1963 Lark Tach? Questions...

[OldJoe]

Hi folks,

I was fortunate to buy the pictured tachometer at the Puyallup (Seattle area) early bird swap meet last weekend. I gladly paid the $3 asking price. I believe it's from a 1963 Jet Thrust equipped Lark based on what I've read and seen here on the forum and Bob Johnstone's website. Can you confirm that for me based on the photos?

I've got a '63 Daytona convertible and I'd like to use this tach eventually. I only got the tach head and it needs repair so I'll have to have it fixed and put together the rest of the parts I need over time.

One more question:

Can anyone show me a photo or describe how the mounting bracket attaches to the tach head and to the back of the dash? I can see its shape in the photo in the factory installation instructions that 289stude posted back in 2009. Does it fit over the terminals on the back of the tach and then get attached with the nuts? Also, it looks like something I could fabricate myself if I had the dimensions. Could anybody measure theirs for me?

Thanks for any help you can give. I haven't been an active participant on this forum but it has been a VERY valuable resource for me. I appreciate the the wisdom and information that's been shared and the time put in.

Joe

[8E45E]

I believe it's from a 1963 Jet Thrust equipped Lark based on what I've read and seen here on the forum and Bob Johnstone's website. Can you confirm that for me based on the photos?

Indeed it is!! Nice find for that price! http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ith-Tachometer

Craig

[2R2]

At $3, that has to be one of the best buys ever! Yes, as Craig confirms, it is the correct tach for a JT engine equipped '63 lark. The bracket is similar to the brackets used to hold on the other gauges; a "U" shaped piece that fits over the two mounting studs on the back of the tach. To make it work, you will first need to check out the head unit (the part you have) and then purchase the sending unit - that tach would use the round "can", which housed the sending unit. These units are still available from vendors. Another option is to have it converted to more modern electronics. You will also need the mounting ring that the tach mounts in.

[OldJoe]

Awesome news! Thanks for the confirmation and the information fellas. That's a beautiful interior Eric.

This has renewed my faith in swap meets! The past 3-4 years they've started to feel like a waste of time. The tach was sitting on a lonely little card table with a handful of other odds and ends and I didn't see that the vendor had any other Studebaker parts. I never expected to have one of these for my car.

Something else to report for the people in the Puget Sound region: there was a vendor flying a "Studebaker swap meet" banner at Puyallup. He seemed to mainly have Hawk parts. I think he was pretty reasonable on prices. He also apparently has a a 1955 Speedster project. He was handing out his phone number on slips of paper but I don't know if it's Kosher to put it out on the Forum. I'd be glad to share it if somebody wants it.

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

I don't think you will have to fabricate the bracket. I believe the GT Hawks tachometers are the same size and almost every GT Hawk had a tachometer, brackets are in the thousands. The key thing about the bracket is that there are insulators within the bracket for the two leads that mount to the bracket.

You have a great find at a stand out price. How do you know it does not work? To test the tach head use a 1.5V "D" size battery across the terminals. That voltage will not "pin" the needle. Make sure that you check which is the positive lead to the tach head. You don't want to pin the needle the wrong way.

If it does not work, you are left with taking it apart. It is actually a simple electrical device with an electromagnet that travels along a curved iron core. Often you will find a miss alignment of the iron core to the electromagnet which causes it to bind. Adjust a big screw holding the iron core and it will free up the electromagnet.

I am presently repairing a 64 Lark Tachometer for a freind that has a damaged face. It did not work at all and now does. I am in the process of having a new face printed for 64 tach's.

Here is a before and after pictures of 1963 Lark tach I bought off Ebay a few years ago that I took apart and repaired. It now resides in my 1963 Lark Convertible.




Allen

[SN-60]

I don't think you will have to fabricate the bracket. I believe the GT Hawks tachometers are the same size and almost every GT Hawk had a tachometer, brackets are in the thousands. The key thing about the bracket is that there are insulators within the bracket for the two leads that mount to the bracket.

You have a great find at a stand out price. How do you know it does not work? To test the tach head use a 1.5V "D" size battery across the terminals. That voltage will not "pin" the needle. Make sure that you check which is the positive lead to the tach head. You don't want to pin the needle the wrong way.

If it does not work, you are left with taking it apart. It is actually a simple electrical device with an electromagnet that travels along a curved iron core. Often you will find a miss alignment of the iron core to the electromagnet which causes it to bind. Adjust a big screw holding the iron core and it will free up the electromagnet.

I am presently repairing a 64 Lark Tachometer for a freind that has a damaged face. It did not work at all and now does. I am in the process of having a new face printed for 64 tach's.

