Smiths Rev Counter

[Born Too Late]

Has anyone got any experience with these? I've got a spare 4 cylinder rev counter out of my Spitfire that takes a signal from the coil, I'm wondering if it would work in the van. Not planning to mount it but thinking of plugging it in just to set the timing at 3000 rpm.

Cheers
Wes

[bigherb]

Depends on which type it is. Some, especially OE ones didn't connect directly to the coil. The live power supply to the coil was routed through them and measured the spikes in current consumption.

[AngeloEvs]

I have one in my custom dash and mounted where the clock is normally fitted, works fne!

[Born Too Late]

Thanks for your replies. So according to my diagram (for the Spitfire) there's a wire going from the dizzy to the negative side of the coil and from there straight to the rev counter. Then the positive side of the coil goes straight to the starter solenoid without going near the rev counter. Which sounds a bit like how it would work on the van, I think.

If it works ok I'll think about making it a permanent fixture, I don't suppose you have any pictures of yours AngeloEvs?

Cheers
Wes

[AngeloEvs]

I will take some the weekend and post early next week. I have two custom dash pods both with a Tacho but bear in mind that, to do any sort of changes properly and reliably, you will need to replace the original membrane pcb with an alternative. I will add details if it helps........

[AngeloEvs]

Two custom dashboards both having a third partyTachometer, one with a commonly available 50mm the other with a Smiths as used on older generation cars (cost me a fiver). The smaller Tacho fits just below the LED cluster and retains the standard layout, the other is extensively modified to suit the larger Smiths tacho and better for my smaller steering wheel regards being able to see the LED's and gauges without the rim causing obstruction. When I did this, the VW dash with tacho was like hens teeth and ridiculously expensive.

To do anything like this it is better to hard wiire the dash. There is info in the WIKI regards making a veroboard solution or you can buy a commercially available PCB but very expensive. Not sure if the commercially available one uses fixed LED's and Regulator but I from what I can see it will not allow fitting a smallerTacho below the LED cluster.

The PCB was designed about ten years ago, before any commercially made alternatives were available, and accepts all the plug n play sockets used on the original membrane pcb, it also uses the original horizontal connector and is more or less exactly as the original regards location. I made quite a few of these PCB's (suitable for all Diesel/Petrol post 1986 T25 models) and they went to fellow T25 owners - mainly to replace a duff membrane rather than for custom work. I still have the artwork masters and PCB making equipment so can still make them for much less than the current alternatives.


dashwp3 by Angelo Evans, on Flickr

[Born Too Late]

Wow, I like the look of both of those particularly the top one; thanks for taking the time to post the pics.

I bought a cheap rev counter from ebay way back in March not realising it was coming from China. I was getting impatient after 3 weeks hence deciding to temporarily plug in the Smiths tacho just for timing it up. Anyway, by the time I got round to doing anything the Chinese one turned up so that's now plugged in permanently and working ok.

Long term, I'd still like to do something like in your pics; I'm not a huge fan of separate pods, not the one I've got anyway (it's not black for a start). But it was cheap at least.

Wes