TheSamba.com :: View topic - can someone please link me some aftermarket tachs for 84 van

Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:15 pm

Hey all, I have an 84 westfalia with the clock in the dash, no tach. Can someone please link me to an aftermarket tach that I can purchase online that will work with the van please? Thanks I'm hoping to get this installed asap, just got new tires and am gearing it up for the spring woot, thanks

Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:48 pm

Do you want to add a tach in addition to the stock cluster or replace the clock with a tach? Do a search here in the classifieds for tachometer and do another search for cluster. I would also look on ebay. I think it would be easier to buy a used cluster rather than modifying your cluster to work with a clock.

Tue Mar 02, 2010 12:59 pm

i agree, just buy a used cluster with the tach in it. Prefereble from '84 wolfsburg or 85.
A very doable procedure to gain a tach in the clock position. See write up on OldVolks Home page.

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:24 pm

Quote: i agree, just buy a used cluster with the tach in it and it is a 5 minute replacement.
:shock:

Er, speaking from personal experience, it's not quite THAT fast a replacement, but it is possible and tremendously worth doing. Have a look here:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=152334

Very-do-able, but don't go in uninformed. Read that, and you won't be.

Best!

Tue Mar 02, 2010 2:26 pm

Or here http://www.oldvolkshome.com/late_van_cluster_install.pdf

Tue Mar 02, 2010 5:51 pm

Here's what I did for my aircooled.

Sunpro brand from JC Whitney. $40 and works good

Tue Mar 02, 2010 6:05 pm

The external one is OK. For me they vibrate and look out of place.

I vote for the factory setup. It is nice imho.

Tue Mar 02, 2010 6:56 pm

He asked for an aftermarket tach idea if I read correctly. I don't know, maybe I need to work on my reading comprehension.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 5:12 am

Blix wrote: Hey all, I have an 84 westfalia with the clock in the dash, no tach. Can someone please link me to an aftermarket tach that I can purchase online that will work with the van please? Thanks I'm hoping to get this installed asap, just got new tires and am gearing it up for the spring woot, thanks

I had an 81 air-cooled, I used a tach from a Rover 2000 and tried one from an MG Midget, from the Pig A Part. they both worked. I just like the way the Rover looked better. At the time I think I paid 5 bucks.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:35 am

Aftermarket I prefer Autometer gauges. I also like a full sweep. http://www.summitracing.com/parts/ATM-3991

Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:57 am

My 91 Jetta Diesel also did not come with a tach. I installed a custom triple gauge cluster in my console, using a VDO cockpit tach (as well as voltmeter & oil pressure gauges). My alternator had a spade connector (the W signal IIRC), so I ran a wire from there to the tach. You have to use the dip switches and other methods to fine tune it to get it accurate though.

I like the look of the VDO gauges, since they came as original equipment in a lot of early watercooled VWs.

Wed Mar 03, 2010 7:58 am

WTHs a "spring Woot" :?:

and fwiw any tach with a 4cyl input will work on your vanagon.
now mounting them is a different thing altogether. and most people feel they end up looking 'tacked on' :o

many like www.dakotadigital.com and www.Egauges.com (which may be having web issues)

Wed Mar 03, 2010 8:27 am

Get a later model instrument cluster and rework the connectors in the connector pin to match the later cluster. That way you'll still have the clock, but you'll also have a factory tach!

Gary

Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:51 pm

A while back I picked up a tach from a junked van, but upon getting home I realized that it didn't match up at all with the circuit foil on the backside of my cluster. Do I need to get an entire cluster (foil and all) to swap in? Or is there a way to make this work? Does anyone have a diagram for what the connections are on the back of the tach/fuel/temp assembly?

My '86 Wolfsburg is sort of a weird bird, since it seems most of the '86+ vans already have a tach - but they chose to put a clock in this one instead.

Sat Mar 06, 2010 4:41 pm

ebay and the samba all have clusters listed if you need a diesel on check ebay.de
it is a five minute swap
Got my diesel dash cluster from Germany with tach (160CDN on ebay.de) couldn't wait to get home and install it, went to Tim Hortons and while in the drivethrough I thought well I'll start taking the dash apart, well by the time I got my coffee the new dash was installed (didn't get the cover back on) but it was plugged in and working The cluster is a little rough with some PO soldering but it works and now I have a tach, tripmeter, clock(works ),and a 100000's odo instead of 10000's
If I wasn't to big too do cartwheels that's what I would be doing.(I was going crazy trying to figure out what to use for a tach).

Sat Mar 06, 2010 7:51 pm

I always put one of these in my bus(s). small enough to stick anywhere and works great.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=gmai...ps-sellers

Sun Mar 07, 2010 1:11 am

You can get a cheap digital tachometer
--> http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2-1-16-52MM-Digital...ccessories