Mechanical Tach Help

I picked this AC tach up from our favorite e-auction house because it kinda matches the instrument cluster that I plan on using on my project A P/U. The instruments that I have are out of a '36 GMC, thay are AC also. Now I know the tach probably is not the same vintage as the instruments but it ain't new either. What the heck do you think it came out of? I mean we're talking an 8 grand tach here. Also, any ideas on a hook-up? Maybe a generator with a tach drive? Modern conversion? Help!!! Thanks

Mike

 

What Engine Are You Using In Your Car? What Distributor?

 

There comes the rub. It's going to have a 392 hemi and I will be using a Hunt electronic distributor. So I know it will not be an easy thing to adapt. I'd be happy just mounting it but it would be cool if it worked.

Mike

 

drive it off theback of the generator, heres a pic of mine, this will give you a reason not to run a alternator, heres a pic of mine on my flathead

 

Thanks gear jammer

I was planining on running a generator. Tell me more about the angle adapter and generator you have there.

 

running a generator, cool. good man!! machine the back of the cover out, for a stub, the stub will weld into the rear of the generator cover. the angle drive will screw onto the stub, drill the back of the armature and tap it,, you can buy the stub and the drive stub to thread into the armature. Ill send you some close up pics of my generator if you want, the angle drive show up on ebay, you can get different gears for them so the ratio isnt a problem, just measure your pulleys to figure out the ratio you need, the tach should be 1-1 or 2-1, its not hard to figure

 

PM'd ya, gear jammer

 

Years ago my Olds powered duece had the cable run off the crank
snout. Had a bracket on the lower front of the eng. where it all
attached. a 50's thing I guess

 

In the 50's, Vettes had tach drives off the back of the generator. The generators were actually standard Chevy generators from power steering equipped passenger cars. The power steering pump was mounted on the back of the generator in those years.
The Vette generators with the tach drive adapter are rather expensive now, but the passenger car power steering generators are common and cheap. Remove the power steering pump and you have the shaft extension that could be adapter to some other style of tach drive.