Gasser tach in a diesel
03-16-2009, 12:51 AM
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Gasser tach in a diesel
Well I finally found a simple plug-and-play way to enable a gasser tach work accurately on my truck. I really liked the Autometer 2697 mini tach (2-1/16") and the little column mount pod, and I finally found a company that makes a stand-alone magic box that generates a tach signal to feed all the standard V8 tachs - monsters to mini's.
This is the tach and pod:
It's a normal, standard tach that needs a typical ignition-based signal, and I came across a company called Dakota Digital that makes a simple little box that tells the tach what to do with itself
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd129.htm
It operates via two ways, and the one I opted for was by the simple method of counting flywheel teeth. Tell it how many teeth are on your flywheel, set the module accordingly, supply power and ground etc etc, and the nice little mini tach reads just like its plugged into a coil.
The DSL-2 kit comes with the DSL-1D module and a simple magnetic pulse sensor, and all you have to do is mount the sensor somewhere where it can 'read' the flywheel teeth accurately - I chose the tranny inspection cover.
In order for the sensor to be 'square' with the flywheel I needed to modify the cover - I cut out a square 1.5" section and replaced it with a flat version of itself relative to the flywheel, but also up on the side a bit to avoid excess oil and water drainoff. First I needed to know exactly where the flywheel was and how close to the cover it was -
Cut the cover, install the 'shelf', and it looks like this -
Drill a hole just shy of 3/4" and install the sensor. I used clay to measure the distance between the sensor face ad the flywheel - I opted for 1/16" - not sure what it's supposed to be but it works great.
As best I can tell it's dead accurate. You can adjust it based on how many flywheel teeth there are...and that's it. The kit cost ~ $110, and it was a simple install. And with it you can use any tachometer on the market you can find.
- M2
This is the tach and pod:
It's a normal, standard tach that needs a typical ignition-based signal, and I came across a company called Dakota Digital that makes a simple little box that tells the tach what to do with itself
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd129.htm
It operates via two ways, and the one I opted for was by the simple method of counting flywheel teeth. Tell it how many teeth are on your flywheel, set the module accordingly, supply power and ground etc etc, and the nice little mini tach reads just like its plugged into a coil.
The DSL-2 kit comes with the DSL-1D module and a simple magnetic pulse sensor, and all you have to do is mount the sensor somewhere where it can 'read' the flywheel teeth accurately - I chose the tranny inspection cover.
In order for the sensor to be 'square' with the flywheel I needed to modify the cover - I cut out a square 1.5" section and replaced it with a flat version of itself relative to the flywheel, but also up on the side a bit to avoid excess oil and water drainoff. First I needed to know exactly where the flywheel was and how close to the cover it was -
Cut the cover, install the 'shelf', and it looks like this -
Drill a hole just shy of 3/4" and install the sensor. I used clay to measure the distance between the sensor face ad the flywheel - I opted for 1/16" - not sure what it's supposed to be but it works great.
As best I can tell it's dead accurate. You can adjust it based on how many flywheel teeth there are...and that's it. The kit cost ~ $110, and it was a simple install. And with it you can use any tachometer on the market you can find.
- M2
03-26-2009, 08:54 AM
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Looks like a simple mag pickup they use in industrial apps. Very nice writeup but my only question having bought alot of Cummins mag pickups is; is it cost effective? Even if you have the tach, by the time you buy the mag pickup and Dakota Digital convertor box would it be cheaper to just buy one of the tach kits made for our trucks?
I dont mean to sound like a pesimest, just curious which is more cost effective.
I dont mean to sound like a pesimest, just curious which is more cost effective.
03-26-2009, 09:11 AM
#6
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is it cost effective? Even if you have the tach, by the time you buy the mag pickup and Dakota Digital convertor box would it be cheaper to just buy one of the tach kits made for our trucks?
I dont mean to sound like a pesimest, just curious which is more cost effective.
I dont mean to sound like a pesimest, just curious which is more cost effective.
Now, Isspro will sell you a tach that works with a 92 for $160.- (tach alone)+ $60.- or $70.- for the sensor, and if you need it another $30.- for the wiring.
simple math, uh?
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03-26-2009, 06:56 PM
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I think some of ya are missing the intent for this thread 
. I've got an Autometer 2888 tach in my '93 and it works well enough, but I didn't want the same tach in the RC - I wanted a tach that would fit the 2-1/16" column pod. I didn't want the 2888 because it was too large, and I did not want the isspro because it doesn't match the other Autometer gauges in the truck (the whole dash is custom made and full of matching Autometer sport comps).
For me, $110 bucks to get my truck just the way I wanted it was money well spent. This post was not intended to be a cost comparison, or which are better - only to suggest options for using different tachs.
Within reason cost-effective is not always an issue when compared to what you really want. I wanted a small simple tach - being able to use the 2697 was worth every penny to me. The 2888 is not made for our trucks, nor is the isspro - they're just easier to bolt up. After spending over $3000 in upgrades the 100 bucks for the tach I wanted is cheap.
This is the link to the truck build thread - http://ramchargercentral.com/index.p...9434.1050.html
This is my dash when the big block was in it and the air bags were under it - it's a bit different now with the diesel and leafs -
. I've got an Autometer 2888 tach in my '93 and it works well enough, but I didn't want the same tach in the RC - I wanted a tach that would fit the 2-1/16" column pod. I didn't want the 2888 because it was too large, and I did not want the isspro because it doesn't match the other Autometer gauges in the truck (the whole dash is custom made and full of matching Autometer sport comps).For me, $110 bucks to get my truck just the way I wanted it was money well spent. This post was not intended to be a cost comparison, or which are better - only to suggest options for using different tachs.
