Thinking of getting a tach for my truck.
'99 XL
It's a manual transmission model, didn't come with one.

First off, I'm interested in knowing what max recommended RPM is for the 4.2 V6.

Next, I'd like to hear about a good tach at a decent price.
Not interested in those big oilcan-big ricky racer wannabe things with the shift light hanging off the side either.

What I'm looking for is a nice little analog model that can fit somewhere discreetly but still be visible while running the truck.

What have y'all been using?

 

I just tried to get this information from nine different dealerships and the eight hundred number on the ford website.

No one can seem to give me the information.


Seems that since the truck has a rev limiter, there isn't a red colored paint mark on the tach.
Explaining to them all that what I want to know is max rpm didn't help either.
Explaining that a quick peek at an xlt package v6 truck would get me the info didn't help either.


I can't believe this.
Someone somewhere has to be able to tell me what max rpm for the v6 is.

Talking to ford was like talking to a brick wall.


Unbelievable.

 

the 99's have a coil pack ignition, so we cant use an auto meter and hook it up

i dont know if this helps


moose

 

At WOT on my 2002 4.2 it shifts at 5000 RPMs. Can you just get a newer or XLT guage cluster with tach? They have a few on ebay from the harley davidsons and the lightnings...

 

97 XL. Rev limiter at 5250-5300. The 97's have a distributorless ignition system (coil pack) as well. I have an AutoMeter tach complete with shift light (disconnected though). Read "big oilcan-big ricky racer wannabe things with the shift light hanging off the side " .
I tried several small analog types (2 5/8") and they would not work properly. If I remember correctly there was some discussion on this website about only the Autometers working properly. You might check archives.
Summit Racing (i think) does now list a smaller Autometer tach that can be pod mounted. The large tach doesn't look bad mounted up in the corner of the dash, though.

 

An XLT cluster would be my choice if I were to go with ford parts.
Might just do that. The harley emblem just doesn't do anything for me. I don't think I'd want to have that on my dash.

I'll need to find one that will double darned sure work with my '99 though...
The harley guages on ebay state they're for a 2000-2001. I don't know if it would go with the '99. I also wonder if there'd be a different dash insert for a truck with a five speed. Might there be a difference for the speedo pickup?


Again, thanks for your's all help with this.

 

If you are just wanting to know what RPM you are shifting at, you have a tach built into your odometer. That is...if you have the digital odometer. Just push and hold the reset button with the ignition on for five seconds or so and then crank the truck. Release the button once the truck is started. You have a series of different things that you can cycle through by pushing the button once you have done this.....most of which seems useless. However, one of them happens to be a tach. Pretty cool I thought......
Blake

 

Excellent-

I'll try that next time I start the truck.
Why couldn't anyone at Ford, any of the nine dealerships or the corporate customer service phone line tell me that?

Thanks-

 

I couldn't get it to work. The only thing I got it to do was reset my 'trip' odometer.

 

hazard try this link, it says its for the mustang but it still works for our trucks

http://www.mustangworld.com/ourpics/fcar/dtcodes.htm

hope that helps.

tmm

 

Thanks again Blake-

Where did you find this piece of information?
Still, what I want is an anolog tach. Digital displays don't really do it for me. At least I can choose the right tach. I talked to Autometer the other day about this. Their tach needs a 'tach adapter' to work with this motor. Something about the way the coilpack works and how the signals coming out of it are different than a typical ignition system. The adapter was supposed to cost something like $65.00
I'm wondering now if a factory guage face with a tach will work out on my truck. I think the only ones that will replace my digital odometer type set are from lightning, hd, and nascar trucks.

Each way is expensive though. That and the dealer said they had to be programmed at the factory for mileage. So I'd have to have the truck there for them to read the mileage then call the order in for me, the gauges would come next day.
Too much $$ though. I
I have a tiny tach off my old BMW R80GS. The face is about 1.5" in diameter. I'm gonna call autometer and see if their tach adapter will work with that tach, small is good, I don't want a cluttered dash panel.

 

I'm gonna have to print that stuff and file it in my service manual.

You have any other tidbits like that?