Kaiserjeeps
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This post is for anyone considering an Isspro Tach install on their CUCV. I looked at the alternator based Tachometers , Crankshaft based Tach’s and the Tiny Tach as options. Alternator based tach’s are affected by belt slippage and to that translates to inaccuracy. Belts stretch faster than ever now and even though better belts can be found by searching here on SS, I wanted to eliminate that possibility. The tiny Tach is fine but I wanted something that would match my Stewart Warner Deluxe series gauges. The Isspro won the vote. Isspro has a dedicated 6.2 pick up that makes installation pretty simple. It attaches to one of the front oil pan bolts. You need to epoxy two very small magnets on the back side of the harmonic balancer 180 degrees apart. Here is the install.
While I used a ruler and a silver sharpie, the eye alone can be pretty accurate in making your marks. Just lie directly under the harmonic balancer and sight up to see where the HB is closest to the water pump assy. Be sure to mark up and over the pulley so you can see it when you rotate the engine. Make the same mark at the very bottom of the unit being sure to mark down and over the edge so you can also see it later when rotated.
Then sand the backside till it is very clean. Be sure to sand all the way to the outer edge. The instructions say to degrease it with alcohol. I used lacquer thinner and it worked fine.
It’s good the check it with a mirror as I thought it was clean and it was not. And now is a good time to fill the timing mark with white Testors model paint. Fill it right up and don’t worry about being neat about it. Just let it sit for a bit them wipe it with a rag with a little lacquer thinner on it. It will clean right up and leave a fine line.
I then mounted the pick up on the drivers side oil pan bolt so I could see just where the magnets should go. I wanted the magnets to fly by right in the middle of the pick up face. I also wanted to utilize the transmission cooler lines to secure the wiring later
The epoxy is very thick. And it skins over quickly. So be sure to prep both sides of the harmonic balancer to make the best of it. The activator is water thin and very toxic. . You apply the activator to the magnet and bed it into the epoxy on the harmonic balancer. Be sure to wear some type of gloves. You will not be able to keep the activator off your fingers. A tight glove is key to being able to work the very small magnet into place. I dropped it once. The epoxy takes a couple few hours to reach full strength. Longer if it is cold. But you can set the clearance to 1/8[SUP]th[/SUP] to a ¼ inch now by bending the pick up mount.
I ran a duplex wire down inside some wire loom. I did not use the crimp on connectors included with the kit. I always use heat shrink epoxy filled connectors now. Crimp and shrink. Then using outdoor rated tyewraps secure the wire loom to the trans cooler line up and over the frame. I attached the loom to the engine oil cooler line as it brought the wires right up to the firewall where I included them in the existing bundle of wires that come through a grommet.
The gauge got installed inside a black 2 inch Autometer mounting cup. The gauge is 2 1/16 and fit fine in relation to the diameter. The light socket and other electrical wires prevent the gauge from seating all the way back inside the cup. There was about 3/16 reveal of the gauge body. This got fixed by sliding the cup back far enough in the mount to get the clamping strap to cover the excess gauge and still clamp the gauge in place. While I did not do it, wrapping black electrical tape around the gauge just behind the bezel would hide any silver in all the black parts if any were to show. The Autometer cup fits just great on top of the plastic molded flat spot directly above the turn signal and wiper lever.
All the gauges.
The only thing it partially blocks is the view of the left turn signal arrow. You don’t have to move your head much to see it. Everything else is in plain view. It looks good and now I know how fast my motor is turning. There is no calibration required. Let the epoxy dry and rev away. Replacement magnets are available for when you switch to a Fluidamper later.
Part numbers are
Isspro tachometer # R8503
Isspro 6.2 pick up #8900
Autometer black mounting cup #2204
Hope this helps anyone considering any one of the several options for tachometers out there for our motors. Glad to finally get this done. I have yet to hit the hiway to see if what I thought was 3K RPM is really 3k or less.
While I used a ruler and a silver sharpie, the eye alone can be pretty accurate in making your marks. Just lie directly under the harmonic balancer and sight up to see where the HB is closest to the water pump assy. Be sure to mark up and over the pulley so you can see it when you rotate the engine. Make the same mark at the very bottom of the unit being sure to mark down and over the edge so you can also see it later when rotated.
Then sand the backside till it is very clean. Be sure to sand all the way to the outer edge. The instructions say to degrease it with alcohol. I used lacquer thinner and it worked fine.
It’s good the check it with a mirror as I thought it was clean and it was not. And now is a good time to fill the timing mark with white Testors model paint. Fill it right up and don’t worry about being neat about it. Just let it sit for a bit them wipe it with a rag with a little lacquer thinner on it. It will clean right up and leave a fine line.
I then mounted the pick up on the drivers side oil pan bolt so I could see just where the magnets should go. I wanted the magnets to fly by right in the middle of the pick up face. I also wanted to utilize the transmission cooler lines to secure the wiring later
The epoxy is very thick. And it skins over quickly. So be sure to prep both sides of the harmonic balancer to make the best of it. The activator is water thin and very toxic. . You apply the activator to the magnet and bed it into the epoxy on the harmonic balancer. Be sure to wear some type of gloves. You will not be able to keep the activator off your fingers. A tight glove is key to being able to work the very small magnet into place. I dropped it once. The epoxy takes a couple few hours to reach full strength. Longer if it is cold. But you can set the clearance to 1/8[SUP]th[/SUP] to a ¼ inch now by bending the pick up mount.
I ran a duplex wire down inside some wire loom. I did not use the crimp on connectors included with the kit. I always use heat shrink epoxy filled connectors now. Crimp and shrink. Then using outdoor rated tyewraps secure the wire loom to the trans cooler line up and over the frame. I attached the loom to the engine oil cooler line as it brought the wires right up to the firewall where I included them in the existing bundle of wires that come through a grommet.
The gauge got installed inside a black 2 inch Autometer mounting cup. The gauge is 2 1/16 and fit fine in relation to the diameter. The light socket and other electrical wires prevent the gauge from seating all the way back inside the cup. There was about 3/16 reveal of the gauge body. This got fixed by sliding the cup back far enough in the mount to get the clamping strap to cover the excess gauge and still clamp the gauge in place. While I did not do it, wrapping black electrical tape around the gauge just behind the bezel would hide any silver in all the black parts if any were to show. The Autometer cup fits just great on top of the plastic molded flat spot directly above the turn signal and wiper lever.
All the gauges.
The only thing it partially blocks is the view of the left turn signal arrow. You don’t have to move your head much to see it. Everything else is in plain view. It looks good and now I know how fast my motor is turning. There is no calibration required. Let the epoxy dry and rev away. Replacement magnets are available for when you switch to a Fluidamper later.
Part numbers are
Isspro tachometer # R8503
Isspro 6.2 pick up #8900
Autometer black mounting cup #2204
Hope this helps anyone considering any one of the several options for tachometers out there for our motors. Glad to finally get this done. I have yet to hit the hiway to see if what I thought was 3K RPM is really 3k or less.
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