Within reason cost-effective is not always an issue when compared to what you really want. I wanted a small simple tach - being able to use the 2697 was worth every penny to me. The 2888 is not made for our trucks, nor is the isspro - they're just easier to bolt up. After spending over $3000 in upgrades the 100 bucks for the tach I wanted is cheap.
This is the link to the truck build thread - http://ramchargercentral.com/index.p...9434.1050.html
This is my dash when the big block was in it and the air bags were under it - it's a bit different now with the diesel and leafs -
03-28-2009, 03:40 AM
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I'm thinking about using something like this to convert the factory signal to use the small Autometer tach.
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd127.htm
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd127.htm
05-06-2011, 06:55 PM
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Well I finally found a simple plug-and-play way to enable a gasser tach work accurately on my truck. I really liked the Autometer 2697 mini tach (2-1/16") and the little column mount pod, and I finally found a company that makes a stand-alone magic box that generates a tach signal to feed all the standard V8 tachs - monsters to mini's.
This is the tach and pod:
It's a normal, standard tach that needs a typical ignition-based signal, and I came across a company called Dakota Digital that makes a simple little box that tells the tach what to do with itself
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd129.htm
It operates via two ways, and the one I opted for was by the simple method of counting flywheel teeth. Tell it how many teeth are on your flywheel, set the module accordingly, supply power and ground etc etc, and the nice little mini tach reads just like its plugged into a coil.
The DSL-2 kit comes with the DSL-1D module and a simple magnetic pulse sensor, and all you have to do is mount the sensor somewhere where it can 'read' the flywheel teeth accurately - I chose the tranny inspection cover.
In order for the sensor to be 'square' with the flywheel I needed to modify the cover - I cut out a square 1.5" section and replaced it with a flat version of itself relative to the flywheel, but also up on the side a bit to avoid excess oil and water drainoff. First I needed to know exactly where the flywheel was and how close to the cover it was -
Cut the cover, install the 'shelf', and it looks like this -
Drill a hole just shy of 3/4" and install the sensor. I used clay to measure the distance between the sensor face ad the flywheel - I opted for 1/16" - not sure what it's supposed to be but it works great.
As best I can tell it's dead accurate. You can adjust it based on how many flywheel teeth there are...and that's it. The kit cost ~ $110, and it was a simple install. And with it you can use any tachometer on the market you can find.
- M2
This is the tach and pod:
It's a normal, standard tach that needs a typical ignition-based signal, and I came across a company called Dakota Digital that makes a simple little box that tells the tach what to do with itself
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.c...rod/prd129.htm
It operates via two ways, and the one I opted for was by the simple method of counting flywheel teeth. Tell it how many teeth are on your flywheel, set the module accordingly, supply power and ground etc etc, and the nice little mini tach reads just like its plugged into a coil.
The DSL-2 kit comes with the DSL-1D module and a simple magnetic pulse sensor, and all you have to do is mount the sensor somewhere where it can 'read' the flywheel teeth accurately - I chose the tranny inspection cover.
In order for the sensor to be 'square' with the flywheel I needed to modify the cover - I cut out a square 1.5" section and replaced it with a flat version of itself relative to the flywheel, but also up on the side a bit to avoid excess oil and water drainoff. First I needed to know exactly where the flywheel was and how close to the cover it was -
Cut the cover, install the 'shelf', and it looks like this -
Drill a hole just shy of 3/4" and install the sensor. I used clay to measure the distance between the sensor face ad the flywheel - I opted for 1/16" - not sure what it's supposed to be but it works great.
As best I can tell it's dead accurate. You can adjust it based on how many flywheel teeth there are...and that's it. The kit cost ~ $110, and it was a simple install. And with it you can use any tachometer on the market you can find.
- M2
As for the cost aspect.... I wanted the 2 1/16 tach for it's looks too, I got a 5k Auto Meter 2697 for $125 and a column pod ($32) Found out soon enough that even though it's a low rev tach doesn't mean it works on a diesel! Ordered a DSL-2 ($189) .... Not much longer now and the tach needle will read where it should (0-3200) !!
Not sure if I have pics on here but I added a 3mm amber LED in the pod to indicate O/D off.
05-06-2011, 11:22 PM
#11
Mad Max, I guess you really like guages!
That little box is what I need, i bought a gasser tach a while back to try in my truck and got the usual results, no work. I might get one of those
That little box is what I need, i bought a gasser tach a while back to try in my truck and got the usual results, no work. I might get one of those
05-07-2011, 12:45 AM
#12
I've just received my DSL-2 Finding this thread solved the problem of where to mount the pick-up! Now I just have one question.... "how many teeth" do we have on our ring gears/flywheels?
As for the cost aspect.... I wanted the 2 1/16 tach for it's looks too, I got a 5k 5392 Auto Meter $125 and a column pod ($32) Found out soon enough that even though it's a low rev tach doesn't mean it works on a diesel! Ordered a DSL-2 ($189) .... Not much longer now and the tach needle will read where it should (0-3200) !!
Not sure if I have pics on here but I added a 3mm amber LED in the pod to indicate O/D off.
As for the cost aspect.... I wanted the 2 1/16 tach for it's looks too, I got a 5k 5392 Auto Meter $125 and a column pod ($32) Found out soon enough that even though it's a low rev tach doesn't mean it works on a diesel! Ordered a DSL-2 ($189) .... Not much longer now and the tach needle will read where it should (0-3200) !!
Not sure if I have pics on here but I added a 3mm amber LED in the pod to indicate O/D off.
05-07-2011, 05:23 PM
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05-07-2011, 10:31 PM
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05-08-2011, 09:52 PM
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