Tach/hour meter installation

[toddorts]

I just bought an old S2 with a Volvo 18 hp engine, and it lacks a tach and hour meter. The boat has done just fine without one for 35 years, but I'm just a bit OCD, so I need to know what my engine is doing.

Are there any particular tach/hour meter combos that you guys would either recommend or steer clear of? Or is this just one of those things that they're all basically the same? Thanks in advance for any guidance.

 

[fdnynapes]

I bought one for about $50 from west marine. It mounts real easy (I like easy) for gas engines. Not sure what you have, but the pick up wire wraps around the coil wire and is self powered.

 

[Captn TJ]

I bought one for about $50 from west marine. It mounts real easy (I like easy) for gas engines. Not sure what you have, but the pick up wire wraps around the coil wire and is self powered.

Hour meters are one of the most common engine instruments you can get. Check auto shops or on line. There is no difference between what you buy on line vs west marine except for price

I bought a meter last year for $32. I could have paid less if I bought a round one vs the rectangular one I have. Note I purchased an analog meter since the LCD displays tend to fail.

Just connected to the ignition harness so when the switch turns on the meter goes on

 

[RAD]

A universal tach can be purchased that hooks up to the AC terminals on the alternator if your alternator has them.....look in the Volvo engine manual under the wiring section and see where the tach was hooked up

 

[Stu Jackson]

Rad's right.

The options you have are either separate or combined instruments. Most likely easier to wire a separate hour meter, 'cuz it may be harder to find a combined tach/hour meter, but they're there, just look around.

WM is a good start point to identify the different vendors of instruments.

 

[Steve Dion]

Take a look at WEMAUSA. I think that they have both Tach and Hour meters. As well as the combos.

http://www.wemausa.com/gauges/others.shtml#Tachometer

 

[toddorts]

Thanks everyone!

 

[woodster]

Take a look at WEMAUSA. I think that they have both Tach and Hour meters. As well as the combos.

http://www.wemausa.com/gauges/others.shtml#Tachometer

a friend of mine just installed one last week from WEMA ...it even worked with the yanmar tach sensor that was in the engine...he had to calabrate it but was no big deal just a little rereading of the instructions as with all electric devices....

regards

woody

 

[spraygun]

You think your OCD is bad. Take a look at this.And this is just a sailboat.



Everything is pretty much from an autoparts store.