Lost my Tach

[nickjames138 15]

I switched to a Ready-To-Run Distributor and an electronic ignition Blaster coil and I lost my tach. Has anyone else had this problem? 

 

I read someone say that they sent their Tach to Redline and had it rewired and it works great.

 

Also, I called MSD and they said hook the tach wire up to the Negative side of the coil. If no luck get a 10ohm resister took hook up to the negative then hook the tach wire up to the resister. 

 

Anyone go through this before and have a quick fix? or what's the proper fix? 

 

 

[1969_Mach1 333]

There is no quick fix.  The original tachs are current triggered, thus, wired in series with the positive side of the coil.  If you purchased an MSD CD type ignition box instead of the Ready To Run distributor you could have installed a Tach Adapter that MSD offers.

 

You can try what MSD mentioned with the resister and negative side of the coil.  I have been down the road you are on.  My experience was MSD support doesn't understand how these tachs were originally connected.  The best option if keeping it original is not a concern is it to have Redline Gauge Works or Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations retrofit the tach.  From what I understand, to retrofit the tach they install the internals from a small 2 1/16" diameter VDO tachometer.  It still looks original from the front. In the back it will now have 3 wires instead of 2.

 

Welcome to trying to make old work with new.

[Midlife 814]

That MSD technician is a twit.  MSD provides a tach adapter for OEM Ford tachs.  These tachs are valuable and I'd recommend getting it to work correctly with your MSD rather than converting it to a 3-wire tach. 

[1969_Mach1 333]

Maybe some research is needed.  I do not think the MSD tach adapter is designed to work with the Ready To Run distributor.  The MSD tach adapter was around long before the Ready To Run distributors and is designed to work with an MSD CD ignition box.

[nickjames138 15]

1969_mach1 I think you're right. I've heard these tach adapters won't fix my problem. A lot of people with luck have noted that their tach was jumping all over the place. Mine is completely dead!

 

So, redline is my only option?

[jholmes217 65]

That's why I use a Mallory Unilite distributor.  You don't have to mess with the resister wire, because the Mallory works with it.  (MSD is too tall for my oval air cleaner also.)

[1969_Mach1 333]

1969_mach1 I think you're right. I've heard these tach adapters won't fix my problem. A lot of people with luck have noted that their tach was jumping all over the place. Mine is completely dead!

 

So, redline is my only option?

If you are in Southern CA, I think Redline is closest to you.  The other I am aware of is Rocketman's Classic Cougar Innovations.  Tachman does the retrofit as well.  But it's hit or miss when he is easy to do business with.  If you have to ship it out for repairs be certain to pay a little extra for insurance.  Since no body will sell just a tach anymore, insure it for enough to buy another IP if needed.

 

I was in your situation several years ago with a factory tach.  I had it connected to my MSD 6 ALN box with a tach adapter for many years.  But the tach finally quit working just from age.  It wasn't original to my car so I sold the complete instrument panel on EBay and reinstalled the original non tach instrument panel.  I also had to undo the wiring changes to go back to the non tach IP.  Anyway, if the factory tach was original to my car I would have had it retrofit.