Smiths tachometer wiring

[Charlynsane]

Hello guys,

I have to fit a nice, smiths rev counter on my dad's cooper mk2,

I'm totally dummy about eletricity... I need your help





There are 5 cables,

Positive, negative, 2 white cable rolled on a little piece of platic and one red cable for the light

I would like to make the light on at the time I switch on the headlamps

If I'm right Positive and negative to the fusebox

White cables on the coil?

Where can I fit the red cable for light??

And a last question,

cables are not in good condition, I will replace It, positive and negative, no problem

But about the 2 whites cables for the coil, what sort of cable should I choose?

Thank for your help

Merry christhmas

[InimiaD]

Click on the diagram and the instructions will open.

http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.u ... trical.htm

[Charlynsane]

Thank you,

It look like chinese tongue for me.. I hope I won't damage my tacho

[Nick W]

I think you need to use points with that type ,not electronic ignition, or you can damage it

Nick

[LarryLebel]

There's no direct connection between the ignition system and a RVI tach. An RVI senses current pulses by electromagnetic induction so EI will not damage. There have been reports of RVI not working with EI but I have used RVI tachs with Pertronix (Aldon) Ignitor EI and currently have an RVI in my Traveller which has a 123 electronic distributor.

[abri]

LarryLebel...the induction loop type RVI gauges connect between the distributor and the CB terminal on the coil. Can you explain what you mean by "no direct connection between the ignition system and the RVI tach"??

I've got an induction loop RVI Smiths tacho and an Accuspark electronic ignition module. Are you suggesting I can use them together with no risk to either? I'd be very happy if I can!

[dklawson]

To speak for Larry, there is obviously a connection between the RVI tach and the ignition system but the inner workings of the tach are not in contact with the ignition... only that external white wire induction loop. In effect the RVI tach is isolated from the ignition system.

Larry is one of the few people I know of who have been able to use RVI tachs with electronic ignitions. You will NOT hurt anything by trying to use the RVI tach with any ignition type. As mentioned above, there is no direct connection between the tach's internal electronics and the ignition system. The tach will either work... or not. Neither the tach nor the ignition system will be hurt by trying.

By all means, try the tach with your electronic ignition following the top set of instructions InimiaD posted in the link above. If it works, great. If not, don't spend a lot of time and money trying to make it work.

[abri]

Thanks.

I got a very fast although not particularly useful (from an understanding of how/why point of view) response from Accuspark as well:

My question:
Hi there,
I would like to know if I can run a 1960s Smiths RVI tachometer at the same time as running one of your contactless modules on a Morris Mini Cooper. I\'ve heard that these tachometers don\'t work with electronic ignition but have not seen conclusive evidence. Can you please confirm this one way or another?

Regards
Abri


Answer:
Hello
There is a 20% chance it will not work , there is no way to tell until fitted . If it does not it can be converted to RVC for around £45.00 ( negative earth )

Regards Tony

[Charlynsane]

Any pictures of the fitment in you cars?

thanks

I'm totally lost with eletricity

[abri]

It's really quite simple. Follow the example in the "SMITHS" diagram at this link http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g47/j ... odules.jpg

Here's another example from the Mk1 Performance Conversions website http://www.mk1-performance-conversions. ... acho_2.jpg

The example in the diagram is for a positive earth setup. If yours is negative earth, just swap the "feed" and earth wires around.

The white wire that forms the loop on the back of the tacho is in reality just an extension of the low tension cable that connects the coil and distributor. Apart from that you just have a power feed from the fuse box and an earth (I use the same earth point where the indicator flasher is normally mounted). The red wire you can connect anywhere in your lights power line. I think I did mine on the light switch if I remember correctly.

[Charlynsane]

Hello Guys,

So If I understand well

Two yellow cables

-1 on the + on the fusebox
-1 directly on the metal,

About the white cables, I have to wire it directly on the coil

my car is negative earth,

But, I don't understand, on which plug I have to put it

On the coil there is + and -

Do I need to put an other cable from the speedo to the grood? like on the black picture ?

[abri]

Find the wire that runs between the distributor and coil. That's the one that is basically "extended" to make a loop through the tachometer. I fitted mine two days ago. Smiths RVI with Accuspark electronic ignition module and Lucas Sports coil from the early 70s. Works perfectly fine so far.

