Welcome to the Corvette Forums at the Corvette Action Center!

Help! Frustrated with tachometer repair

bwstreaker

Member
Joined
Jun 26, 2017
Messages
10
Location
Yorktown, VA
Corvette
1968 coupe and 2005 convertible
I cannot get the tachometer in my 1968 to function properly and would appreciate help. I have the original gear drive tachometer in my vette which bounced at low RPMs. I checked the cable and it appears OK. The cable end is also not rounded. I have replaced the side distributor gear and installed an angled cable connector at the distributor so the cable is not bent. After all this, the tach simply bounces between 0 and 500RPMs even when engine speed is increased. What do I need to try next?;shrug
 
I cannot get the tachometer in my 1968 to function properly and would appreciate help. I have the original gear drive tachometer in my vette which bounced at low RPMs. I checked the cable and it appears OK. The cable end is also not rounded. I have replaced the side distributor gear and installed an angled cable connector at the distributor so the cable is not bent. After all this, the tach simply bounces between 0 and 500RPMs even when engine speed is increased. What do I need to try next?;shrug

I assume you have already removed all old and/or hardened lube from the cable and relubed it with a high quality white lithium grease?
 
Thanks for the reply tnovot. Yes I did put new grease on the cable. I am having trouble keeping the coupling holding the tach drive cross shaft gear tight in the distributor.
 
I have not rebuilt a tach drive distributor for several years now but the last two I did I found the quality of the new cross gears terrible- At BEST. These came with a brass button on the end and I was told I had file the button to set the gear lash, well that was total BS. I set it up in a lathe and face the button a few thousands and nothing helped, I removed the button made my own and had the same result, returned 3 of them all the same- junk. I found an old used GM cross gear and it worked perfect. you may be chasing your tail with bad parts.
 
Gary, you might be right !! I have now put in two new gear sets with the same results. In neither case did I use the brass button and I thougyt that might be my problem. Ray
 
I can only guess the new ones haven't been corrected then, the ones I had and this goes back about 8 years or more, were clearly bad. The main shaft gears had issue too if I recall on the new ones I bought, but that brass tipped type would not engage without binding. I don't rebuild a lot of tach drive distributors but I do a lot of differentials, steering boxes, and arms and can tell you that some of the replacement parts for those are also bad. Luckily I have good resources and in the case of the boxes I have a huge inventory of new parts that do work.
 
I went thru the "gear fitment" issue a short time back on my 72 Vette. The only complete repair I was able to accomplish was to send the O.E. distributor out to a vendor off Ebay. The price was cheap...less then $100 as I remember....and it was guaranteed and works fine now.
 
Thanks for the reply Red89C4. I am to the point where I will probably do the same thing.:)
 

Corvette Forums

Not a member of the Corvette Action Center?  Join now!  It's free!

Help support the Corvette Action Center!

Supporting Vendors

Dealers:

MacMulkin Chevrolet - The Second Largest Corvette Dealer in the Country!

Advertise with the Corvette Action Center!

Double Your Chances!

Our Partners

Back
Top Bottom