Mechanical to Electric Tach Conversion.

[Aerospike]

So Mr. idiot here bought a 2006 gage cluster for his 2002.  Yeah yeah, I knew that the F comes with an electric tach, but for some reason I didn't remember that when I bought the stupid thing  .  So my two options are sell the cluster I have here/ebay, or get it to work on my bike.  My questions are: will the tach drive even bolt to my 02 engine?  Do you guys think it's doable in any reasonable way?

Thanks.

[plusultra]

!!??   My tach on an 06 looks exactly like any other ones...

[Aerospike]

Yeah, from the front, but if you look at the back, you'll just find some wires going in.  Not a drive cable.

[ducati_nolan]

You'd want to look at a wiring diagram, preferably from the e and f models to see where to hook up the tach. Usually you can splice the tach wire into the positive coil wire (not the plug wire), and you'll probally be good to go. I'm sure it's pretty simple to make work, give it a shot before you sell it.
good luck 

[Aerospike]

So how does the F tach gets it's signal? 

[rangerbrown]

the ingnition(spell) points

[CirclesCenter]

And you'll have to find a way to suitably cover the cable's drive so that crud doesn't get in there.

[ducati_nolan]

Most electric tachs take the signal from the positive wire leading to the coil, at least that's how it worked when I hooked up one to my mustang. You can get little electrical connectors that snap over the existing coil wire, and a little point penetrates the insulation and into the copper. This should work, you'll at least get sometihing on your tach, it's possible that it may read 1/2 or 2x what it should, but that should be pretty obvious, and then you obviously nedd to find something else to hook it up to.

Again, this worked great on my car, and should work on your bike, but to be sure you should find some wiring diagrams. I don't think the earlier models have a special place to just plug in the tach lead, I'm sure the F models have a special connector in the wiring harness that the E models don't have, but tapping into the coil should work.

And I don't think anything will get into your engine if you don't cover the cable drive, If I remember correctly from when my valve cover was off, there is no hole that will allow any crud into the engine, it's sealed off. But a shiney something or other to stick in there may look cool 
good luck

[dgyver]

Yep...for the pre-04's...connect it to the signal wire to the left coil. The 04+ has a lead from the ignition module for the tach.

As for the drive unit in the head. You can buy the plug the 04+ uses or plug it like I do. Pull the drive unit and remove the inner gear. Find a bolt with an OD that fits fairly close and not much longer than needed to add a nut, otherwise it may hit the cam. I fill the housing with high temp silicone, push the bolt through and tighten with the nut. Make sure there is silone on the nut so it does not come loose. Then I fill the outside part (where the cable screws in) with more silcone.

[LimaXray]

There are 3 wires (I'm pretty sure 3, but maybe 2), aside from the light wires, going to the back of the tach that connect to it with screw terminals.

1 wire would go to +12v
another wire would go to gound
and the 3rd wire would go to the (+) terminal of one of the ignition coils.

A tach works by 'counting' ignition events, which is when the (+) terminal on the coil goes from +12v to ground.  In this setup, it is only counting ignition events on one cylinder, but it is possible the '04+ it counts ignition events on both cylinders as the tach is driven by the ICM.  If this is the case, it will read 1/2 of the actual RPM, but it sounds like this isn't going to be a problem.

[Aerospike]

Thanks guys.  I should be able to verify the accuracy with my old tach.  The case is trashed very badly but the tach still works.  I'll probably have some questions when I start on it.  I just wanted to make sure I didn't need to sell the cluster.  For now, I have to change a coolant hose on my car with my broken wrist.  Fun stuff!

[aaronstj]

Good luck.  The magic smoke escaped from my electronic tach when I tried to convert.  Now my gauges don't match.   

[Aerospike]

did you figure out what you did wrong?

[aaronstj]

Nope.  I checked my wiring several times, I'm pretty sure I had it right.  It could just be the guy sold me a bum tach.   

[ASIA 1]

How to check Tachometer Inspection

Three wire (+, -, signal)

Jump wire from signal to positive terminal, then the pointer should flick.
If the pointer does not flick, replace the tachometer unit.

[Aerospike]

Hey Guys,

So right wrist is all fixed and ready to go.  I'm starting on this conversion and I have the wiring diagram for an 04+ and I'm looking at this http://www.bbburma.net/Scans/Haynes_WiringDiagram_US_90-96.jpg diagram too, which is for 90-96, but I have an 02.  Should be pretty similar, right?

Anyways, the 04 diagram shows an black/red wire going to the "igniter".  I think this is the wire that I should connect to the +ve side of the ignition coil.  my question is,  in the 90-06 diagram, which wire is the +ve side?  I'm thinking it's either the black/yellow for the RH or the white for the LF since the orange/white are connected.  However, if you follow the black/yellow and the white, they also connect to what seems to be the ground that's connected to the frame?  So please help me keep the magic smoke inside.

[dgyver]

On my SV gage conversion, I connected the tach signal to the black/yellow wire. On the SV wire diagram, the black/yellow goes from the ignitor to the coil then to the tach.

[Aerospike]

Thanks, hopefully this will help.  Any other input is greatly appreciated guys.

[dwkfym]

Necro'ing thread
but I'd look into Karting products if you don't mind looks.
I had a cheap Digatron unit I got for 150 dollars.
Shift light adjustability
Battery lasted for 32+ hours (I think they make a unit that is powered externally)
CHT and EGT sensor available.
My kart ran a CHT and RPM sensor. its programmable for 2, 4 stroke (which also means can do 1-4 cyl maybe 2 cyl? either way works for GS)