SW tach question

[bittentoo]

When I first fired The Orange One up, we noticed that the tach wasn't working. Just sat at 1000rpm's running or not. Checked all of the wiring and connections, all were fine. Called Alan, said no problem will get a new one in the mail right away. Started test driving the car and one day my oldest son that was riding shotgun said, hey the tach is working! Sure enough it is. I guess that it was just stuck. Has worked fine ever since. But one thing that I find strange is that it doesn't fluctuate (sp) at all when the engine is idling on the cam like other tachs I have seen.

I'm also still sorting out the 4v cleveland and the main thing is that by the tach this motor is laying over at 5500rpm. This is a solid lifter motor and should be good to 6500rpm. So I'm trying to figure out do I have a valve spring problem, fuel problem, ignition problem or is the tach lying to me[xx(]

So my question is, what kind of movement do you all get out of your tach and how accurate is it?

Kelly

[rdorman]

There was some discussion about this earlier on CC. Mine to sticks on occasion and seems to read ahead of the motor at full throttle. It did not always behave that way. Some times I see it hit 7000 when I know I am not spinning that. Other times it lags behind. I have an MSD with a rev limiter that I will be installing. It will be interesting to see what the tach reads as I am hitting the rev limiter. Once the rev limiter is in, I guess it will work as my tach!

I emailed SW a couple of times and they indicated that they would look into some of the issues and get back to me, of course they never did.

The Autometers are more accurate and they make a set that looks a lot like the Smiths. A complete set was just for sale on CC. Look up the thread.

Rick

[Brent]

I have a 7000 chip in my MSD and when it hits the rev limiter the tach reads just a little over 6200. The tach needle is sloooooowwwwwww.
I hardly ever look at it anyway. "ear tach"

Brent

[clinck]

Bittentoo,

Good question here... I have owned 2 solid lifter cars in all my years of collecting.
66 Shelby Mustang
66 396 Corvette.

I have never experienced a solid lifter motor to float. Sometimes you get ignition breakdown but that usually is personified by more violent action than a fall off in power. I would be intersted in knowing about other characteristics?

I have had tach errors in the past so I don't rule that out either. Best to check simple things first before tearing into heads.

God, don't you love that clickety Clack of those lifters?

Sundown

Sundown

[clayfoushee]

I've had the same issues with the SW tach, but like we used to do with old airplane gauges, I've now learned if I tap mine when it looks wacky, it comes back to where it should be with the old "ear tach." May not work with all, but try it.

Yes, those solid lifters are music to the ears. So far no problems.......

Clay

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

Annapolis, MD