tricky, yes, but doable

Damn I have been able even to remove the clock ( which is BIG ) of the rallye cluster without remove cluster from dash, just loosening

- - - Updated - - -

If someone knows for sure if the 68-70 non-rallye tach will fit in the 71-74 non-rallye clock blank, I'd sure like to know.

why to bother ? they are available now... non original from fact, just a newer option from repro market

chargerspoecialties offers them too... looong time offering.

they sold sometime ago even toc-toc-tachs to 3rd gens rallye clusters too... not anymore

 

[rsd859]

View attachment 105785

Got it done, took about 2 hours. the hardest Part was the bulkhead connector. And just when you think you got all of the connections there were a couple that you missed. Ended up cutting 5 wires and putting connectors on them. Changed out all of my light bulbs while I was in there too.

 

[71ChallengerSE]

View attachment 105785

Got it done, took about 2 hours. the hardest Part was the bulkhead connector. And just when you think you got all of the connections there were a couple that you missed. Ended up cutting 5 wires and putting connectors on them. Changed out all of my light bulbs while I was in there too.

You did it the easy way. Pulling the whole dash is easier than just pulling out that PITA rallye cluster LOL

 

[pabster]

Oh man. That picture does not make it look easy. But you did it. Well done!

 

[rsd859]

Ha, easy way! Thats good, I just wish I had the parts to put in the tach that we are talking about here. I suppose if you were to remove the radio that would give you space to work with but not much. I think to do it with less of of a headache you would need to pull the dash.

 

[pabster]

I still have a stock AM radio in my dash, which is much smaller than a standard radio. I couldn't get anything (including my hand) through that hole if I removed the radio.

 

[rsd859]

Well, from underneath you would have more room, not from the hole in the bezel.

 

[sdyer233]

just ordered from herbs!