IT'S ALIVE!!!! IT'S ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bittentoo]

At 4:45pm this afternoon the Orange one came to life[^]
It has been 25 years since I last fired up a new engine and boy, does it feel good! This time I got to share it with my 2 boys:D After the 20 minute cam break in time we idled her down, set the timing, adjusted the carb and got to listen to the cam:D:D The oldest one (16) said that his knees were still shaking 30 minutes after we fired her up[^]

Now I need some of Alan's advice. The tach isn't working. I double checked the wiring to the coil and the gray wire is on the negitive post. If it makes any difference, I'm using the Pertonix ignition. And it looks like the amp guage is reading backwards. When you rev the motor, the guage goes negitive and when the lights are turned on, it goes postive[:O]

Now it is upholhstery time! Close all of the doors and windows and smell the glue:D:D:D

[pgermond]

Congrats, man. The first time you hear that sound.... well, it is something you never forget [:P]

Phil

427 Roadster, #4279436
Southern Automotive FE
3:31 and Toploader

Roseville (N.Cal)

[Copper01]

With respect to the tach, when I fired mine up a couple of weeks ago, the tach was the only instrument that was obviously malfunctioning. I contacted Alan and he sent me a replacement which has functioned flawlessly ever since.

On the ammeter, you might check the numbers on the wiring diagram against the wiring on the back of the guages. I found a couple of discrepancies.


Ben
Unique 427
SA 427SO w/ Toploader
Guardsman Blue w/ White Stripes

[bittentoo]

Copper,

That is what I'm thinking too. Will pull the dash and check the connections on the tach and amp guage.

[eliminator]

The only guage that I had trouble with was the Tach, a new one from Unique cured the problem.

Eliminator

[Brent]

Congrats!!!!!!

Got to love those gauges. I am on my second alt. gauge and my second speedo in 500 miles.

Brent

[brfutbrian]

i`ll bet the grin is still on your face. im sure you`ll get it squared away quick. i didnt have any gauge problems with mine, but the igntion switch didnt last the first hundred miles. later, brian.

[Eric Miller]

My Tach had to be replaced also when I first started my engine.Wish I had Smiths.

Eric

[clayfoushee]

We had a discussion of the SW tachs sometime back, but don't remember which thread. Maurice Weaver told me they were experiencing more than a 50% failure rate with them over time, whereas Smiths and Autometer were generally reliable. I have the SW tach as well and it always seems to read a little high. Sometimes, it's just off-scale. Because it's still moving in generally the right direction I'm going keep it until it does a hard failure. In the meantime, I rely on my 6K rev. limiter going up through the gears and am careful about downshifts, where there is no protection from the rev. limiter.

Clay

'98 Unique #9299, 427FE side oiler, top-loader (close), 3.31 rear

Annapolis, MD

[weaver]

I don't know about a Pertonix ignition but when using a MSD you pick the tach signal up from the MSD box and not the coil, read your wiring directions and see if that is the problem. Is the tach reading at all or is it dead.

Alan

[Mike Geddes]

Ben....maybe you could fill me in on the differences you found on the wire #'s for your Ammeter gauge.
Mines been in my car from the time I built it (1992) and has NEVER worked.
Thx......Mike

Mike Geddes

[bittentoo]

Mike, when I get behind the dash to reverse the wires to the amp gauge, I will note the wire colors and numbers and post them for you. Most likely this weekend.

[Copper01]

Mike,

I have the Prodesign Systems J0291000 wiring harness and the installation manual is dated February 2003. It shows that on the ammeter the 41, 25 and 39 wires (all red) should all go to the ACC stud, the 27 wire (thick red/white) should go to the BATT stud, the gray/black wire to the light and the black wire to the ground stud. Mine came pre-wired, but it wasn't initially wired exactly like that, but when it's wired per the manual it works.

You might also want to check that the red BAT wire is tight on the back of the alternator, assuming that you're using a ford alternator with the single wire "bolt on the back" voltage regualtor.

Also, if anyone's blowing the ACC fuse on their initial installation, you might want to check that the 31 wire (purple) goes to the ignition stud rather than to an adjacent ground lug on all the appropriate guages. Looking at the back of the guage and how it's marked, it's easy to see how the two might be confused.

FYI, Prodesign Systems has apparently gone out of business. I tried calling them to verify some issues with their wiring diagram and their phones have all been disconnected.


Ben
Unique 427
SA 427SO w/ Toploader
Guardsman Blue w/ White Stripes

[GeorgiaSnake]

My tach didn't work and had no light, the fuel gauge didn't work and the amp meter worked backwards. I took the tach apart and found the the ground was not tight, switched the amp meter wires and Alan sent me a new fuel gauge. That was 1500 miles ago and everything is still working.

On another note this weather sucks and I'm ready for spring.

Randy

Unique 289 FIA
Southern Automotive 396
Team III 16's
Brilliant Silver