Fitting a rev counter in a 13/60 Herald

[AndyPaps]

Hi all

I’d like to fit a rev counter in a 13/60, and have a few questions for those who know (and apologies if this gets asked on a regular basis!)...

My plan would be to fit the rev counter in the existing hole next to the speedo and to install fuel, temp, oil gauges elsewhere. So, my questions are:

Is this viable?

How difficult would it be to use a mechanical drive rev counter?

Could I use dials from, say, a Spitfire (to keep things in the family)?

Any advice or links to previous threads will be gratefully received!

Cheers

Andy

 

[Pete Lewis]

yes the rev counter is a cable drive which is is part of the distributor 

if you dont wish to replace the dizzy  then an electronic rev counter is the other option  this generally picks up an  impulse from the   HT  coil ign  feed/dizzy wire

Pete

[NonMember]

11 hours ago, AndyPaps said:

Is this viable?

Well, since what you describe is pretty much exactly a Mk2 Vitesse dash, it's definitely viable. You will struggle to find a suitable distributor with rev counter drive (early Spitfires used Delco ones) so the rev counter needs to be electronic. The 1500 Spitfire type should fit but is visually different (fonts, needle shape) from your speedo.

[Colin Lindsay]

The larger hole will take a Spitfire rev counter easily - see photo; as it's electronic you don't need to worry about routing a large drive cable. The other alternative is to find a small 2" rev counter and fit it into a smaller fuel or temperature aperture, which I'm intending to do later.

 

[Steve P]

Personally not a fan of cutting extra holes for gauges, but each to their own.

In my 13/60 i bought a 2 inch rev counter in a pod with a sticky pad under it , it sits in front of the original radio speaker on top of the tunnel. It runs off the coil.

Steve

[Colin Lindsay]

3 minutes ago, Steve P said:

Personally not a fan of cutting extra holes for gauges, but each to their own.

Me neither, which is why I'm using a Vitesse dashboard that some nice man in the Triumph factory already cut. That top photo isn't my car!

[Steve P]

I guess it goes with the bonnet.

S

[Josef]

You can get a Lucas style dizzy with a mechanical drive from the club shop I think. I’d recommend electronic though as they’re much easier to fit. You need power, ground, and a single wire to the coil, plus lighting. Anything of the right size will work but I’d recommend an RVC type, again as being easier to fit, and it’ll also work with electronic ignition. There’s nothing electronic that completely matches the Herald gauges, Rootes ones like this have the same style needles though so could be made to look pretty standard with a needle repaint. 

[Peter Truman]

i brought an old Spitfire/Vitesse mechanical tacho then guttered it for the case, needle and inner face/scale. Then when I was still buying Chinese goods before they definitely became the worlds piranha I brought a cheap electronic tacho $10 delivered and fitted it into the case, it needed surgery to the case rear, but it has the advantage it's switchable between 4,6 and 8 cylinders,

There is an Italian Co that makes an electrical universal tacho with convertible workings to fit any case & instrument face but not cheap at around 100 quid.

A friend with a concour mini cooper has recently successfully converted a Smiths mech tacho using my style Chinese electronic guts too.

Just to make you salivate his fleet consists of near concour, 68 Mk2 E Type Conv, TR4 with Surrey Top, Stag (Leyland 4.4lt V8 engine (fitted by Leyland Aus as Warranty job), Supra box), 64 Mk2 manual Jag, Mini Cooper, work in progress a 850 original mini. There not trailer queens they get driven nearly daily on coffee runs, tho' they do have an aversion to really wet weather, we took the Mk2 Jag a 400klm run a few weeks ago.

[Josef]

I did something similar Peter but based on a Honda bike tacho mechanism and a custom circuit board. Did try the RVI to RVC conversion board that’s commercially available too but really didn’t like it. I sent Suzie a Courier article about the conversion too which I can fish out for you if interested Andy?

[Peter Truman]

Andy just point me to Courier No please, I'll then find it..

Thanks

[Pete Lewis]

caerbont make smiths gauges if you need a original or electronic look alike 

 

Classic | Black | Smiths (smiths-instruments.co.uk)

[Badwolf]

Thanks for the link Pete. I have been looking for a traditional 'Smiths' time clock for years so thought that this would be useful. What a price!! Same with the club shop. I think that I'll stick to my wristwatch.

[Peter Truman]

Stick on dash digital $5, or use your mobile, latter makes me think why do I get my Omega Seamaster I’ve had over 60 years serviced every 5 years which costs more than a new Apple Watch, it’s what your comfortable with, logic doesn’t come into the calculations.

[Pete Lewis]

2 hours ago, Badwolf said:

What a price!!

what bugs me is back in 2002 when i retired we dealt with John from Caerbont and could have got freebies via the coffee and biscuits route but i had no classic then 

if only the clock would wind back i had many contacts and when they decided i was leaving that and all the test gear  much went in the skip

so thing like the starter and alternator tester and the smiths speedo drive were just too big to take home 

hey ho we can all be clever aftewards 

Pete

[Josef]

8 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Andy just point me to Courier No please, I'll then find it..

Thanks

Numbers 467 and 468

[Colin Lindsay]

4 hours ago, Peter Truman said:

Stick on dash digital $5, or use your mobile,

That little all-pervasive spy in the cab? No way. My 13/60 speedo failed, so I've been trying to use sat-nav, but I'd much prefer the old unit working than yet another app through which someone is no doubt spying on me. (My printer was trying to send 'data usage' to the Net earlier so I don't trust even that.)

[Chris A]

5 hours ago, Badwolf said:

I think that I'll stick to my wristwatch.

I've got one of them, great device you just look at it and the time is there clear and instantly visible.

It is in a drawer, it gets used (usually) when I go for long trips/days away in the Triumph as there is no other time piece, mobile phone will be in my pocket and Nav sat (very old but up datable) tells me arrival time but not current time ( note to self, can both be selected?). Mind you last Friday I forgot it ( second note to self, well in that case get it out of the drawer and put it with the Triumph's keys)

[Peter Truman]

My Dolly Sprint’s Smiths clock didn’t work when I got the car I happened to have a Datsun Jayco courtesy of a neighbour it’s a similar clock and mechanism BUT it was slightly smaller in dia but after removing the glass and ring and a bit of surgery to the case it fitted perfectly into the Smiths case and figment of the Smiths glass and chrome ring and you cannot see that it’s modified looks like a 2in Smiths clock. Typical Japanese works a treat, even with frequent car battery isolation it just restarts only need to reset the time oh and keeps perfect time too.

Oh and the backlight is far better you can see the time driving at night too.