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Tachometer

n1bnc

Member
275
0
16
Location
Somersworth, NH
Has anyone tried to install a tachometer? I thought a guage package out of an M35 would be the nice way to present the extra guage, but the mechanicals of that would have to be addressed. Maybe the M35 with the continental gasser had such a thing?
 

JasonS

Well-known member
1,650
144
63
Location
Eastern SD
The reo six in the deuce had provisions for a tach to be driven off of the cam. The only way to derive a mechanical tach drive off of the gmc is to get a distributor with a tach drive or an adapter for the distributor. Both are old time racers items and hard to find if at all. The first thing that I would do is convert to a civilian distributor. This gets you cheaper and easier to get ignition items. If you convert to 12V, you could easily add an electronic tachometer. 24V tachometers may also be available. I have been thinking about adapting a 12V tach to my 24V system but haven't completed it yet.
 

M543A2

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,063
11
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Location
Warsaw, Indiana
On my M135, I ran a wire off one battery to a junction block inside the cab. That gives 12 volts. I took the large coil wound resistor out of the distributor, connected the distributor input wire to the appropriate side of the coil, ran a wire from my 12v junction block to a key switch in the dash, then to an ignition voltage dropping resistor like Mopar uses and then to the distributor input wire. This puts about 8 volts, the customary power for a distributor to it. The large original resistor in the distributor drops the 24 volts down to around this value anyway. Run the normal point and condensor set and it works fine. Then you can put any aftermarket tach in it, wire in 12 v turn signals, etc. from the block. You can add inline fuses as you wish from the block. I drilled a hole in the side of the top distributor metal cover, put a grommet in it for a wire to go through, and ran my tach pickup wire through the grommet and attached it to the coil in the required manner. This way the cap can be removed by feeding wire through the grommet as you lift the cap, and pulled back carefully as you replace the cap.

Regards Marti
 

M543A2

New member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
1,063
11
0
Location
Warsaw, Indiana
I should have mentioned that there are also voltage drop boxes available that drop from 24 to 12 volts. I know Caterpillar dealers have them, and possibly NAPA or heavy truck parts dealers.

Regards Marti
 
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