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FE Power Forums => Non-FE Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Royce on September 25, 2023, 05:07:49 PM

Title: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 25, 2023, 05:07:49 PM
I am sure a search would uncover the answer, but I am feeling lazy... How is the tach signal on my 68 Cougar 302 generated?  The last owner just had to go and put a GM 1 wire alternator on it. Now no tach and no electric gauges
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: mbrunson427 on September 25, 2023, 05:33:34 PM
Royce, I did the 1-wire on our cougar a few years back. You are able to remove the voltage regulator, but there is still a power wire that needs to be jumpered. I'd take a look at the voltage regulator area and see what they did there. The car is at my house now so I can look at it tonight if you need more info.
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: galaxiex on September 25, 2023, 07:32:19 PM
Ford and Merc factory in dash tachs of that era are current sensing.
Power from the ignition switch goes in series thru the pink resistor wire,
to the tach, and from the tach to the coil positive.
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 26, 2023, 07:47:21 AM
Thanks for the schematic.. Does the input work with 12v or does it need to go through a resistor and drop to 5 or 6
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: galaxiex on September 26, 2023, 08:34:14 PM
Thanks for the schematic.. Does the input work with 12v or does it need to go through a resistor and drop to 5 or 6

I'm fairly sure it goes as described above.

Quote
Power from the ignition switch goes in series thru the pink resistor wire,
to the tach, and from the tach to the coil positive.

I'm not 100% sure tho...

Been a long time.... but when I wired my 68 Mustang and added a factory tach in the dash,
I am pretty sure that is how I wired it.
Old guy memory could be wrong....



It worked just fine until I added a MSD 6AL.
Then it needed the MSD 8920 tach adapter to function properly.


Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 26, 2023, 08:41:38 PM
I'll give it a try.. That's pretty much how an aftermarket tach is wired
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: galaxiex on September 26, 2023, 08:53:36 PM
I'll give it a try.. That's pretty much how an aftermarket tach is wired

I thought most aftermarket tachs are voltage triggered from the coil negative.

These Ford tachs are current sensing.

Seen very few (really none) aftermarket tachs that are current sensing like the Ford tachs.

Am I missing something?
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 27, 2023, 07:40:21 AM
Ahhh  My bad  I did not notice the coil connection was positive side Not the neg side which aftermarket coils use
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 30, 2023, 10:55:35 AM
Would replacing the factory alternator and bypassing the regulator with a 1 wire unit affect the tach and gauges? None of the gauges are working
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: galaxiex on September 30, 2023, 12:40:59 PM
Would replacing the factory alternator and bypassing the regulator with a 1 wire unit affect the tach and gauges? None of the gauges are working

Gauges and Tach are completely separate circuits from the alternator and regulator.
The only thing they have in common is, they are all electrical devices.

Factory gauges are fed power from the ignition switch.
Factory Tach is wired as in the post above.
Neither have anything to do with the alternator circuit.


Exception if you have a factory in dash Ammeter.
Title: Re: Cougar Tach
Post by: Royce on September 30, 2023, 03:04:18 PM
XR7 so there is an amp meter