Author Topic: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic  (Read 7882 times)

Offline Topcat

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Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« on: September 13, 2012 - 09:33:44 PM »
Prowling the internet, I see that I can upgrade my Rallye clock to a Quartz conversion.
Also, Have the rallye Tachometer upgraded to a electronic self calibrating unit installed.

Can these be ordered: just the parts and have them installed locally?

I just want to try avoid a long L/T on them getting returned.
It would be nice if I can get those parts and have them installed locally.
Hayward speedometer could do it if I had everything.

Anyone done that before?
If you sent it out, how long a wait did it take?

Thanks
Mike, Fremont, CA.





Offline LAA66

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2012 - 10:24:10 PM »
 Not sure exactly what you're considering but the R/T Engineering tach replacement is fairly simple. Basically take it apart and solder 4 wires to the new board.

 I had the quarts clock done by a specialty business though and was none to happy with it.

Offline Topcat

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2012 - 10:47:36 PM »
Not sure exactly what you're considering but the R/T Engineering tach replacement is fairly simple. Basically take it apart and solder 4 wires to the new board.

 I had the quarts clock done by a specialty business though and was none to happy with it.

thanks for the input. What was your experience?
Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline cuda346pk

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #3 on: September 14, 2012 - 01:45:33 AM »
thanks for the input. What was your experience?

I did both mine myself. Clock is simple. Tach would have been simple if I had a more standard ignition and the tach itself didn't need mechanical work. I used premium dash decals out of Canada. If your tach already works it will be a simple thing.
David - In Georgia

1972 'Cuda In-Violet 340 6 Pack 4 Speed 3.91 Sure Grip - Finally, after 27 years of waiting and dreaming it is real. Now the fun begins!

Offline Topcat

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #4 on: September 14, 2012 - 02:04:26 AM »
Can you recommend where/what you bought and their prices?

I would like to do handle this very fast. Slow is not an option.

Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline LAA66

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2012 - 08:34:42 AM »
 I sent mine to a guy calling himself the tachman. Dirty fingerprints all over the clock face. Tach failed immediately so I gave up and DIY  with the R/T eng tack unit. It worked well until I installed the FBO ignition which caused the tach to read high at idle. I read it is because the multiple spark pulses or some thing like that in certain ignition designs. R/T offered to replace the board I just haven't been motivated to pull down the dash again.

Offline cuda346pk

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2012 - 03:35:39 AM »
Can you recommend where/what you bought and their prices?

I would like to do handle this very fast. Slow is not an option.

http://premiumdashdecals.com/tachboards.htm
I dont see a link for the clock kit. I think I got it off ebay inder maybe his mrheaterbox name. Very easy to deal with but the international shipping slows it down. I got my voltage limiter from RT engineering they were good too.
David - In Georgia

1972 'Cuda In-Violet 340 6 Pack 4 Speed 3.91 Sure Grip - Finally, after 27 years of waiting and dreaming it is real. Now the fun begins!

Offline Topcat

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #7 on: September 17, 2012 - 11:50:38 PM »
I tried contacting Real Time engineering 5 times by phone in the last 2-3 weeks. No answer.

Now their VM doesn't even pick up. Tried e-mailing them and it keeps bouncing. FYIcuda told me they did business with them 2 years ago.

Is this like playing the Lottery to get their business?
Perhaps they went out of business?
Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline cuda346pk

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #8 on: September 18, 2012 - 03:23:56 AM »
I tried contacting Real Time engineering 5 times by phone in the last 2-3 weeks. No answer.

Now their VM doesn't even pick up. Tried e-mailing them and it keeps bouncing. FYIcuda told me they did business with them 2 years ago.

Is this like playing the Lottery to get their business?
Perhaps they went out of business?

I got my limiter from this this past winter. Seems like I had trouble getting in touch with him too.
David - In Georgia

1972 'Cuda In-Violet 340 6 Pack 4 Speed 3.91 Sure Grip - Finally, after 27 years of waiting and dreaming it is real. Now the fun begins!

Offline wally426ci

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2012 - 07:03:04 AM »
I tried contacting Real Time engineering 5 times by phone in the last 2-3 weeks. No answer.

Now their VM doesn't even pick up. Tried e-mailing them and it keeps bouncing. FYIcuda told me they did business with them 2 years ago.

Is this like playing the Lottery to get their business?
Perhaps they went out of business?
Mike, talk to CODY. He was going to school me on the working with the Clock once but I got lazy. I still need to fix that and my tach.
{OOI====I====IOO}
      '71 Challenger
      [O[]=====[]O]
      '68 D100

Offline 72ls5fla

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #10 on: September 18, 2012 - 11:52:46 PM »
I had my clock converted and my tach refaced/upgraded about two months ago.
I used a service provided by Performance Car Graphics.  The owner David Patik, does the work.

Work was excellent and I could not be happier.

The pricing was very reasonable.

He is located in Tallahassee.

Here is a link to his website:
http://www.performancecargraphics.com/

Bill


Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2012 - 10:27:43 PM »
I did the upgrades to mine just ordered the parts , but if RTE is not answering that is hard to do

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline 73EStroker

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #12 on: September 27, 2012 - 06:18:20 PM »
My tach and clock conversions were RTE. install for the tach was borscht simple. The clock was a ***** I ended up using aviation rivets on the clock face and painting them flat black. That clock though, is bang on after 2 years plus running with no corrections. You will have to buy the tach exerciser though as it is impossible to know if you are calibrated correctly
Barry (Salmon Arm)

Offline Topcat

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #13 on: October 07, 2012 - 08:48:39 PM »
http://www.performancecargraphics.com/Dash_Stuff/Restoration/70-74_E-body_Rallye.htm

Modern-day circuit board allows correct tachometer operation with MSD Ignition System (Multiple Spark Discharge)

You will have to buy the tach exerciser though as it is impossible to know if you are calibrated correctly


What is a tach excerciser?
Mike, Fremont, CA.


Offline 73EStroker

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Re: Upgrading Tach & Clock to electronic
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2012 - 04:48:41 PM »
R/T Eng sell the tach kit and they sell the exerciser. It does two things 1) it sweeps the tach needle from 0 to full scale 7000 or 8000 to wear in the tach as the new circuit board does not like to drive such a heavy movement type meter. I had mine doing this for about 2 days. Seems to work good. 2) it calibrates the tach to 1000 rpm and also calibrates to 4000 rpm as you do a lot of adjusting to get both right.
RTE say it is calibrated but mine was not the case straight out of the box.
Barry (Salmon Arm)