Need help installing a new tach on a 1996 88 spl!

I bought a very old hull for the 1996 88 spl that came on it. I have put the motor on a newer hull I have and swapped most of the controls or bought new ones. My problem is the tach. The old one was shot so I bought a Teleflex that I was told would work with my motor but when it came in the connections look nothing like what was on the old one. The original tach had an 8 pin connector that plugged into as well as three other wires attached to the studs (I assume for power and ground). The new tach has a much more universal rear with studs for Sig, Lt, Grd and one other (I can't what).

Can anyone tell me if this tach will work for my motor and if so which wires to steal out of the harness to use it?

My concern is that maybe the 8 pin plug in the wiring harness connected the old tach to a rev limiter or something else that is vital to the health of the engine.

Any help would be great ... I'm completely out of my element when it comes to wiring and outboards and tachometers!

Re: Need help installing a new tach on a 1996 88 spl!

Did the old tach have the lights for the system check system?

Re: Need help installing a new tach on a 1996 88 spl!

You'll have to have 3 wires going to the tach. purple/bat......gray/signal.....black.....ground. Blue maybe for lights. Those wires should be on the wiring harness that was used for the system check set up you have.

Re: Need help installing a new tach on a 1996 88 spl!

The old tach did have 4 lights in a row at the bottom center but it doesn't look like they were ever labeled I have always assumed they just lit up the face. They are however, right in front of the 8 pin plug. If a system check system is what those lights and the 8 pin plug were for, would there be any trouble is I just didn't use it and wired the tach as directed?

Thanks for the input and getting me thinking along the right lines. From what you guys have said it sounds like my three loose wires were for signal, battery and ground and now I'm guessing the plug was for a warning system and those 4 lights meant something if they did or did not light up.

Does that sound about right? Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks again!

Re: Need help installing a new tach on a 1996 88 spl!

Sounds like you're on the right track.