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livingskies Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2020 Posts: 208 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 12:23 pm Post subject: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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Want to hook up a Bosch tach on the '74 bay window bus. Three of the wires (positive, negative, and light) can likely be connected under the dash. But the green wire has to run to the coil.
Any tips for the a good but easy place to run that wire from the dash to the coil? Not seeing any good options after looking at it for a while. Thanks for any help. |
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mikedjames Samba Member
Joined: July 02, 2012 Posts: 2743 Location: Hamble, Hampshire, UK
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Posted: Thu May 28, 2020 12:55 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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Get a multicore cable, reasonably heavy duty, run it alongside the wiring harness duct from the rear of the bus to the front of the bus. Use one core for the feed from the coil, may need a diode in the cable to make it work.
Something like trailer light board wiring.
Then if you want to run other electrical circuits, use another spare core of the wire. _________________ Ancient vehicles and vessels
1974 VW T2 : Devon Eurovette camper with 1641 DP T1 engine, Progressive carb, full flow oil cooler, EDIS crank timed ignition.
Engine 1: 40k miles (rocker shaft clip fell off), Engine 2: 30k miles (rebuild, dropped valve). Engine 3: a JK Preservation Parts "new" engine, aluminium case: 26k miles: new top end.
Gearbox rebuild 2021 by Bears.
1979 Westerly GK24 24 foot racer/cruiser yacht Forethought of Gosport.
1973 wooden Pacer sailing dinghy |
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CanStan Samba Member
Joined: October 16, 2005 Posts: 1038 Location: Calgary, AB
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 8:39 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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I have an early Bay, but hopefully you can do something similar.
I used a length of bulk cord from an auto parts place. It looks like (and maybe is) extension cord with 3 wires inside, with a nice thick insulation covering it. I think I got them to cut maybe a 20’ lenghth or so off the bulk roll. If you lay under the bus, you should be able to see a nice logical path to route it. I used a bunch of the factory holes in the cross members and it was easy to get from front to back. A couple zip ties, and it wasn’t going anywhere. Just watch that it’s out of the way around the axles. At the back I got it into the engine bay where the main harness enters on the fire wall. Up front, I was able to fish it up the nose through some existing holes as well. I think maybe where the speedo cable went up? I pushed it right up to the fuse panel area from there. It only took 20 mins tops to run it.
I like the 3 wire cord for 2 reasons. One, because of the heavy duty waterproof sheathing, and two, if I ever decide to run a temp gauge or whatever else, the wires are already there. |
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livingskies Samba Member
Joined: April 18, 2020 Posts: 208 Location: Western Canada
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 9:05 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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Thanks to both of the posters above. Excellent idea to use a multi-strand cord with an extra layer of protective covering. |
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BUSBOSS Samba Member
Joined: January 21, 2009 Posts: 2161 Location: Northern California
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Posted: Fri May 29, 2020 11:50 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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Look for bundled trailer wire. 14AWG is a nice size considering the length of the run and remember to hook up your chosen wire color to the negative side of your coil. Here is a picture of the 6 wire version which will leave you with plenty of future options.
[/url] _________________ All the redemption I can offer, girl, is beneath this dirty hood
1976 Westfalia
1970 Karmann Ghia Convertible (sold - but not forgotten) |
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KentABQ Samba Member
Joined: September 11, 2016 Posts: 2406 Location: Albuquerque NM
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Posted: Sat May 30, 2020 5:21 am Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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Not sure if this works on all years of van/buses...
But I ran about a 12' length of 1/2" PEX from below the right side of the engine bay to near the steering column, and then ran my wiring thru there. There were existing openings thru the beams that made it easy to route securely. This acts as a good flexible conduit to run the wiring from back to front. (I would suggest only running signal wiring thru there and no power feeds that may screw up the signal. )
Then both ends of the PEX were sealed with heat shrink tubing where the wires come out.
It gives me peace o' mind that the wiring is protected.
Oh, I also ran the CHT thermocoupling wiring thru the PEX.
BUT make sure the wiring is routed thru the right way, since the wires have to be hooked up correctly.
If not, you'll be pulling the wiring out and redoing everything again... as I had to do.
Lesson learned. |
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brownbus2 Samba Member
Joined: October 13, 2020 Posts: 244 Location: Roanoke, VA
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Posted: Sat May 08, 2021 8:20 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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I did what Kent did for my CHT and oil temp ... _________________ formerly known as Brown_Bus
1976 FI Marino Yellow Westy |
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aeromech Samba Member
Joined: January 24, 2006 Posts: 16971 Location: San Diego, California
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Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 11:22 am Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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I’ve done it many times. Start at your dash and leave extra length. Go down behind the kick panels til you’re by the drivers feet. You’ll find an existing wire conduit there. You need to remove the pedal splash pan. Go under and fish your wire down alongside the conduit and tie wrap. From there follow the conduit to the passenger side and aft. It gets tricky going around the front beam but it you have patience you can fish your wire through the structure. The conduit ends about where your starter is. From there just fish the wire alongside your battery to starter cable and secure. _________________ Lead Mechanic: San Diego Air and Space Museum
Licensed Airframe and Powerplant Mechanic
Licensed Pilot (Single engine Land)
Boeing 727,737-200-300-400,757,767
Airbus A319,320,321
DC9/MD80
BAe146
Fokker F28/F100
VW type 1 1962,63,65,69,72
VW Type 2 1971 (3 ea.) 1978, 1969
VW Jetta
VW Passat
Capable of leaping tall buildings in a single bound |
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alman72 Samba Member
Joined: October 09, 2014 Posts: 2573 Location: MICHIGAN
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Posted: Sun May 09, 2021 2:09 pm Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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there is no wire in the diagnostic plug that goes all the way up front, is there? |
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jtauxe Samba Member
Joined: September 30, 2004 Posts: 5780 Location: Los Alamos, New Mexico
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Posted: Mon May 10, 2021 7:52 am Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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BUSBOSS wrote: |
Look for bundled trailer wire. 14AWG is a nice size considering the length of the run and remember to hook up your chosen wire color to the negative side of your coil. Here is a picture of the 6 wire version which will leave you with plenty of future options.
[/url] |
I ran a very similar length of 8-conductor wire through my undercarriage. I have yet to terminate the ends, but I want to use some small fuse blocks at one end or the other so that the connections can be fused if needed, and a basic terminal strip at the other end. So far, I will use these for 1) the tachometer, and 2) the rear fog light. With all these conductors, I have lots of room to expand! _________________ John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
http://vw.tauxe.net
1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD
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jamesdagg Samba Member
Joined: August 18, 2007 Posts: 3364 Location: B.C.Canada
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Posted: Thu May 20, 2021 2:48 am Post subject: Re: Tachometer wire routing tips please |
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alman72 wrote: |
there is no wire in the diagnostic plug that goes all the way up front, is there? |
yes there is. I used it for a tach wire. it goes to a dash switch. I forget which switch. Check the wiring diagram. _________________ '72 FI Westy
'71 Super rear inside defrost vents no longer available |
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