1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

Hi guys,<br /><br />I have a 1963 28hp Johnson outboard that I want to attach a tach too. Does anyone know where and how I can connect the tach to the engine block?<br /><br />For anyone that can help me, I have very detailed digital pics of the engine I can email you right away so you can understand the situation better and hopefully show me what to connect to!<br /><br />Thanks, love this site!

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

You need to get your hands on either an old OMC tach, or a "Tiny Tach". The "Tiny Tach" is a little, battery operated digital tach, which is good for diagnostics, etc. It clips over a sparkplug lead with an inductive pickup. Search the web to find it.<br />The original, old OMC one attached to one of the spark kill lines (The black low voltage ones that go up to the armature plate). Those lines have a ~-90v pulse on them each revolution of the engine. I know of no currently produced tach that can read this input, since new ones are pretty well all set up for +12v pulses.<br />Good luck!

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

Hello.<br />There are many "airguide" tachometers for your type of outboard on e-bay.When you look at the pictures make sure you see 2 wires coming OUT of the tachmeter and no hookups into it.Sometimes there are 4 wires coming out. These are the ones that have a small light inside.Make sure to get the small types because the bigger ones were for the i/o or even the homelite 4 cycle engines with points(in the distributor) and these will give a reading that is double your rpm.<br />You hook the positive line to the cutout switch on the side of your engine and the negative one to the block.<br />If you don't trust your judgement on e-bay,you can go to: www.tcoutboard.com They have some too.<br />But the tinytech is probably far more precise.

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

Paul,<br /><br />I have digital pics of my motor. If I send them to you can you show me exactly what lines you are talking about? I have the original OMC tach so it should work on this motor -- I thought about going the tiny tach route before but kinda what the feel of the original tach on my dash <br /><br />You can email me at robert.jackson@na.whiteclarkegroup.com<br /><br />Thanks so much!

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

If it is an original omc tach meter you will have a green wire and a brown wire for the actual tach meter.The brown is the plus and the green is the minus.If it has a light inside the colors for the light would be blue as plus and white as minus.It does not matter if you cross these,the light would work anyway.On the side of the engine where the generator would be (not the side of the starter)there is a shut off switch that sits on the outside of the bracket.Right in the middle of that square switch there is a contact with a wire coming from the points.That is where you hook up the plus(brown).The green wire you hook to the ground on one of the bolts that hook the shut off switch to the engine block.You should be in business. If your tach does not work switch green and brown around.<br />Good luck.

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

I meant the actual lines from the motor. Can someone help me out on that?

Re: 1963 28hp Johnson - Want to add a TACH

The kill wires are wired into the 'M' terminal on ignition switch. There are two. They are probably black. <br /><br />Hope this helps!