NT tach install (pics)

[G-Ell]

note: This is for 1G cars only!

Total cost: $5.00

What you need: 2.0 NT tachometer from the junk yard (7000 rpm red line) + a philips screwdriver.

How: Mark has good step-by-step instructions on his site for getting the cluster out and apart. http://www.ppg.trends.ca/vfaq_1stgen.htm Follow the steps till you get the black cover off (don't remove the needles or faces). Then turn the cluster around. Remove the 7 circled screws shown on the attached picture. The two circled in blue aren't on the NT clusters, so you won't need them anymore. The turbo tach + boost gauge come out as one, and you can just put the NT tach in it's place. Screw it back on. That's it! Reassemble everything and start your car.

Why: In my car, I noticed how inaccurate the stock turbo tach was. I'd be out doing runs, shifting at 7 grand (according to the tach), and looking at RPM peak recall on the SAFC to see I was actually shifting around 6550 rpm. Even traveling down the highway say around 3500 it would only be about 3250 on the SAFC. It seemed the higher the rpm's, the more off it was. I thought maybe the gauge was going bad, so I went to the junk yard to get a new one. Unfortunately, there weren't any. There were lots of NT's though, so I figured, why not.

Results: Honestly, that POS thing they call a boost gauge is useless, and I'm never going to get the TMO mods for that gauge. I like the NT tach better because there's more space between the numbers so it's easier to read. Most importantly, 7 grand on the tach, is 7 grand on the SAFC too.

 

[G-Ell]

Another picture:

 

[Formz]

to tell you the truth, it was just your cluster that was bad. my stock turbo cluster reads within 15rpm of the afc. I bet you just had a loose wire and replaced the entire cluster for no reason

 

[G-Ell]

I didn't replace the whole cluster. Just the gauge...

 

[Raven]

15 RPM? Damn Man! you must have great eyes to see that on a tach that says 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 X1000 OH WAIT!! you're one of the "COOL" guys with the 12" tach on the passenger side of you dash that lists every number ;O)

next time you Read some thing READ it ok? this is an NT Tach install on a turbo cluster not a cluster replacement with a NT cluster.



Jason <-- the first to do the install ;O)

Good Job Greg on describing and making the VFAQ. And you're car is coming along great good work!

 

[larryd]

would this be better suited in the non turbo forum, i can move it over there..

 

[Formz]

Originally posted by Raven
15 RPM? Damn Man! you must have great eyes to see that on a tach that says 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 X1000 OH WAIT!! you're one of the "COOL" guys with the 12" tach on the passenger side of you dash that lists every number ;O)

next time you Read some thing READ it ok? this is an NT Tach install on a turbo cluster not a cluster replacement with a NT cluster.

Um.. no.. I have the stock tach. And it's pretty easy to cruise at 3k rpm in 4th gear doing about 55mph and look over at the afc. doesn't take any skill.

and whether or not it was the whole cluster or the just the tach part, you still wasted your time. It was a problem for YOUR car, not turbo cars in general. Dont be a smartass.

 

[Raven]

My point was 15 RPM.. Its amazing you can see such a small difference on a scale that only reads in 1000's. and has nocks for 100's why 15 rpm would still be on the 3000k mark. And as for a lose wire.. that would be also funny since the wires on the cluster are intigrated in a flexable circuit board. and as for wires leading to the cluster all wires there are just fine and dandy. the problem lies in the TACH it's self. it's inaccurate. and its too much information crammed into a small space. I didn't have a problem with my old tach. but now with the new one i can see the minor 100- 300- rpm differences at ide. the A/F gauge goes lean the idles drop a bit the A/F guage crawls back up to rich and the idle raises a tiny bit fan come on you can see it drops a small amount.. you couldn't see that with the old tach. it may not be 1Gen in general but it may be helpful to people who notice a difference orwant to go to a more sleeper looking car.. some people can't tell if a car is turbo or not if it's ben debadged and have to look at the cluster they see no boost on the tach then it "must" not be a turbo car catch my drift? now they look up and see boost on the a pillar now you've confused them. they won't know what to think. It doesn't hurt performance at all, it doesn't make the car ricey at all. it's just a conversion so people know how to get rid of the boost gauge (since its just a POS anyway) fil in the whole space with something that fits was made for it and isn't too terrably hard to find.

this wouldn't be suited for the NT area because this is for Turbo cars to convert to a different tach.. not nt to but a turbo gauge in.. (that would be ricey since they don't have any kind of boost) i Think it would be better suited for a How To area of the board.. if it can be moved that'd be nice.


Jason

 

[G-Ell]

Originally posted by Formz
and whether or not it was the whole cluster or the just the tach part, you still wasted your time.

How is installing a more accurate/easier to read gauge a waste of time?

 

[Formz]

i love people twising words around.. if it WAS your tach then fine.. replacing it good. And I made the "loose wire" comment just as a general comment. Wasn't a "this IS your problem and I know 100% without even looking at it." Raven, do you need 4 inch thick glasses to look at your tach? It's pretty simple to pin it at 3000rpm and then glance over to the AFC. And if you eliminate the boost gauge there, then you OBVIOUSLY have a boost gauge somewhere else in the car, so, how are you a sleeper?

 

[Raven]

please describe in your far superior inteligent way, how i was twisting words around? Ok let me see.. 3000 on tach. 3000 on AFC.. where is the 15 rpm difference? don't be a dumbass when replying.. we're not newbies. Look at the mods... are those newbie mods?
As for seeing the tach. Well no i don't have to wear magnifying glases Because now i have a STOCK tach that's easier to read! :OD

The reason it's sleeperish, is because people who don't know much about the turbo cars wil look into the window and see 3 dark gauges on the a pillar not sure what to make of them, and look at the dash and see no boost gauge and think hmm maybe it has NAWSSSsss

Let me ask you something. Why are you so insulting and abusive to those trying to spread knowlege that may help another? if you wish to be insulting and try to bring other people down go join DSM Talk.

Thank you
have a good day

Jason

 

[Formz]

One, I wasnt talking to you about twising words around. And two, who's being abusive? If you think I'm being abusive I'd hate to see what you call the bulleys that kicked your ass in high school.

edit: your mods say 17psi on a 14b. I'd say thats quite the newbie mod if you ask me. You have nothing in your profile to warrant any credit to your intelligence or automotive knowledge.

 

[Raven]

ooh hey i haven't updated my stats! gimme a sec! and have you looked at G_Ell's mods? thats the one i ment for you to look at.

so who was twisting words if it wasn't me?

I miss highschool... boy did i have some fun back then...


Jason

 

[Laser0385]

Ok, old thread I know, but how did you get the needle off the cluster from where it would point to "boost"? Thanks.

 

[Raven]

how do you mean?
how do you pull the needle off? two ways... if you're a wimp use two flatt screw drivers and pry it off.. or if you have strong fingers.. pull it off with your fingers

straight off.. or you'll bend the pin. if you're asking how to take out the boost gauge from the cluster.. well take it apart.. it's pretty simple. you have to take the face off the tach/boost and the needles of course and then it just unsrews from the back...

Jason