mechanical tach and cables - help

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/22/10 10:48 PM

I posted here because so many of you are "veteran" racers familiar with older vintage part's.

After MANY years of steady searching I FINALLY have found all the pieces and cables for the tach "system" on my SS/AA project.

Problem is the business end of the tach cable I have is what I think they call "Jones style" has a 7/8 nut and a female square drive.

The tach I want to use is a Stewart Warner - it seems to have a 5/8 nut and would need a small male square drive on the cable end to insert into the tach.

Anyone know if there is a way to adapt these?

Tried a couple of speedo shops already and they have no idea and the newer cables just don't look correct

This stuff is before my time so I might not be using the correct terminology.

I would appreciate any info or suggestions.

Pic of cable end on left - tach end on right

Attached picture 6153232-cableVStach.JPG

Attached picture 6153232-cableVStach.JPG

Posted By: Chris2581

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/22/10 11:07 PM

Looks like Danny has given you some great info.

I still use a cable driven tach set up and like it a lot.SW 535AH tach with the Mopar tach drive distributor,and I have a vintage Accel BEI tach drive unit to use if need be.

Glad to see you're using the cable system.

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/22/10 11:24 PM

Thanks Danny - I did contact Pegasus .. waiting to hear back - they have a adapter on there site but it is for the opposite situation I have.

Have my

that they have another solution !

Here is pic of the whole thing.. you can see what I am trying to accomplish.

Attached picture 6153322-tachsystem.JPG

Posted By: HEMIFRED

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 12:52 AM

Quote:

Here is pic of the whole thing.. you can see what I am trying to accomplish.

you do realize that your problem comes from the fact that tach is incorrect for that set up? a 5" Jones/Stahl in the gold anodized bracket would be the correct one.

Posted By: 3ddart

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 01:24 AM

another ? for those in the know, which style is used to go from a mp tach drive distributor to a stewart-warner tach? thanks, dave

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 01:28 AM

Quote:

you do realize that your problem comes from the fact that tach is incorrect for that set up? a 5" Jones/Stahl in the gold anodized bracket would be the correct one.

Yep, I'm stubborn and was hoping that an adapter or adapter cable could be made to work.. I'm a Sox and Martin fan and want to use a SW tach

If I can't make it work... Maybe we can make a deal Fred

Posted By: HEMIFRED

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 01:33 AM

Stewart Warner performance gauges distributor
http://www.speedometersolutions.com/speedometer_cable.htm

Custom Built Speedometer Cables, for any application

Mechanical Take Off Speed Sensors, for aftermarket or factory speedometers, tachometers,cruise, made to suit, any mechanical drive,custom applications are our specialty
Tachometer cables and drives, cars, trucks, cycles, tractors, airplanes, boats, heavy equipment

Autometer, VDO, Stewart Warner, SS White, Clark Bros., Syncro Start, Arthur Allen, Dixon, AC Delco, GM, Mopar, Ford Motorcraft, Datcon, Plus many more

NOS, New, Used, Rebuilt, gauges, clusters, 75 + years worth of inventory,Just ask

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 01:35 AM

Thanks Fred.... I contacted that place also..

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 01:41 AM

3ddart,

Mopar Performance used to offer the cable you need - it had a black plastic sheathing instead of a metal armor.

They come up from time to time at Mopar meets

Here's a place that I came across while looking for a solution for myself..

http://www.texasindustrialelectric.com/speedo.asp

Seem to have a bunch of SW pieces listed

Posted By: dannysbee

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 02:00 AM

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jones-Mor...em&pt=Motor

Looks like this guy will make what you need.

Posted By: 3ddart

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/23/10 02:22 AM

thanks danny, fan & fred!!!!!

