Best automotive replacement tachometers according to redditors

We found 39 Reddit comments discussing the best automotive replacement tachometers. We ranked the 19 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

Next page

Top Reddit comments about Automotive Replacement Tachometers:

u/mks113 · 14 pointsr/Skookum

Optical Tachometer. It requires a single piece of reflective tape on the rotating part. You see AvE using one quite often. The problem is when you can't stop the machine to install the tape.

A synchronous motor runs at a fixed speed based on the number of magnetic poles and the line frequency. An inductive motor runs slower than the synchronous speed by an amount determined by the load. For a given motor you can determine the load by the speed of the rotor.

u/homelesshyundai · 12 pointsr/Justrolledintotheshop

Despite the hit or miss reviews, this thing has been basically spot on when I would compare my theoretical wheel speed based on rpm and the reported gps speed at the time. It never seemed to wander and only over reported by ~2-300rpm at the absolute highest rpms.

Of course, it has settings for a whole range of 2-4 stroke engines with various cylinder amounts.

If the motor hadn't gone bang, I could record it at idle (14-1500 rpm) with my pixel 3's 1/8 speed slowmo and listen for the 3.125 pops of the exhaust just to be sure on the low end that it's accurate.


The motor is/was a higher end zeda 80 which has been worked over by zedamotorsports to help bring out another 1-2hp. Where most low end kits are making 2hp on a great day, this thing makes 3-4hp on its worst (2-2.5 if your on the factory pipe and factory carb tuning). I quickly had to replace the shitty rag joint for a CNC aluminum adapter that would clamp onto the hub after throwing on an mz65 expansion chamber. Then I had to replace the wheel when I accidentally clutch dumped rolling from a stop light (yay potholes) and spun the adapter breaking a few spokes/bending the fuck out of the wheel.
After throwing on a 21mm PHBG carb, wide bore intake and a CNC aluminum head it had some fairly impressive grunt for such a small motor. Zedamotorsports offers a lower end motor that is basically the same thing as the one I blew up for half the price that I'll be buying next paycheck if the bottom end is completely fried on my current one.

u/kowalski71 · 6 pointsr/projectcar

You can get cheap gauges at pretty much any parts store or online retailer. Here's a Sunpro tach and a coolant temp gauge, which you could also use for oil temp. An oil pressure gauge would probably be the most critical.

u/rich-creamery-butter · 4 pointsr/AskEngineers

What are you trying to simulate? RC helicopters can run at a wide variety of rotor speeds depending on blade geometry and performance goals. High performance 3D flight will often see head speeds of 3000-4000 RPM on platforms as large as 600 size. If you're going for efficiency you can get asymmetrical blades and run much lower head speed (~1000 RPM or even lower has been done). Any speed between those two is a realistic speed, so the choice of what speed to use is for you to decide depending on what makes sense in the context of your application.

This is true for collective-pitch helicopters. If you're talking specifically about fixed pitch helicopters then head speed is directly tied to lift, in which case it still doesn't do a lot of good to choose a particular head speed because the chosen head speed will vary based on the lift required at any given time.

You don't need a strobe though, and tachs aren't that expensive.

u/hawkeye_p · 2 pointsr/paramotor

I highly recommend an electronic torque wrench.
The mechanical ones are very inaccurate at the bottom end of range. Head bolts are often at the bottom or below what they can even be set to.

I use this one and it works amazingly well. It can accurately go down to 3ftlb. You can set the desired torque and it has a beep alarm as you approach, reach, and go over the threshold. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004VYUKTC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


I also recommend flying with a very basic set of tools. I fly with some hex keys and wrench that fits all the sizes on my paramator. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01F512F74/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Siphon is nice to get fuel out of paramotor. This one works amazingly for me. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CKW15ZS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Radio chest harness. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HJKSG8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 I added a draw cord to attach my phone to. Phone then tucks into the velcro pocket and is secured by one of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01H4E9Z6O/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 It's powerful enough to draw in a medium weight phone.


Hook knife: https://superflyinc.com/products/jack-the-ripper-hook-knife


Power floats: https://glidersports.com/shop/powerfloat-2bsure/

Waste flotation: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013RLI9XS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Cut prop tape strips out of this: https://www.amazon.com/Scotchgard-Clear-Paint-Protection-60-inches/dp/B004VG8DS0/ref=sr_1_9?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1534535837&sr=1-9&keywords=3m+scotchgard


RTV silicon to put on exhaust springs to reduce vibration fatigue: https://www.amazon.com/Rutland-500%C2%B0RTV-High-Silicone-Black/dp/B000H5Y6CQ/ref=sr_1_5?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1534352404&sr=1-5&keywords=heat+resistant+silicon+rtv


Motor tachometer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GTP6ORC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Radio: I recommend the FT60 or FT65. The 60 model is tried and true and can also be modded to RX aviation band. FT65 has newer display and is cheaper having been made in China.

u/LobBobBlob · 2 pointsr/Dualsport

Idle should be around 1400+-100 which audibly sounds much faster, there shouldn't be any lope or chug.
I hate not having a tach so I install these on all my bikes. Serves as an hour meter and the bonus of having a clock as time flys when your out riding.

