VDO Replica Tach Sending Unit???

Unrelated, but what do the hash marks from 2200-6200 rpm signify?

ok, maybe a dumb question, lol, but thought I'd ask.

Thanks

A tach just needs an impulse from the distributor - not a GPS interface.  Early 356 OEM tachs were cable driven off the distributor (I had a '62 and that cable broke). OEM Speedo were cable driven as were most of the replica gauges - Special Edition Beck just worked with VDO to develop a GPS driven Speedo - no more issues with wheel, tire or gearing issues to determine MPH/miles driven.

 

Dash marks are preferred driving range - up to occasionally in the red zone.  Lugging the engine below the green is hazardous to engines health.

I pretty much agree with Wolfgang and was about to pull the trigger,  but see correspondence below (reads from the bottom) Now if I buy it and it doesn't work for whatever reason, they TOLD me.  On the other hand, there are a couple of decent 912 tachs on eBay that almost match.  I used one before on an Intermeccanica and it worked fine.  

 

Steven, on most tachs that have them they really help when glancing at the tach to clearly see the sweep needle and it's position and in some cases they are purely decorative to break up the tach face. On some tachs they are indicative of 500rpm increments.

 

Not sure I really like the 'redline' setting of that tach at 6200rpm...most of these flat-4s we run, most with a 5,000 +/- rpm redline, would probably blow or have some sort of internal damage done if revved to that redline. A lot of tachs have an adjustable pointer, usually bright yellow to indicate caution, that you can manually set below your engines actual redline and some tachs have two pointers one red for actual redline and one yellow for caution...a good thing to do if you do not have one is to paint a small yellow line on the face of the tach below your known rpm limit, it helps to preserve your engine especially if you have 'Larry Leadfoot' syndrome...that is IF you pay attention to it

Here's '66 912 tach on SAMBA for $150 - it needs no sending unit!

 

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/cla...etail.php?id=1628494

 

The replica VDO speedo needs a GPS sending unit or a speed sensor.  The replica VDO tach needs nothing except the proper input from the coil.  HOWEVER your tach will have dip switches on the back (and instructions on how to set them) so be sure to make sure it is set for 4 cyl (it will also do 6 cyl and 8 cyl) and I don;t believe I set them all to 4 cyl before sending them to Sierra Madre.

I also e-mailed Jorge (owner of Sierra Madre) so he can get the correct info to his guys.

Wahoo!  Thanks chines1, I'll order one this morning.  Tell Jorge because of you. 

Steve wrote: "Unrelated, but what do the hash marks from 2200-6200 rpm signify?"

 

Those signify the operating range of the engine.  In other words, don't operate the engine below 2,200 or over 6,200 RPM.  The actual operating range of 356's varied, depending on the model and year - looks like yours is either a later model or a Carerra model.    I went out and looked at mine and the green range is from 2,200 to 5,000 - my indicated top end is a bit lower than yours, and indicative of a "normal" engine with less top end power.  My reality is that I can easily rev to 6,500+, but I don't do it very often - that all depends on what you have for a valve train and cam.  These engines are push rod engines, just like a lot of American V8's, and their operating range is about the same.

 

"ok, maybe a dumb question, lol, but thought I'd ask."

 

No such thing as a dumb question on here.  Way dumber to not ever ask!

 

BTW:  VW Beetles did not have Tachs, but they had similar hash marks on their speedometers to indicate the engine rpm range for each gear.  There were 4 different little green lines, one for each gear.

Thanks Gordon.

You might want to check the price from Beck before you order from Sierra Madre.  If you don't already know, chines1 is Carey Hines, the owner of Beck and the developer of the new VDO gauges that you are considering.

 

My replica tach from Sierra Madre arrived today and looks really nice.  No instructions included though and does not have the three dip switches described by chines1.  It does, however, have three sets of red and black wires at the bottom.  Could these be for the dip switches?  Terminals are marked + - and W.  I assume W goes to the coil, but I'm a little nervous about the red and black wires and I guess a little annoyed there is no schematic or instructions.   I'll try to get somebody at SM on the phone tomorrow, but haven't had much luck with that before.  

Hope you didn't get one of the old stock very iffy Chinese replica gauges?  

       
       


Talk with Greg. He's a stand-up guy.

Not sure about the SM tach but most of the tachs I've used have three wires, red to coil, black to ground and either yellow or white wire for tach lighting.

you can email me a photo of you new tach, front and back, and I'll identify it and can send wiring info once it is identified.

 

HOLY HANNAH!

 

Now they're making Repro 356 stuff in India!

Gordon,

Being an Indian myself, let me tell you: if the countrymen who made those gauges are anything like me with car-related items, I'd say those gauges are expensive paperweights at best. LOL 

 

Anand

 

Those are the genuine VDO gauges, made in their India factory, and after a few corrections they have been GREAT, especially compared to the China-crap

 

Ham: the dip switches are under the rubber cover at the 11 o'clock position.  Make sure they are "on, off, off" for 4 cyl.

 

The red and black wires are the power and ground for the 3 lower indicator lights at the bottom of the gauge.  The wire will correspond directly to the light opposite of it.

They are park brake indicator, turn indicator, fog light indicator.

On the back you will see 5 places for spade terminals, but only 3 that have been wired up.  "+" is power, "-" is ground and "W" is tach signal off the coil.

Then all you have is power and ground for illumination, 1 set at each bulb.

As to tach face markings, my '56 A Coupe was a 1600 normal, and the red band started at 4500 UPM.  If you had a Super, it started at 5,000 I believe, and an S90 went to 5500.  Maybe Carreras went to 6,000 or 6500.  I'd have to look in my book.

And  a tach w/ a GPS sensor just makes no sense whatsoever . . .

Thanks chines, exactly what I needed.  SM would be well advised to print out your instructions and stick them in the box with the tachs, although I admit I should have figured out the thing with the lights.

 

I think the tach is beautiful and matches perfectly my other two OEM gauges.  It was also a bargain price compared to a 356 electronic tach (one year only?) only one of which I found for upwards of $500.  And, yeah, I know the GPS thing sounded dumb, but it was what I was told by a representative of the seller.  My thought was maybe there was some kind of wireless combination sending unit for all of the instruments.  Still, glad I asked, because I got the information I needed.

Thanks for the info Carey, have you ever wondered why VDO did not make a better lighting system on those new gauges for night vision.  OR things like the tach has a fog light indicator that lights up RED, not green or blue but RED... Personally, red is an Emergency WARNING light not an indicator light. 

 

check out 

http://www.vdo-gauges.com/inst...00mm-tachometer.html

 

Lastly, they do not even have an option to get a Km per hour speedometer for the international market. I called VDO and spoke to the tech support my self and no one can tell me.... The product development guy would not even take my calls... go figure. I find it strange after all aren't VDO gauges worldwide, would you not want to improve your product. DUH.... Ray

Here is a link for kilometers speedo.  http://vintagespeedsterparts.com/gaugebundle.aspx

 

 

Hi Hamfist, those gauges while they are KPH are not part of the NEW GUAGE series so I would not recommend them as the lighting is even poorer, Ray