Here is a before and after pictures of 1963 Lark tach I bought off Ebay a few years ago that I took apart and repaired. It now resides in my 1963 Lark Convertible.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]32562[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]32563[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]32564[/ATTACH]

Allen

Doesn't the tach and speedo needles look 'Too Orange' as compared to the factory color on the secondary instruments

[studebaker-R2-4-me]

Doesn't the tach and speedo needles look 'Too Orange' as compared to the factory color on the secondary instruments

Your constant negative and narcissitstic behaviour on this forum I find exhausting.

Allen

[SN-60]

Your constant negative and narcissitstic behaviour on this forum I find exhausting.

Allen

If Your really exhausted from all of this....You should probably consider getting more exercise

[candbstudebakers]

Did they really use the same tach in the hawks and larks? I thought the larks had a different face, might be wrong as I have been in the past.

[rkapteyn]

That was a legitimate question ,it looks too orange.

Robert Kapteyn

[SN-60]

Did they really use the same tach in the hawks and larks? I thought the larks had a different face, might be wrong as I have been in the past.

I believe You are correct...Basically the same tach head.....With a different face plate.

[rkapteyn]

The Hawk tachometers are the same but the pointers are different.
You can install a Lark speedometer needle on a Hawk tach!
Most round can senders have electronic problems and John Shanahan wrote a how to fix article.
I will try to find it.
Ray Lin has some wiring info for the Hawk.

http://www.raylinrestoration.com/TechnicalPages/GTTachs.htm

Robert Kapteyn

[rkapteyn]

A lot of questions like that are covered in Jet Trust news.

http://www.studebaker-info.org/JTN/JTNEWS/jtn13.htm

and do a search on Bob Johnstone pages.

http://www.studebaker-info.org/rjtechx4.html#Tachometer

Robert Kapteyn

[rkapteyn]

An other good article

http://www.studebaker-info.org/tech/tach/twtach/twtach.html

[OldJoe]

This is all great information. Thank you. Allen I tested the tach head with a battery after reading Robert McDonald's article from the January 1980 Turning Wheels, found on Bob Johnstone's website and got no reponse from the tach needle at all. That's why I concluded it needs repair. My multi-meter also shows an open circuit so I think something is schnitzled inside the tach. I'll open it up and take a look. I do prefer to fix things myself if possible. I will look for a GT Hawk bracket. Your gauge restoration looks great!

I think I'll need a rectangular Hawk sending unit as well. My car has a humble 259 with a old style Delco single-points distributor. After studying the parts book and the Forum it looks like the Jet Thrust cars had the round sender. I'm assuming that they are designed to work with the dual point distributor on the Jet Thrust engines. Does that sound right?

I don't think you will have to fabricate the bracket. I believe the GT Hawks tachometers are the same size and almost every GT Hawk had a tachometer, brackets are in the thousands. The key thing about the bracket is that there are insulators within the bracket for the two leads that mount to the bracket.

You have a great find at a stand out price. How do you know it does not work? To test the tach head use a 1.5V "D" size battery across the terminals. That voltage will not "pin" the needle. Make sure that you check which is the positive lead to the tach head. You don't want to pin the needle the wrong way.

If it does not work, you are left with taking it apart. It is actually a simple electrical device with an electromagnet that travels along a curved iron core. Often you will find a miss alignment of the iron core to the electromagnet which causes it to bind. Adjust a big screw holding the iron core and it will free up the electromagnet.

I am presently repairing a 64 Lark Tachometer for a freind that has a damaged face. It did not work at all and now does. I am in the process of having a new face printed for 64 tach's.

Here is a before and after pictures of 1963 Lark tach I bought off Ebay a few years ago that I took apart and repaired. It now resides in my 1963 Lark Convertible.


[ATTACH=CONFIG]32562[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]32563[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]32564[/ATTACH]

Allen

The Hawk tachometers are the same but the pointers are different.
You can install a Lark speedometer needle on a Hawk tach!
Most round can senders have electronic problems and John Shanahan wrote a how to fix article.
I will try to find it.
Ray Lin has some wiring info for the Hawk.

http://www.raylinrestoration.com/TechnicalPages/GTTachs.htm

Robert Kapteyn

A lot of questions like that are covered in Jet Trust news.

http://www.studebaker-info.org/JTN/JTNEWS/jtn13.htm

and do a search on Bob Johnstone pages.

http://www.studebaker-info.org/rjtechx4.html#Tachometer

Robert Kapteyn

An other good article



http://www.studebaker-info.org/tech/...ch/twtach.html