Searon Multifunction Hour Meter Tachometer Voltmeter with Clock 2 & 4 Stroke for Small Engine Boat Outboard Mercury Motocross Motorcycle Lawn Mower Generator https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CPFDKLS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_JOmYxbC1P29GD

u/Wolf_Hook · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Not sure what you consider cheap but I would give the Tiny Tach a look.

u/[deleted] · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

Sounds pretty good, but you can't really hear the difference a couple hundred RPMs make. My bike didn't have a tach and I found the EZ Tach 328 on amazon relatively cheap (I looked at dozens before settling on this). Works well, and it's good for my car/boat/lawnmower,etc. I would recommend it as a cheap shop tach.

http://www.amazon.com/Electronic-Specialties-328-Tach-Plus/dp/B002Z32OHW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312947656&sr=8-1

u/jayknow05 · 2 pointsr/boating

The tach can still be off. Laser tachs are pretty cheap.

What RPM are you looking to idle at? 700?

u/mental405 · 2 pointsr/woodworking

I have been debating buying one of these for my router table. I was hoping someone could tell me if there is a way to connect some kind of tachometer to the motor to display RPM.

edit: Nevermind. Apparently they make this thing

u/feni45 · 2 pointsr/Harley

I bought one off Amazon for 20 bucks. Here it is:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00062YWNI/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you have an OEM gauge, it'll fit in there. Don't second guess it, just do it.

u/DumbFuckingUsername · 2 pointsr/motorcycles

I don't think any of them actually come with it like that. I did the mod myself.

Here is the tach mount I used to hold my speedo in place. All it took was drilling an extra hole in the plate to mount it.

Then you get something like this
to mount the indicator lights on the bar clamp.

Quite simple but makes it look much better in my opinion!

Good luck!

u/skrimyr · 1 pointr/Harley

I actually bought this. At the time that I was doing my mods, it was shortly after I bought the bike so I was trying to save money. I hacked off the stock housing (...by hand. Bought a cheap 10 dollar saw, took a while to do), ground it down with the same brother in law's grinder, and smoothed it out with some epoxy. Didn't come out perfect, but in more able hands it would be (this was the first time I tried anything like this).

I wrapped the speedo in a layer of electrical tape, and then a layer of hockey tape, and it fit perfectly in the autometer bracket. Its attached to the bolt that holds the front of the gas tank to the frame. I may have had to drill a bigger hole in the sides of the arm of the autometer bracket to get those bolts in there (with the nuts), but I think I did that because it was the only bolts I had laying around...

Here's a shot of it from the top. Since the bars are low my seating position is a little weird, but I can see from about 20mph to 80mph without moving my head. I get NO vibration on it, which is good.

Here's a shot from the side. Ignore the shitty wires from the coil relocate. It was all they had at the store, and I haven't gotten around to replacing them yet. They are too long so they are looped around, which kind of defeats the whole purpose of cleaning up the wires anyway...oh well.

Sorry for the shitty cell phone pictures and the messy wires lol. I'll eventually get around to cleaning them up too, but my bike is mostly a commuter, so people usually don't get that close to see my novice work.

u/isforads · 1 pointr/GoRVing

Awesome, I've got the 454 as well. Plenty of power and getting like 7 miles a gallon. If you don't have a tach, I recommend getting one. I bought this one from Amazon and it was an easy three wire installation:

http://www.amazon.com/Sunpro-CP7901-Super-Tachometer-II/dp/B00029JXNE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415819111&sr=8-1&keywords=sunpro+tach

u/GoldenHairedBoy · 1 pointr/ToyotaPickup

I use this thing: https://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP7605-Tachometer-Voltmeter-Analyzer/dp/B00062YUUS/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8, which looks like it's out of production. But this thing looks alright too...https://www.amazon.com/Actron-CP7677-Automotive-TroubleShooter-Multimeter/dp/B0002LZU7K/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=dwell+tach&qid=1557710630&s=automotive&sr=1-2

I think on your model you just connect it to the battery (mine goes on the coil however). The directions should say how to hook it up. Generally you just set it to "4 cyl." and it should read somewhere between 600-3500 rpm.

​

If we think it's the carburetor (choke specific), it's important to rule out anything else. Here's a list of things to check before adjusting the carburetor:

- NO vacuum leaks. This includes intake & exhaust manifolds, carburetor base, pcv hose, brake booster hose, AND all 3mm hoses like the vacuum advance or smog lines. Vacuum leaks can mess with your idle speed. Basically anywhere there's a vacuum connection, make sure it's not leaking. I like to replace all rubber and spray carb cleaner around metal connections.

