[BIGRED]

Im looking to hook up the factory ford tach on a 68 mustang. The car has a non tach harness, How do I hook up the factory tach? I tried hooking up the red wire to the negative side of the coil and grounding the black and it causes the car to die. Can anyone explain how to hook this up please? Thanks

 

[jdowen2]

67 mustang gt tachometer wiring - Bing Images

 

[BIGRED]

thank you!

 

[slim]

Are you concerned about the oil and alt idiot lights? Tach is simply in series with the + lead to the coil. Alt lite is a project, oil lit requires the warning lite sender.


Slim.

 

[BIGRED]

Are you concerned about the oil and alt idiot lights? Tach is simply in series with the + lead to the coil. Alt lite is a project, oil lit requires the warning lite sender.Slim.

yea i wasnt sure how the tach was run. I am more concerned about getting the console alt/oil pres gauges working. once again The car was gutted so any help there would be great, I have the illumination working on them. Im assuming I can hook up the feed on the alt to a 12v power, and for the oil pres just run that feed to the sender on the oil filter housing.

 

[22GT]

I tried hooking up the red wire to the negative side of the coil and grounding the black and it causes the car to die. Can anyone explain how to hook this up please? Thanks

You probably destroyed the tach when you did this.

If you connect the ignition switch to the tach, then the tach to the pink resistance wire under the dash, you'll know right away.

 

[preaction]

67 is not the same as 68, I do believe you need a 68 tach harness. Be carefull the tach is very sensistive.

 

[BIGRED]

You probably destroyed the tach when you did this.

If you connect the ignition switch to the tach, then the tach to the pink resistance wire under the dash, you'll know right away.

would a non tach underdash harness have this "pink resistance" wire?

67 is not the same as 68, I do believe you need a 68 tach harness. Be carefull the tach is very sensistive.

so I cant simply run power from the key "on" to the tach to the + side of the coil?

 

[22GT]

would a non tach underdash harness have this "pink resistance" wire?

All Ford cars of that era had the pink wire.

so I cant simply run power from the key "on" to the tach to the + side of the coil?

That'd be OK for the tach, but running the coil on a full 14V would be bad for the coil, and the points.

Look, there's a plug in the ignition wire near the tach. Uplug it and connect to the tach. Done. Stop trying to connect the tach to the coil, as if the car was a Chevy.

 

[BIGRED]

All Ford cars of that era had the pink wire.


That'd be OK for the tach, but running the coil on a full 14V would be bad for the coil, and the points.

Look, there's a plug in the ignition wire near the tach. Uplug it and connect to the tach. Done. Stop trying to connect the tach to the coil, as if the car was a Chevy.

any more details on this plug near the ignition? single wire bullet connector im assuming?

 

[22GT]

Typically.

 

[slim]

Typically.

Here's what I did about 6 years ago: Refer to the wiring 22GT posted. I disconnected the + lead from the coil. connected the + lead to a wire that I ran thru the fire wall and connected it one of the tach leads. Connected another wire to the other tach lead and ran it thru the firewall and connected it to the + terminal of the coil. Works like a champ. If the tach by chance blows I'll just re connect the original + lead.

Now to the 67 versus 68. The tach cluster I had found many years ago at a local Mustang swap meet was a 67. Honestly I ignored it was 67. I used the 68 Oil pressure gauge and mounted it in the clock opening. Took the 68 Alt meter, mounted it in a home made separate bezel. Had like new 68 OEM Bezel I got on ebay about 20 years ago...said to be NOS, actually better than most NOS!

Modified/rewired the 68 standard cluster harness for the relocated gauges. The tach has the stated separate wires, the idiot lites aren't used and the rest is re arranged 68!


Slim

 

[22GT]

Here's what I did about 6 years ago: Refer to the wiring 22GT posted. I disconnected the + lead from the coil. connected the + lead to a wire that I ran thru the fire wall and connected it one of the tach leads. Connected another wire to the other tach lead and ran it thru the firewall and connected it to the + terminal of the coil. Works like a champ. If the tach by chance blows I'll just re connect the original + lead.

The tach will be fine, but with no resistor in the coil feed, you're likely to fry the points, or kill the condenser or coil with full-time 14V. Or, if the resistance (pink) wire is still in the circuit, the tach will read low. Why didn't you simply use the plug under the dash that's provided for this purpose?

I don't understand why people keep trying to connect these Faria tachometers to the coil. Aftermarket tachs, sure, Chevy tachs, OK (if you'll admit having a Chevy here) but the Faria tach was a power-draw meter intended to be connected under the dash, between the ignition switch and the resistor.

 

[slim]

The tach will be fine, but with no resistor in the coil feed, you're likely to fry the points, or kill the condenser or coil with full-time 14V. Why didn't you simply use the plug that's provided for this purpose?

I will really appreciate it if you explain.Sounds like you are saying the factory lead going to the + terminal of the coil supplys 14V full time as built!


Slim

 

[22GT]

I will really appreciate it if you explain.Sounds like you are saying the factory lead going to the + terminal of the coil supplies 14V full time as built!

Sure.

I disconnected the + lead from the coil. connected the + lead to a wire that I ran thru the fire wall and connected it one of the tach leads. Connected another wire to the other tach lead and ran it thru the firewall and connected it to the + terminal of the coil.

Kinda ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, this might mean the resistance wire was bypassed. If so, you'll get 14V all the time.

If not, it's still a lot of unnecessary wire, which would also put the tach on the wrong side of the resistor, making it inaccurate.

 

[slim]

Sure.

Kinda ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, this might mean the resistance wire was bypassed. If so, you'll get 14V all the time.

If not, it's still a lot of unnecessary wire, which would also put the tach on the wrong side of the resistor, making it inaccurate.

I said I disconnected the + lead from the coil? Ambiguois?

 

[22GT]

Are you using the pink wire or not?

 

[slim]

Are you using the pink wire or not?

zthe pink wire has never been disturbed. Before doing this my 68 was 100.00% original factory wiring...in amazing condition.

So I go to the original yellow top coil and gently pull off the connector to the + terminal.
Won't repeat what I said above. How would this have disturbed the pink wire?

Not trying to be a smart A, this is all I did and if it's wrong I'm anxious to correct it.

Really, It's not important that I be right other than I want to get it right and not mislead others.


Slim

 

[22GT]

By disconnecting it, you may have, depending on where you connected the other wires, bypassed it.

I'm still wondering why you added six feet of wire when there's a connector under the dash for the tachometer.

 

[aolshove]

Sorry to butt in but aren't there Tach and Non-Tach wiring harnesses both under-dash and engine compartment? Not all 68's are guaranteed to have the tach support wiring right?