Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

[fixmyevinrude]

Where on the motor would you hook up a shop tach for general tune up procedures. I have a built in one on the dash but would like to know where I would hook one up on the engine. The Shop Manual only says to hook up a shop tach for idle speed adj. but does not say where. The Motor is a 1994 200 hp Evinrude 90 degree looper.

 

[F_R]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

Any shop tach I ever saw had an inductive pickup that you simply clamp to a spark plug wire. It senses the magnetic pulses that naturally occur when electricity is going through the wire.

 

[fixmyevinrude]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

I have seen that on an inductive timing light but never on a tach. The tach I have is for automobiles and you hook it up to coil wire terminal coming off the distributer. Its an older one used for cars back in the pre solid state ignition days.

 

[F_R]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

Yep, that kind usually was combined with a dwell meter. Showing our age here, aren't we?

I had an inductive tach. Long gone, but I think it was a merc-o-tronic.

EDIT: Thing about an inductive tach is it is universal, works on anything with spark plugs. As long as it has a switch for two or four stroke. Good ones also have a switch for idle / high RPM

 

[F_R]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

Have you considered a laser tach? They don't connect to anything.

 

[fixmyevinrude]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

I have seen some that are about the size of a deck of cards. I believe they are laser. You put a piece of reflective tape on what ever you are trying to get a reading on and then point it at the tape and you get a reading almost instantly. They work very well. Unfortunately I don't have one.

The tach I was talking about is indeed a tach and dwell meter. I believe I could use on this motor if I just knew where to hook on to. Does anyone know where the in dash tack hooks up to. I probably could trace the wires from the dash if I had to. My guess is that it hooks up to a wire coming of the power pack, stator or a cylinder coil.

 

[F_R]

Re: Tachometer Hook -Up for Tune Up

Tach/Dwell meters counted the breaker points' opening and closing. Since there are no breaker points, or even anything remotely resembling them on your 200 there is no way that is going to work. The dash-mounted tach for that motor counts the A.C. reversals from the alternator. That is the grey wire in the harness. The only other wire related to RPM is the Black/yellow kill wire. That one carries 300 volts!!