By Tom Burick (205.188.196.24) on Sunday, April 29, 2001 - 10:23 pm:

Hi Guys, I know this has been discussed before, but I can't seem to find it on the board. Could someone please tell me the exact procedure for wiring the tach and center mount temp/fuel gauge. I remember something about the wiring already being in place. What do I look for? Also, isn't there a cut out in the dash for the center mount gauges? The more information you guys can give me the better.

By tedshred (63.224.195.169) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 09:26 am:

Tom, I am in the same boat as you. I have the deluxe CVCC gauges, and would love to mount the small fuel and temp gauge into the front panel, but don't want to mess it up. The small ones come with a rubber mounting block that looks funky, and I was hoping to cut two circles out of the panel for them, but don't know if there is enough room behind the panel to do this. The gauges need aprox. two inches clearance behind the chrome ring. I may end up putting something more custom in my dash for these gauges. Don't know yet what I will be doing.

By quikrick (63.204.16.66) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 09:45 am:

I once had a complete dashboard out. The dash did not have (originally) the deluxe gauges... but the plastic was stamped/molded for the deluxe gauges. From behind the dash it had a deep crease in the plastic so all I had to do was follow the line with my utility knife... problem for you is that my dash was out and on a workbench. I was able to get to it from the back. If you are desparate, I could measure the cutout from the front and email you a dimensioned sketch.

By 2low2go (207.107.254.186) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 10:11 am:

I found this to be the easiest way of doing it(installing center gauges)drill a ole directly behind the ashtray and about half way up the woodgrain, use a 1/4" drill bit, then get yourself a pick set, place the 90' degree pick in the hole and pull on the filler panel, next grab a exacto knife and cut around the existing bulge(you will notice a line in the woodgrain sticker)and that was the easiest way for me install it.The wiring is located behind the Tach/speedo housing,u just need to pull it over to center and plug it in.....

Justin

By Anonymous (208.60.186.84) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 10:33 am:

Is the wiring for the center gauges the same wiring that is on the gauges in the pod and you just pull it over? Is the wiring for the tach an unattached connector that you just plug the tach into?

By Ramon Milano (207.5.4.95) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 10:50 am:

First off you need to get rid of that wood grain sticker. Rip it all off and have apiece of 1/8 inch thick black (or any color you like) plexy glass cut to fit the whole length of the dash. Use 3m spray glue to hold it to the dash then put gauges back in place looks great!!!!!!!!! cost about $3.00. Have it on my dash for almost 8 years now still looks new.

By tedshred (64.199.214.101) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 09:13 pm:

I'm stuck.

I've peeled off the faux wood sticker, and popped off the black plastic rectangle, I've located the tach wiring plug, I've figured out the red wire with black stripe and the black wire from the speedo plug into the tach openings, but when I turn the engine on, I get nothing from the tach. So I check my coil for a blue or yellow wire (which both come out of the tach as well) only to find no such wires on my coil. I switched over to the electronic dizzy, but kept all the wires in place (removed the resistor).

So am I stuck with a busted tach, or have I missed something?

Hopping to get it all together for my first Autocross event this weekend in Eugene, Oregon (if I can find a sitter for the boy)

Thanks you guys.

By Charles R. (63.203.73.139) on Monday, April 30, 2001 - 09:57 pm:

The red and black wire(power from dimmer), and the black wire(ground) are instrument lights. All these dashboards have a removable panel behind the wood grain. Once you remove the panel you'll see three SQUARE spots that require plastic inserts that the pod screws go into (you did get them from the donor, right?) Justins' way is perfect if you don't have them and don't want to buy them. The blue wire is the tach signal wire. Look at the wires around your coil, it won't be attached and will probably be wrapped up in the loom. You should find a blue wire with a "bullet" connector somewhere around there. On cars that had the tachs stock, the other half of that connector has a short lead that connects to the coil. I believe the yellow wire is power.

By tedshred (63.224.195.169) on Tuesday, May 01, 2001 - 08:27 am:

Thanks Charles, I'll check it out and let you know.

By owen cousins (24.115.111.80) on Tuesday, May 01, 2001 - 01:24 pm:

will any after market tach hookup just as easily?
or do the existing wires only work for a honda 1 gen. tach> any onther generations fit?

By tedshred (64.199.214.93) on Tuesday, May 01, 2001 - 07:44 pm:

I got it all hooked up great. The painfull part was unwrapping gooie electrical tape in the smallest god-awfull space while upside down with my head down by the pedals, reaching up into these sharp and tiny spaces trying to undo that tape so I could free up the gas/temp wire cluster to feed it over to the center of the dash.

Charles, I found that blue bullet wire right where you said it would be. Worked perfectly.

I only had two of those small white square expansion plugs, but that was enough to secure the unit pretty good. I went without the bottom screw.

Funny little thing about the small gauges is that they tell me there is slightly less gas, and that the engine is a little cooler, than on the original big gauge. Not a significant error, but noticable.