Posted By: don miller

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/24/10 01:16 AM

I ran the same setup back in the early 80's but I'll be darned if I can remember exactly what I used-I think there were different drive ends that got crimped on the distributor end (the cable came from Stewart Warner) You might try Bob's Speedometer,1-800-592-9673, 10123 Bergin Rd. Howell, Mi 48843.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/24/10 08:41 PM

Located mt old tach and cable in the garage today. Is this the same as your's

Posted By: Steve1118

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/24/10 09:49 PM

I ran into that exact same issue thirty years ago, when I installed my SW mechanical tach and only had a Moroso cable.

What I did was to go to a local machine shop, left them both pieces, and they machined an adapter out of a piece of brass. As far as the end that goes into the tach, I brazed the tach end of the cable with a big clump of brass, and then took a file and filed it to fit the keyway in the distributor.

How does it work? Well, the setup is still on there and is what I use, and has been since 1974. I guess you could say it worked out.

Posted By: Craig

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/24/10 10:09 PM

I did sorta like Steve1118, I mig welded a lump of ezgrind onto the end of the square cable key and filed it down to fit. Works great with my 30+ year old Moroso mech tach, been over 7700 rpm a few times

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/24/10 11:43 PM

Thanks everyone for the help... 1 place got back to me that said they "think" they can cut the end off my cable and add the correct end but it would shorten the cable 4".

Pittsburg - I appreciate you digging out your tach and cable.... Any chance you could post a picture of the end that screws into the tach?

I would like to see exactly what it looks like , maybe I can make something like Craig and Steve mentioned.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/25/10 12:38 AM

If these aren't clear enough let me know.

Posted By: pittsburghracer

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/25/10 12:50 AM

Those came out terrible!!! Kinda late on a cloudy day. Let me know the angles of pictures you need and I will do a better job tomorrow.

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/25/10 03:02 PM

Those will work - Thank You - I just wanted to verify the tach end was just square (no tang)

Posted By: 64MAX

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/25/10 03:13 PM

Many, many years ago (1996) I bought a cable from a company called Service Express Company at 8909 H Street in Omaha, Nebraska 68127. I spoke to a man named Dan Bloomer and they made me a cable to fit a Mopar Tach Drive distributor and a Stewart Warner 535 AH-D. The seemed to know exactly what I needed and sent the cable right out. It's still in a box in my garage. Best of luck.

Tom

Posted By: 3ddart

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 08/26/10 08:42 PM

yea, that is kinda what i did also but i wanted to know where i can get the "correct" stuff if it doesn't hold up. i got the msd adaptor pulled the little roll pin and sanded it down on the belt sander to fit the distributor, put the roll pin back in and slid them together. well the 1st time i disconnected it the brass piece had split in 2 so i silver sodered it with low temp soder and put it back together. seems to be ok for now.

Posted By: cuda-sweden

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 12/13/10 08:44 PM

Quote:

Thanks Danny - I did contact Pegasus .. waiting to hear back - they have a adapter on there site but it is for the opposite situation I have.

Have my that they have another solution !

Here is pic of the whole thing.. you can see what I am trying to accomplish.

cool stuff.does anyone know what the device is called that makes the tachometer cable and the engine speed limiter cable run parralell to each other?who made them and what was the brand name.i have the same setup as in the pic, but with a T-brass splitter for the overspeed governor.does any of you guys have any info on that parallel cable splitter.thanks

Posted By: cuda-sweden

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 12/17/10 11:54 PM

Posted By: SSAAHemiFan

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 12/18/10 08:14 PM

I got mine last year, from a old speed shop - new in the box wrapped in newspaper from 1971 - he couldn't believe someone still wanted to use one.

He actually had to go back and find a 1972 catalog to price it ! I tossed him a extra $30 on top for dinner as I was so happy to have it

He called it a "dual drive cable splitter" - Mine has Stewart -Warner stamped right into it.

Posted By: cuda-sweden

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 12/18/10 09:25 PM

great,thanks ill keep looking.good to know that stewart warner made them.

Posted By: mloboda

Re: mechanical tach and cables - help - 12/18/10 11:45 PM

Not sure if these are adapters for changing mechanical tach cables or not.

http://www.stewartwarner.com/Catalog/flex-end.html

mechanical tach and cables - help