62 tach problem-cable or gauge?

[Chris H.]

Fired up the car and after I reversed the carb to intake gasket it ran a lot better. However the tach no longer works. I unhooked from the tach and the cable is spinning. There did not seem to be an end on it other than a plastic ball. Does this just press against the end of the tach? I tried spinning the part on the tach that this ball would press against and it would not turn but it was hard to get at.

So is this a bad tach or is there a piece missing off the end of my tach cable that should be going into the tach? I do see that I have a black sheath and it is supposed to be gray. It is going to be a real bear to get that end back thru the grommet with the tach in the way instead of on the bench.

thanks, Chris

[Dennis C.]

Re: 62 tach problem-cable or gauge?

Chris - I believe the tach cable, just like the speedo cable, has a square drive on each end of the cable. You can check the tach by inserting a square drive cable and spinning it with your fingers in the correct direction. This will at least confirm that the tach would like to work. Best, Dennis

[Mike M.]

Re: 62 tach problem-cable or gauge?

dipstick right on. original cable had squared-oof ends(wire filaments of cable pressed into squared shape ). replacement cables can come with non-squared ends and plastic adapters that one insets on the ends of the genreic length cables. i recall having to heat the generic cable cherry red then sliping the plastic adapters on. not nearly as grenade-proof as the original pressed squared off steel cables. perhaps someone replaced your opriginal with the generic plastic adapters and it divorced itself from the generic cable. mike