Tach Dash conversion ????

[67chevemall]

Hello

Does anybody have a pic of the two pieces below in the pics for a Tach dash?
I have the two pieces but want to know if I can cut out the holes
for the tach. I'm sure I can but want to know the differences in the two.

[67chevemall]

Anybody done this before? Or should I buy new ones?

[meathead95]

i would try to cut it out first, it looks like there is an impression on it where you need to cut. and if you screw it up your where willing to buy a new one anyway.

[67chevemall]

I've been cleaning gauges and working on it all morning.

I have 2 ?'s now.

1 Is the cut out on the black front piece round or is it cut like the bottom 4 gauges round but not.

2 the hole for the tach on the backing plate is very close to the
light bulb holder spot. Marked with a X

I need a pic to see the shape of the factory hole and screw location
4 the tach.


Anybody with pics of the factory OEM pieces would make my day.

[byrd]

The backing place can be cut pretty easily, you have to take thetach apartand use the metal housing it is in as your template. Now the top center screw wants to be right at the top leading edge of the backing plate and be dead on center, and the rest just follow the housing to mark your cut, remeber to stay inside your line as you can always take a little more off to make it perfect. The inner black metal tine however is not as easy. You cannot cut it and make it right foing it at home, it needs to be punched out and then pressed to mold the lip around the edge just as the speedo and fuel gauge have. It will look funny if you do it your self but for a driver it will work fine. For cutting the inside metal tine I would try to get a really good measurement for the part of the face of the tach that needs to show, and try to holesaw, and then maybe jigsaw the rest out. The metal is really thin and tought to work with when doing the type of cutting on it. With all that said a plasma cutter would be the best if you have access to one. I hope this wil give you an idea of what you are up against. Randy

[mrein3]

I used a hole saw.
Another thing you are up against is the fact that the holes aren't "centered". In other words the holes are made so the gauges are centered when you are looking at them from the driver's set. When sitting in the driver's seat you are looking down at an angle.

I used a factory tach dash as a template. Then I stuck a $30 tach in from the auto parts store.

[67chevemall]

Is the factory hole round or cut irr. like the other bottom 4 holes?

[67chevemall]

Anybody have a pic of them??
OEM pieces

[mrein3]

I bought a factory tach dash from a board member right about the time the great inaccurate factory tach debate was raging.
I decided to take another extra non-tach, factory gauge bezel I bought at a swap for $1 and try to add a newer, probably more accurate tach to it.

I used the terribly expensive factory tach bezel I bought for a template - thus leaving the factory tach one complete. (No offense to the seller - I paid the going rate).

Soooo....
To make a long story short I have a factory tin, with an extra hole for the air pressure gauge.

The PO painted the inside of the tin flourescent green to make things light up better. Otherwise it is stock.

Once again this is NOT the bezel I cut up for the tach I pictured above.

One more note, I used a 2.5 inch hole saw for the non-factory tach above. The 2.5 inch hole saw is about 1/8 inch too small for the tach I installed. It is also about 1/8 inch smaller than the hole in the factory tach tin I have pictured in this post. A 2 5/8 inch hole saw would probably work out better.

Make that two more notes:
Make sure you have the hole for the tach slightly offset like the gas and speedo gauges. You need the gauges centered when you are sitting in the driver's seat where you are looking down at an angle.

[John @ BROTHERS]

Brothers sells the "tach" style metal housings. Punched and painted - ready to install.
1-800-977-2767

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by BROTHERSTRUCKS

Brothers sells the "tach" style metal housings. Punched and painted - ready to install.
1-800-977-2767

UNCLE!
I looked and looked in Brother's on-line store for the tach style metal housing. I couldn't find it.

How much is it?

[John @ BROTHERS]

I don't think it is in our online store. It is part # 7776 and retails for $69.95. You would have to call us at 1-800-977-2767.
--JC

[67chevemall]

Originally Posted by BROTHERSTRUCKS

I don't think it is in our online store. It is part # 7776 and retails for $69.95. You would have to call us at 1-800-977-2767.
--JC

woo wee $70.00

I'm a gonna cut the sucker up. I have 4 of them to
practice on.

I figured it would be good to have the exact cut procedure
on here as alot of people are going with the full 7 gauges.
I'll get er done.

[jhwkns]

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=154159

Here's how I did mine

[mrein3]

Originally Posted by 67chevemall

woo wee $70.00

I'm a gonna cut the sucker up. I have 4 of them to
practice on.

Keep in mind your cut one won't have the correct inward "lip" like the original and probably what you would get with the Brother's piece.

The lip and slots around the original allow the bulbs in the cluster to light up the gauge. My aftermarket tach has its own light so I didn't have to worry about that.

Also keep in mind you have to deal with the printed circuit. If you follow jhwkns's link you'll see his is stretched pretty good. Right now I'm using a tach printed circuit with the big hole in it. They are available aftermarket too for around $40 or $50.

[67chevemall]

I have the PC I just can't see spending $50 more on the tins.
I'm have a tester going where I cut it like a pizza, left a .5cm lip
which I am heating and rolling it round.
so far so good.

[Andy4639]

Back when I did mine I bought a factory dash with tach, that I may add is still working never been touched except for painting it. I payed $45.00 for the whole dash in a truck. If you have the factory tach you are going to need a new lens also for the #'s.

[67chevemall]

Cheers have the lens too. I was just working on it when I read this.
The back tin went smooth as did the holes for the Tach.

The front tin took some time but looks good.
Once teh lens is infront of it you can't tell a thing.