Tach cable

The downside to having a quicker/higher revving engine...busted tach cable.

At high rpm I heard a slight shearing noise and then it just went to 0.

I looked at all the usual parts houses for a replacment cable but couldn't find one. They have exact replacements at the vette parts places. Anyone know of a common parts house that carries them?

Any tricks on how to change? Looks like it could be a biatch under the dash.

'70 mechanical tach.

Ahh sheit!

Put a drill on the cable and the tach turned just fine.

The tach cross drive gear is stripped on my new dui:cussing::cussing: I hope the main shaft gear isn't toast:cussing:

Send it back. Get the billet MSD w/ tach drive, only problem is..it's only a mag trigger so you need a box to fire the coil.

Twin_Turbo said:

Send it back. Get the billet MSD w/ tach drive, only problem is..it's only a mag trigger so you need a box to fire the coil.

Click to expand...

Yea, that is the problem. That's the reason I don't use the MSD dizzy. Those damn 6a, 6al and 6t boxes are..................well lets just say "it's not if they will break it's just when will they". :quote:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Tach from a 75-77 vette, and run it with your choice of HEI.....

forget any other solution....those mechanical tachs are a POS right from the git go.....

BTDT years ago, one look at it and it don't take a M/E to figger out it's junk....

:crap::stirpot:

Spoke with DUI today. I'm pulling the dist. They will fix it and send it back. They are going to pull and check the shaft as well. They are only accross the border, so freight is 15 bux max.

I really like this unit, so I will give it another go.

Gene, does the 75-77 tach unit fit right in place of the old?

Twin_Turbo said:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Click to expand...

That makes it worth a shot. I'd use the Accel box. Good stuff.

Don't know about the 6AL2 box. Being MSD makes it --It would be suspect.:suspicious:

SmokinBBC said:

Spoke with DUI today. I'm pulling the dist. They will fix it and send it back. They are going to pull and check the shaft as well. They are only accross the border, so freight is 15 bux max.

I really like this unit, so I will give it another go.

Gene, does the 75-77 tach unit fit right in place of the old?

Click to expand...

Good. It's a good unit. I hope they solve it.
Do you have it set in the factory alternate position that keeps the cable straight instead of that silly ass curve? Don't use that 90* fitting. Does the head spin freely?

BRUTAL64 said:

Twin_Turbo said:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Click to expand...

That makes it worth a shot. I'd use the Accel box. Good stuff.

Don't know about the 6AL2 box. Being MSD makes it --It would be suspect.:suspicious:

Click to expand...

If I ever find a Sun machine, I'm going to settle all this crap.

big2bird said:

BRUTAL64 said:

Twin_Turbo said:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Click to expand...

That makes it worth a shot. I'd use the Accel box. Good stuff.

Don't know about the 6AL2 box. Being MSD makes it --It would be suspect.:suspicious:

Click to expand...

If I ever find a Sun machine, I'm going to settle all this crap.

Click to expand...

Its just scorching your feathers that some of us like using ign box's and different dizzy's like the MSD pro billet.h:

big2bird said:

BRUTAL64 said:

Twin_Turbo said:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Click to expand...

That makes it worth a shot. I'd use the Accel box. Good stuff.

Don't know about the 6AL2 box. Being MSD makes it --It would be suspect.:suspicious:

Click to expand...

If I ever find a Sun machine, I'm going to settle all this crap.

Click to expand...

I wish somebody would.:smash:

Yes, we can't all be stuck in the T ford days and use points and all that junk LOL

I have about 10 HEI distributors, all are gathering dust

As for distributor machine, i almost bought one but found out someone had messed with the wires, the thing not being cheap I didn't want to risk buying a POS.

kwplot34 said:

big2bird said:

BRUTAL64 said:

Twin_Turbo said:

You don't HAVE to use an MSD box, I have a crane and a mallory and they are just fine (I like the crane better because it has more features). the new MSD 6AL2 seems to be a whole lot better, might be worth a shot.

Click to expand...

That makes it worth a shot. I'd use the Accel box. Good stuff.

Don't know about the 6AL2 box. Being MSD makes it --It would be suspect.:suspicious:

Click to expand...

If I ever find a Sun machine, I'm going to settle all this crap.

Click to expand...

Its just scorching your feathers that some of us like using ign box's and different dizzy's like the MSD pro billet.h:

Click to expand...

Actually, the stock Tach drive dizzys have worked good for me. I've been through three so far, since 1972. But we're talking 350,000+ miles on my C2. :bump:

big2bird said:

SmokinBBC said:

Spoke with DUI today. I'm pulling the dist. They will fix it and send it back. They are going to pull and check the shaft as well. They are only accross the border, so freight is 15 bux max.

I really like this unit, so I will give it another go.

Gene, does the 75-77 tach unit fit right in place of the old?

Click to expand...

Good. It's a good unit. I hope they solve it.
Do you have it set in the factory alternate position that keeps the cable straight instead of that silly ass curve? Don't use that 90* fitting. Does the head spin freely?

Click to expand...

No 90* fitting. It is phased pretty strait. Maybe a 2-3* angle at most. It is actually straiter than the stock dist. was.

This is a dumb question...but the tach cable spins counterclockwise...correct?

SmokinBBC said:

big2bird said:

SmokinBBC said:

Spoke with DUI today. I'm pulling the dist. They will fix it and send it back. They are going to pull and check the shaft as well. They are only accross the border, so freight is 15 bux max.

I really like this unit, so I will give it another go.

Gene, does the 75-77 tach unit fit right in place of the old?

Click to expand...

Good. It's a good unit. I hope they solve it.
Do you have it set in the factory alternate position that keeps the cable straight instead of that silly ass curve? Don't use that 90* fitting. Does the head spin freely?

Click to expand...

No 90* fitting. It is phased pretty strait. Maybe a 2-3* angle at most. It is actually straiter than the stock dist. was.

This is a dumb question...but the tach cable spins counterclockwise...correct?

Click to expand...

Clockwise. Same direction as the pointer. The tach uses a magnetic slip joint like the speedo.

I had the stock GM TI tach drive dizzy with the GM box, switched it to a Summit branded Mallory box, and then added a MSD Pro-Billet dizzy. All of the insructions with the MSD dizzy said "you must use a MSD 6, 6AL, or 7AL box. BS. I checked the output of the GM TI dizzy and it was so close to the output of the MSD I don't think the box can see any difference. From that, I conclude that a magnnetic pickup is a magnetic pickup. Brid has my original TI dizzy, and we have discussed the possibility of an HEI pickup coil fitting it. The old TI pickup appears to be bigger in diameter than the newer HEI pickup coils.

I set the dizzy in the block to get the straightest run for the tach cable and then adjust the plug wire locations to fit.

DUI sent me a complete replacement except for cap and coil. Scott, their tech was very nice and helpfull.....sounded like he loves his work.

Tach is working fine. Hope it holds up. They have a 1 year warranty and since they are only 1 state away, it only cost me 6 bucks to ship it there...they paid the 2day return freight.

Customer service and pride in the product....can't go wrong with that combo.:wink:

for future reference Moroso sells a metal clad tach drive cable.....