Tachometer. Needed or just for fun? Or a crutch?

[Shadow]

I could easily drive all day every day without a tach.....but the truth is that I'd never want to. I enjoy scanning all of my gauges as I'm driving. It's part of the experience.

[ClutchDisc]

I don't have a tach, don't really want a tach. There's a beauty in not having a tachometer.

Of course if the car comes with one that's fine.

[Shadow]

This tach has only terminals on the back. You got to build your own wiring harness.

That tach would be pretty much useless for the majority of today's high-revving engines. Even my car, which makes max torque from 1500 thru 4200 RPM would pin the needle before the torque even started to decline. Imagine using that tach in an S2000 or an RX8! When I first looked at the picture, I honestly thought it must have been a tach from a diesel engine vehicle.

[ClutchFork]

That tach would be pretty much useless for the majority of today's high-revving engines. Even my car, which makes max torque from 1500 thru 4200 RPM would pin the needle before the torque even started to decline. Imagine using that tach in an S2000 or an RX8! When I first looked at the picture, I honestly thought it must have been a tach from a diesel engine vehicle.

That old Ford 4.9L inline six acted much like a diesel. Gobs of low end torque, big block feel. I miss it very much, had three of them from 1977 through 2011, but i don't miss the 14 mpg! My Ranger gets 25-26 mpg with my foot into it all the time!

[six]

This tach has only terminals on the back. You got to build your own wiring harness.

That tach would be pretty much useless for the majority of today's high-revving engines. Even my car, which makes max torque from 1500 thru 4200 RPM would pin the needle before the torque even started to decline. Imagine using that tach in an S2000 or an RX8! When I first looked at the picture, I honestly thought it must have been a tach from a diesel engine vehicle.

I don't know what you're talking about... An S2000 or RX8 wouldn't even go up to a quarter of its range! It looks more like a tachometer for an electric motor, or a turbine, or something.........

[Shadow]

This tach has only terminals on the back. You got to build your own wiring harness.

That tach would be pretty much useless for the majority of today's high-revving engines. Even my car, which makes max torque from 1500 thru 4200 RPM would pin the needle before the torque even started to decline. Imagine using that tach in an S2000 or an RX8! When I first looked at the picture, I honestly thought it must have been a tach from a diesel engine vehicle.

I don't know what you're talking about... An S2000 or RX8 wouldn't even go up to a quarter of its range! It looks more like a tachometer for an electric motor, or a turbine, or something.........

I see what you did there....

[rml605]

Im guilty.

I depend on it way to much. I think im going to cover it up for a few days so I can stop. It's not that I can't drive without it, it's just my eyes are accustomed to looking that way. I think if I covered it I would still end up looking that way.

[ClutchFork]

Tach still covered. I found myself glancing toward the tach today for help on whether to shift. Now I am glad it is covered. I maybe will never uncover it except for diagnostic purposes.

Before, with just the dummy oil gauge covered (engine off):


Here it is with the Tach and dummy oil gauge covered (engine on):

[ClutchDisc]

Primarily, I like having the tach because it balances the dash out.

My dash is pretty balanced without a tach.

[ClutchFork]

Nice gauge cluster Clutchdisc. Look how crowded it would be if you had a factory tach:


Yours is a better setup. Puts the most important gauge, the speedometer, direct in front. With the tach, the other gauges get pushed out to the sides making them just a bit less readable on a quick glance while cruising. If you ever get a tach, and I think it is nice for diagnostics and to get your rpm at highway speed, you should mount it where the vacuum gauge is so it is out of the way and does not become a nuisance.

Also all the gauges on the S10 have numbers, not dumb worthless pretend gauges like the Ford has.

[theholycow]

Also all the gauges on the S10 have numbers, not dumb worthless pretend gauges like the Ford has.

Don't believe them too much. I had read that manufacturers have turned gauges into glorified idiot lights but I didn't believe it, since my gauges seem to represent expected reality pretty well...then I started using OBDII equipment to see the actual live data on my 2002 GMC and 2008 VW. Well no wonder my temperature gauges didn't fluctuate much, it wasn't some advanced thermostat technology, it was just the data being massaged to prevent me from having to see my gauge move around. I think at least the oil pressure gauge may be unedited.

[watkins]

Thats correct. Though I dont have numbers, my coolant temp "guage" is programed to stay in the same spot for a significant temp range. My ScanGauge, on the other hand, is not.

[tankinbeans]

Nice gauge cluster Clutchdisc. Look how crowded it would be if you had a factory tach:


Yours is a better setup. Puts the most important gauge, the speedometer, direct in front. With the tach, the other gauges get pushed out to the sides making them just a bit less readable on a quick glance while cruising. If you ever get a tach, and I think it is nice for diagnostics and to get your rpm at highway speed, you should mount it where the vacuum gauge is so it is out of the way and does not become a nuisance.

Also all the gauges on the S10 have numbers, not dumb worthless pretend gauges like the Ford has.

There's Olie's cluster. I like watching the oil pressure gauge fluctuate from idle to under load. It's kind of fun to watch. I like his trucky noises, makes it sound like he's doing something useful even if he's just hauling me.

[tankinbeans]

Here is a view of Clifford's dash.