Easiest way to remove tacho from '72 240Z?

[alhbln]

I need to remove the four wire tacho for a conversion from inductive to +12v trigger as i am currently installing a megajolt ignition setup.

What is the easiest way to remove the tacho from the dashboard, can i just remove the locking nuts on the back of the tacho from under the dashboard and then pull it out from the front?

[zcar70]

Exactly. The tach and speedo remove from the front on 240Z dashes, unlike 260/280s that remove from the rear.

The hard part will be getting access to the wire harness plug, light bulbs and wing nut that secures the rear of the tach. It can be done, but sometimes it is easier to remove the entire dash! Then you can clean the lenses and install newer, brighter instrument light bulbs too!

[alhbln]

Great, thanks! I'll try to do this without removing the dash first, wish me luck.

[ChrisZ]

Adrian, except if you have a dash cap, then you can't get it out the front.

Chris

[zKars]

Those wing nuts are a beech to crack by hand. Take 3/8 drive, 7/16 6pt socket, and cut a slot down into to it with a dremel wheel, wide enough that would fit over the wings. Then use that over the wing nuts with a 1/4 drive handle and adapter to break the wing nuts free. Last resort, but it works.

One of those tools we should have as a mail out loner like the spinder pin puller....

Good luck. With strong fingers you can do it without.

Jim

[lonetreesteve]

Another way to loosen the wing nuts is to use one of those miniature crescent wrenches - it has worked well for me on a couple of cars.

[alhbln]

Thanks, it worked out as planned. Had to use pliers for the second wing nut, the first one was no problem. i pulled the bulbs from behind while tacho was still installed, then gently pulled out the tacho and removed the four wire connector from the front.

Chris, on the '72 240Z you can just pull out the tacho in one piece without having to remove the dash, lucky me

[TomoHawk]

Inmy 280Z, the tachometer has always been easily removed from the front. I'll have to try it the other way...

[sblake01]

Exactly. The tach and speedo remove from the front on 240Z dashes, unlike 260/280s that remove from the rear.

Where do you get that info from? The couple of times I removed the tach from my 78 280Z, I pulled it from the front as per the factory service manual's instructions.

[FastWoman]

What Steve and Tomo said! I don't know how the 240's tach is removed, but I suspect it's the same way -- one screw at the top front of the bezel, and one on the lower side behind the tach.

The dash cap is a bit of a pain, but with a bit of care, you can shoe-horn the tach past the cap with a thin, well-worn screwdriver that you slide around the outside of the tach.

[lubu]

Where do you get that info from? The couple of times I removed the tach from my 78 280Z, I pulled it from the front as per the factory service manual's instructions.

Same here mine is a 260z and I removed from the front also. Virtually impossible to remove it from the back without removing the whole dash.

[ChrisZ]

Thanks, it worked out as planned. Had to use pliers for the second wing nut, the first one was no problem. i pulled the bulbs from behind while tacho was still installed, then gently pulled out the tacho and removed the four wire connector from the front.

Chris, on the '72 240Z you can just pull out the tacho in one piece without having to remove the dash, lucky me

Adrian, i have just read that you can't pull it out from the front, if you have a dash cap, do you have a dash cap?

Cris