Can anyone recommend a spray or chemical process to clean up the corrosion? Is there a source for the gasket? I know about Williamson's and the other's but does anyone sell the solid state conversion for owner install? TIA
A lot of people suggest Vinegar for alkaline battery corrosion. I've found a 50/50 solution of Ammonia and plain water works really well. Those capacitors need to be replaced as well. Maybe you know this already.
I searched for over a year for the Mallory replacement batteries, as well as ones with the same voltage. No luck. I ended up mounting the sending unit, which was just a dummy, and then bought one of the electronic clones with mounting bracket and cup for around $129 shipped. You can also use them for either a 6cyl or 8cyl application. Here's a link for you: https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-SP0F000063-Retro-Line-Tachometer/dp/B00UM9X87Q/ref=asc_df_B00UM9X87Q/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=312462950315&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7774284389337474577&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028841&hvtargid=pla490829677809&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=70635887228&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=312462950315&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=7774284389337474577&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9028841&hvtargid=pla-490829677809
I hear you can get suitable batteries in Russia. (I am dead serious.) I have developed a device that successfully allows a modern 12 volt negative ground tach to be run in a 6 volt positive ground vehicle, so I have been around the block on this sort of thing. My partner and I have dabbled in replacement logic for old transmitter boxes and came to the conclusion that they are much too expensive when produced on a small scale and there is not a large enough market to support producing them on any sizeable scale. If you are a skilled electronics expert, you can probably make one if your labor is not considered. You are like a lot of other guys out there that own a nice looking piece of "wall art". Plus, I agree with "Elcohaulic" above and his opinion of these old units. Great strides in Electronics have been made in the last 60 years.
Some people empty the box of its innards, put a circuit board on the tach housing, and just use the box as a dummy. Just ‘sayin. I’ve heard that others drain a modern battery to the proper voltage (3.3 v?) and then use it with the original innards.
In those days some of the weird voltages, very low bias current and things like that, were provided by Mercury cells. These are not available. But it is the voltage/current that matters, and it is very easy to put together your own battery packs in series or parallel using button cells or AAA or whatever you need. Not a show stopper.
Try baking soda and water to clean up the corrosion. I have done this many times in the past. It is just like using baking soda and water to clean up your car's battery terminals.
A friend and I had guy put a small circuit board in a couple of old Sun tachometers (an RC-50 and a football tach). The board allows the tach to run without the sender box. We had Louis G. (Jerry) Valentine in Kirkland, WA do ours ([email protected]); I saw him at the Portland Swap meet. They both needed another part or two as well; he charged $200 per tach for the service. Other folks offer similar services.
I had the same issue with an old Sun Tach. If you go on line for TECHNO VERSIONS LLC. They make a small unit that will fit in the old Sun Tach black box or just mount under the dash and it will interface with the Tach head. The item is called Vintage TachMatch Model VT-01. Instructions tell you how to set up for 4, 6, & 8 cylinder engines. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I had the same issue with an old Sun Tach. I found a replacement for the box made by TECHNO VERSIONS LLC ( on line site ). The unit costs about $50. The unit is called Vintage TachMatch Model VT-01 and interfaces with the Sun Tach head. It is small enough to fit in the cleaned out old black box or simply mount under the dash. Instructions show set up for 4, 6, or 8 cylinder engine. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Like I said, I bought two VT-01 transmitters and could not get them to work. I mounted them in the box, both tach heads I tried had been tested.
And there's the rub. There are very few people out there that will pay $200 to be able to run a classic old tachometer when you can buy a new one that looks good and works better for much less than half of that. Sure, there are a few purists with deep pockets that have to have the correct vintage piece in their car, but most people just won't step up. I found this out the hard way.
I was hoping I could buy the circuit board. I'm pretty handy with a soldering iron and I like doing things like that myself.
The box you have looks pretty complete. If you have the knowledge, perhaps you could analyze the circuitry and duplicate it with modern components.
Agreed. It was important to me to have the vintage piece. I’m not always that way, however. Edit: come to think of it, the $200 was probably for doing both tachometers, so $100 each. Don’t want to give the vendor a bad rap. Edit again: nope, found the bill. It was $165 for the circuit board and a bit more for odds and ends it needed - $200 for one tachometer. john
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