Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Planning on installing a tachometer on my Six, to help with properly installing/tuning a replacement carburetor. Where did Packard wire the tachometer to get the "signal" to operate the tach on Packard models that were factory-equipped?

You should follow the instructions on your tach. Probably the wire just wraps around one plug wire by the distributor cap.

I believe the only tachs Packard offered were prewar and were the mechanical type. Those worked somewhat like a speedometer with a gear and cable drive module. The modules could be on the distributor or on the rear of the generator. I think Packard preferred the drive that was on the generator.




If you have found an electronic tach that will work on 6v those would have along with power connections, a signal wire that either connects to the same coil terminal connecting to the distributor or some kind of inductive pickup around a plug or the coil HV wire. If the electronic tach does not specify or supply a wire the reading will probably be more reliable if the wire run between the coil and tach connection or if there is a separate conversion module connection, a shielded wire.