You don't need another earth cable. If you mount the tacho in a pod or bracket that will act as an earth (provided you have some metal to metal contact of course).

[Charlynsane]

I found the cable,

it's connected to the coil, so I can connect it to the sable plug?

About the speedo mounting, It will be mounted on a vortz dashboard, so it's wont touch directly the metal

[dklawson]

Two yellow cables
-1 on the + on the fusebox
-1 directly on the metal,

About the white cables, I have to wire it directly on the coil
my car is negative earth,

On the coil there is + and -
Do I need to put an other cable from the speedo to the grood? like on the black picture ?

I would like to make some suggestions. Start by reviewing the wiring shown in the links posted earlier by others. Specifically, review the diagram in the picture linked below.
http://www.mk1-performance-conversions. ... acho_2.jpg

I suggest you replace the two yellow wires. That will only confuse you later. Refer to the picture linked above turning your attention to the "black" section for negative earth wiring. Run a BLACK wire from the tachometer's -12V terminal to the chassis of your Mini. Run a dark green wire from the tach's positive terminal to a switched 12V connection at the fuse box. This will give you color codes that will make sense to you and others when you look at the gauge installation in the future. Also, connect an earth wire to the gauge case and connect it to the -12V terminal. That will provide an earth connection for the illumination light bulb.

Now turn your attention to the white wires. Run them both through the firewall to the coil/distributor. Make extensions for these wires if necessary but use WHITE for the extensions. As before, this will make troubleshooting clear for others in the future.

Deviate from the wiring picture at this point. Follow Abri's advice. Locate the short white/black wire that runs between the coil (-) terminal and the distributor. Disconnect it at both ends. Connect one white wire to coil (-) and the other to the distributor. This will allow the coil current to flow through the induction loop on the back of the tachometer.

Start your car's engine. If the tach does not behave properly, switch where the two white wires are connected (move the coil wire to the distributor and distributor wire to the coil). Start the engine again. If the tach behaves, you are done. If it doesn't, there are some workarounds you can try but the gauge may need professional service OR the conversion board available from Spiyda Design.

[Charlynsane]

hello guys,

I tried to connect it today,

So, I wired everything as we said, but the dizzy started to smoke..

I stopped everything,

I tried to start the engine but my battery was KO

I hate eletricity!!

[dklawson]

So, I wired everything as we said, but the dizzy started to smoke..

I tried to start the engine but my battery was KO

Obviously something was not wired up as discussed in previous posts.

Try to charge your car's battery.

In earlier posts electronic ignitions were discussed. However, I don't remember you saying whether this Mini has electronic ignition or points. If an electronic ignition was fitted, you need to re-fit points at least long enough to get the engine started, then to confirm whether this tach and its wiring work. Please clarify if you have an electronic ignition or not.

Nothing should short out or smoke inside the distributor if the wiring was implemented as mentioned in previous posts. My guess is that you have connected the tach's white wires between coil (+) and the distributor. If that is done, there will be a direct short to earth each time the points are closed (or electronic ignition module is conducting). That can overheat wires and damage ignition modules as there will be no load in the circuit.

Charge the battery, then remove the tach and restore the car's ignition wiring to the way it was. Confirm that the engine will start and run with the car back in its original condition. If the engine has an electronic ignition module and will not run with the wiring put back the way it was, re-fit points in place of an electronic ignition and try again to start the engine. Let us know what happens. Please confirm which ignition type you have.

[Charlynsane]

Hello

Thanks you for your help,

My car stills have its original ditributor, with points

I surely made a mistake,

for the two white cables,

I put it direcly on the coil

The + direcly on the solenoid,

the - on the bulkhead panel,

Sorry guys! I'm totally bad with eletricty!!

[abri]

Connect the one end of the white wire to the distributor. Then connect the other end of the white wire to the negative terminal on the coil. This is how I have mine and it works. If you do this and it does NOT work, swap the wires around, but one must be connected to the distributor and the other to the negative on the coil.

Let us know when you get it right.

[Charlynsane]

it's on i way guys

The light works on the rev counter,

I'm still waiting for a new battery

should I connect the + on the coil with a inline fuse or directly on the fusebox??

[mk1]

In line fuses are ALWAYS good.

M