How "bad" is the stock tach?

[Boss 351]

I'm doing some unfinished business from last year's 2.3 -> 5.0 swap and since my body is at the paint shop with the entire interior at home, I won't put it back together with the 4 banger inst. cluster. I want a tach but I'm not a big fan of a huge tach on a dash. It looks pasted in place, I like stock appearence the most. With more cash I'd get an entire custom inst. cluster with all the autometer guages. But for now I have to live with a smaller budget (paint job is costing a lot).

How "bad" are the stock inst. clusters? I got 2 large black faced / silver ringed guages in the middle vents for oil and temp, even those are starting to get on my nerves.

 

[Demented4.6]

id say they are horrible at best! If i rev my stang in neutral it'll hit the 6000 rev limiter on the msd but only be showing 4200 on the tach. If i run it up to 6000 on the street it works fine. My stock oil pressure guage shows 30 while my autometer is showing anywhere from 40 hot to 80 cold. temp is a shot in the dark on accuracy

 

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

well lets just say i pinned my tach at 7 grand before without hitting the rev limiter......

 

[squeeeg]

You can usually use it to tell you the car is running but that is about it. Definately don't trust it for any high RPM things

 

[Boss 351]

haha ok I see... hmmm now the question is where can I mount a tach without it looking like a hack job? I need to at least black out the stock dash lol I wonder if it's possible to hollow out the stock cluster and just keep the speedometer working lol... too late I got my hammer in hand

 

[CManT1914]

well lets just say i pinned my tach at 7 grand before without hitting the rev limiter......

I did that too. Replacing my throttle body, I got the throttle cable stuck wide open and didn't notice. I cranked it up and BAM!! it hit 7k like instantly, but no rev limiter. Sometimes though burning out I will hit a limiter at like 6200 so you can't even count on it being inaccurate, lol.

 

[Js90Lx]

Yeah my tach is only correct until 3k rpm, then it starts getting way off. Aftermarket is the way to go.

 

[stock 92 gt]

are there any kits that look exactly stock but behind the faces is where all the aftermarket magic happens?

 

[70lightning]

haha ok I see... hmmm now the question is where can I mount a tach without it looking like a hack job? I need to at least black out the stock dash lol I wonder if it's possible to hollow out the stock cluster and just keep the speedometer working lol... too late I got my hammer in hand

You dont have to get a huge tach you can get a smaller one and mount it wherever you like.

 

[jerry beach]

You could cut the stock tach out and mount it there, but its alot of work. I would strap it to the steering column right in front of the stocker and use quick connects for the wiring. Then it can easily be removed when you are not racing. The stock tach is fine for street driving. While at the track I have hit 7000 on my stocker too, and never had the limiter kick in. I will prolly do something like that. I was thinking of a monster tach, but they are pricey and give theives a reason to smash your window.

 

[diddylx50]

my stock tach is off the charts(pinned all the way around) when im running at the track. It seems like the faster the car revs the worse the stock tach is...in first and second gear the tach is pinned but in third its only 2000rpm off when compared to my auto meter tach

 

[ty-rone]

You can buy a gauge pod that sits on the dashboard "trey" thing. It looks alright, holds 2 other gauges and costs like 50$.

 

[93notchback]

I just run a shift light off of an RPM activated switch. That still keeps the stock look but is accurate.

 

[jerry beach]

I just run a shift light off of an RPM activated switch. That still keeps the stock look but is accurate.

You would be amazed at how far off a shift light can be too when compared to an accurate tach. If it uses a pill to set the shift light I have heard from a reliable source that they have been known to be off.


I just bought a car from a member of this site. It has an MSD 6AL with a 7000 pill in it. He told me not to take the engine above 6200, but the 6200 pill he had in there was limiting the ignition at 5900, hence the 7000 pill. Just watch the tach and shift light and all is well. MSD sells an adjustable rev limiter that plugs in where the pill goes, thats what I am going to get. If its not right, I can change it.