BellePlaine's New VDO Tach
Posted: Sun Oct 06, 2013 6:15 pm
This is the result of my latest project, the installation of the VDO 7,000 rpm tach (#333 051) in my 1975 bus.
As you can see, I've modified the face to look at home. To do this, I had a new face made with a font closely matching the font from the speedo. The face was printed on vinyl and spray glued it onto the VDO tach face.
#333 051 comes with two 3 watt light bulbs which I thought would be too bright and out of place compared to the VW's original 1.2 w #2721 bulbs. So I carefully cut out some bulb ballasts from my parts bus instrument cluster and JB Welded them to the tach's light holes. But before I did that, I stuck a bit of green cellophane into the light holes to match the original green gel like that of my stock speedo.
Using the original bulbs and ballasts meant that I needed to get creative with the grounds for those bulbs. I had to use brass model railroad track connectors which were small enough to connect to the ground from the bulb and allow a small spade connector to attach.
I've read about other VDO tach installations having problems with "bouncing needle" and learned that the solution was to use a Radio Shack (IN4005) Rectifier Diode at the coil. I added spade connectors to mine.
As soon as I'm able to figure out why YouTube is not allowing me to upload a short video I took of the tach in action, I'll post it. In the mean time, I'm enjoying my new tach. It has always perplexed me on why VW didn't give us a proper tach in the first place.
As you can see, I've modified the face to look at home. To do this, I had a new face made with a font closely matching the font from the speedo. The face was printed on vinyl and spray glued it onto the VDO tach face.
#333 051 comes with two 3 watt light bulbs which I thought would be too bright and out of place compared to the VW's original 1.2 w #2721 bulbs. So I carefully cut out some bulb ballasts from my parts bus instrument cluster and JB Welded them to the tach's light holes. But before I did that, I stuck a bit of green cellophane into the light holes to match the original green gel like that of my stock speedo.
Using the original bulbs and ballasts meant that I needed to get creative with the grounds for those bulbs. I had to use brass model railroad track connectors which were small enough to connect to the ground from the bulb and allow a small spade connector to attach.
I've read about other VDO tach installations having problems with "bouncing needle" and learned that the solution was to use a Radio Shack (IN4005) Rectifier Diode at the coil. I added spade connectors to mine.
As soon as I'm able to figure out why YouTube is not allowing me to upload a short video I took of the tach in action, I'll post it. In the mean time, I'm enjoying my new tach. It has always perplexed me on why VW didn't give us a proper tach in the first place.