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Engine Specific Info and Questions => IDI Engine => Topic started by: 914turboford on January 11, 2008, 11:41:38 am

Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: 914turboford on January 11, 2008, 11:41:38 am
I searched on ebay and didn't see any. Also, it seems that in the GTD classifieds there are always people looking but none for sale. I'm picking up a 1985 TD Jetta today with a tach. Not sure what I'm going to do with it yet but wondering if I should hold onto the tach. Also, which alternators have the W terminal? Motorola, Bosch? Was it found only on turbo cars?
Brian
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: burn_your_money on January 11, 2008, 12:33:13 pm
NA and TD, Motorola and Bosch all had W terminals and all didn't have W terminals. It's hit and miss but the majority of them do have it.

CE1 clusters are very hard for me to find, CE2 is pretty easy. I hear it's the opposite in the states though
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: shegel on January 11, 2008, 01:57:58 pm
the autozone next to my house can get the w terminal alts for 140 reman with a lifetime warranty.
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: RabbitJockey on January 11, 2008, 03:20:00 pm
they're pretty hard to find imo.  but u can make one pretty easy
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: 914turboford on January 11, 2008, 07:03:40 pm
Quote from: "Trev0rbr"
they're pretty hard to find imo.  but u can make one pretty easy

A tach or an alternator?
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: RabbitJockey on January 11, 2008, 07:31:40 pm
a tach
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: 914turboford on January 11, 2008, 07:44:09 pm
I read through part of a thread about how to convert one. Another question, will a MK1 clock fit in a Mk2 clock hole? I have an 85 Jetta TD that I'm planning on selling as a project. I was thinking I might rob the tach and replace it with a MK1 clock I have.
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: RabbitJockey on January 12, 2008, 10:52:44 am
no it won't fit.
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: Op-Ivy on January 12, 2008, 10:36:40 pm
Quote from: "burn_your_money"
NA and TD, Motorola and Bosch all had W terminals and all didn't have W terminals. It's hit and miss but the majority of them do have it.

CE1 clusters are very hard for me to find, CE2 is pretty easy. I hear it's the opposite in the states though


It was the opposite for me. I had a hold of 3 ce1's before I finally got a ce2... After 2 years of searching :P (locally)
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: westcoaster on January 13, 2008, 09:06:14 pm
http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=129/category_id=287/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd129.htm

no experiance with it thouugh....
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: Vincent Waldon on January 24, 2008, 06:30:51 pm
Some options....

Signal converter for $65:

http://www.dakotadigital.com/index.cfm/page/ptype=product/product_id=128/category_id=105/home_id=59/mode=prod/prd128.htm


Or modify the cluster itself:

http://www.vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=3741


Or Roger's photocell interface:

http://www.4crawler.com/Diesel/CheapTricks/Tachometer/index.shtml
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: bigJ on January 27, 2008, 01:36:20 pm
I've taken an A1 GTI tach and fitted it into my A1. The Dakota Digital  Universal Diesel Alternator Tachometer Interface works flawlessly once set.
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: RabbitJockey on January 27, 2008, 01:56:02 pm
unless ur handy with electronics i would just go the dakota digital route... it is really only 60 dollars and when u think about it, thats not that much money
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: LWB Samurai Joe on January 27, 2008, 02:03:23 pm
Here is an Autometer tach that I installed in my Toyota Land Cruiser.

(http://www.fototime.com/AD1800CCC59B602/standard.jpg)
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: biojetta on January 28, 2008, 06:38:29 am
try tiny tach.
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: Baselyne on January 28, 2008, 07:27:35 am
http://vwdiesel.net/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=12418

Does anyone know? Could someone verify?

Can someone give a location on the alternator where I may find this terminal? ive been to VW in oshawa and they couldnt answer my question with the car infront of them! I could not beleave it! Honestly...
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: burn_your_money on January 28, 2008, 08:01:46 am
Just look on the back of the alternator for a male spade connector with a stamped or raised W beside it
Title: making w terminal?
Post by: Baselyne on January 29, 2008, 07:19:12 am
Ive seen many alt's for a vw and im yet to see one with that terminal

Im beginning to think everyone knows but me...
thanks for varifying that location of the terminal///

Now how to make one....?

Quote
Making a W terminal is also very easy. It is just one of the alt signals prior to the rectifying diodes.

Andrew
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: Vanagoner on January 29, 2008, 08:35:45 pm
Samurai Joe, I like the look of that.  Two questions- does it run off of a standard W terminal, and what is the diameter?
 That one might fit in the center of my stock cluster, under the l.e.d.'s. (I kinda like my big clunky analog clock)
Title: How hard is it to find a diesel tach?
Post by: RabbitJockey on January 30, 2008, 02:05:21 pm
if they don't have the w terminal they usually have a w terminal hole with no spade sticking out... actually all the vw alternators i've seen have the w marking on them wether they had the connector or not