[BN]

Just installed repro indash tach. The light is so dim you can hardly see it at night. Anybody made theirs better with different bulbs, or sockets or?

[BN]

Just installed repro indash tach. The light is so dim you can hardly see it at night. Anybody made theirs better with different bulbs, or sockets or?

[gpnut]

Make sure the unit is properly grounded. The OEM clock on my 71 GP depends on a ground strap that is connected to the metal backing plate the clock bolts onto and is connected to the dash frame. Without that ground strap properly in place, lights are very dim.

If your aftermarket tach was supplied with a negative (-) power lead, you may want to ground it directly on any portion of the frame. If not, try running a wire from the metal(?) casing of the tach (try around any of the mounting bolts or screws) and ground directly to frame around steering shaft, parking brake bracket, etc. or any part that comes directly in contact with frame/ substructure of car.

Best of luck,
John

[Peter Serio]

The interior of the repro tachs I have seen are black, same as the plastic exterior of the case.
The interior of ALL the factory tachs from Pontiac were ALWAYS painted in a very light shade of robbins egg blue. This was done to reflect the light from the 2 bulbs onto the dial at night.
I can post a pic if people what to see what I am talking about here. I have no clue as to why the repro tachs come un-painted inside. It's funny but Pontiac was so pickey about this nighttime illumination of their gauges that the area directly behind the "hot spot" of each bulb was masked off & painted a slightly darker shade of blue in a stripe or band pattern so that the illumination would appear even all the way across the round dial from the drivers seat.
EM any questions, thanks.

Peter Serio
Owner, Precision Pontiac

[PITTSBURGH 64]

If painting the inside blue ( which I would try first) does not work try a brighter bulb maybe a Halogen. However halogens get hotter than normal bulbs. So do some testing if you go the halogen route.
Good Luck

[428GTO70]

I just bought a new hood tach thru PY about a month or so ago, and was curious about this. However the one I recieved has a white plastic housing instead of the black ones shown in pictures, and so its also white on the inside and lights up real nice. Im not sure if this is why they used the white plastic instead of black but it works great and makes sense.


GR-RRR!

[Peter Serio]

HI, my post on the black case was mainly about the in-dash tachs, those are the ones I have seen up-close. I have not inspected the hood tachs, & I read above that they are totally different.

The in-dash tach I was referring to are sold in catalogs as an accessory item only & they mount into your 4th circle(64 thru 67), the place where a "rally" clock would usually go.
I will post pic later.

Peter Serio
Owner, Precision Pontiac

[BN]

Thanks to all who replied. After getting Peter's reply I crawled under dash and began experimenting. Looking at the back I could see light blue overspray so there went that theory. I took one of the bulbs to the auto parts store and determined that tach came with (2)one candlepower bulbs. I switched to (2)three candle power bulbs and problem is solved. Thanks again BN

[Peter Serio]

Peter Serio
Owner, Precision Pontiac

[428GTO70]

Yeah, i knew you were talking about in dash, but it made me curious about the hood tach as well.


GR-RRR!