- Timing and distributor air gap. You can set these things even with the fast idle you've got. It just has to be running (unless you do a static adjustment, which I don't know how to do). Just get a timing light and some brass feeler gauges. Timing = 8deg BTDC, Air Gap = .008" to .016"

- Valve Adjustment. As the engine is recently rebuilt, this probably isn't an issue. Anyways: Intake = .008", Exhaust = .012", HOT.

- Float Level. Look at the glass on the front of the carb. The fuel level should be right in the middle. If it isn't take the top off the carb, flip it upside down and do this: https://board.marlincrawler.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi94.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fl104%2Fspcmike%2FDSC03557.jpg&hash=77ab726ca7e4065975c0b98df09b6f94

​

Questions: You say it sometimes won't idle at all at startup. Will it idle once warm? If so, does the idle go down to more of a normal speed when warm? Also, when it doesn't start correctly, is the engine hot or cold?

​

It could be that both the choke adjustment and the basic idle adjustment are off. It may be that they're adjusted for the old, worn out engine that you rebuilt, which is why it used to work. It shouldn't be too hard to adjust. I like to do the idle first, then choke. If you need any more info, I'll be around. Best of luck.

u/seathru · 1 pointr/EngineeringPorn

That's an inductive pickup tachometer. I use one similar working on engines that don't have tachs.

https://www.amazon.com/Runleader-HM032R-Inductive-Tachometer-Snowmobile/dp/B01FZ361CW/

u/Dusters17 · 1 pointr/Ruckus

Trail Tech 72-A00 Silver Digital Tach/Hour Meter https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AR2R090/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kD0.AbFVX1D11

This is the one I bought off of Amazon for like $20, but it's no longer available. Just search trough the similar items and you should find one. Mine simply wraps the wire around the spark plug wire, and doesn't require batteries. The only con is that it doesn't have a backlight, making it difficult to see in the dark.

u/shoblime · 1 pointr/Portland

WHAT IS THE TOP SPEED FOR GEARS 3 OR 4?

YOU CAN GET A LITTLE LCD TACHOMETER DISPLAY FOR LESS THAN $15
http://www.amazon.com/Digital-Meter-Tachometer-Yamaha-Kawasaki/dp/B0049IFX56 YOU CAN USE A SINGLE CYLINDER MODEL JUST REMEMBER THE RPMS ARE DOUBLED.

I SUSPECT THAT YOU AREN'T ACTUALLY HOLDING HIGH RPMS, 45MPH IN 5TH GEAR MEANS YOUR ENGINE IS RUNNING BELOW IT'S POWERBAND. YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO 45 IN 4TH AND EVEN THIRD.

I'D GUESS THE COIL MAY NOT BE STRONG ENOUGH, BUT IT COULD BE A LOT OF THINGS.

I'D DEFINITELY READ THE SPARK PLUGS -
http://www.bmwclassicmotorcycles.com/parts/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Bosch-Spark-Plug-reading.jpg

DRIVE ABOUT 30-40 MPH IN FOURTH OR TOP GEAR ON A SLIGHT INCLINE SO THERE IS A GOOD LOAD ON THE BIKE, THEN CUT POWER TO THE MOTOR AND PULL SAFELY OFF THE ROAD, TO INSPECT YOUR PLUGS. YOU WANT TO SEE A PRETTY CLEAN TERMINAL, IF IT'S BROWN YOUR CARBS ARE TOO LEAN, SOOTY AND BLACK MEANS THEY ARE TOO RICH. THE PLUGS WILL LOOK DIFFERENT IF THE PROBLEM AFFECTS ONLY ONE CYLINDER, SO CHECK THEM BOTH.

ALSO, IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING BUT I'M ASSUMING YOUR CHAIN AND SPROCKETS ARE NOT OVERLY WORN AND THE BATTERY YOU'RE USING IS NOT SUSPECT?

u/FLBiker · 1 pointr/motorcycles

I have no idea where to find that information, but I own one of these http://amzn.com/B001N4QY66 and I would use that and a power drill creatively to compare the ratio. Probably remove the tach and speedo and use the drill to spin the tach/speedo and compare an actual measurement of the drill with the measurement on the speedo/tach. I used my power drill to test out my tach when I had to disassemble and clean it to get it to work when I first bought my bike.

u/I_Lick_Bananas · 1 pointr/Machinists

I don't know how much you consider "stupid expensive" but I got something like this, and I'm sure if you look at ebay they're even cheaper than this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Photo-Laser-Tachometer-Contact/dp/B001N4QY66

u/tgallmey · 1 pointr/Diesel

You need this. It sits on your IP timing gear cover. I had to replace mine last year.

u/Tamaren · 1 pointr/CafeRacers

Tach Here

Speedo Here

I may change speedo out, not sure. This one is fairly big, but I like the GPS part.