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TACH signal from alternator

alex1234

Active Member
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Location
Italy
my Yucon is 95 so to read the correct RPM i must have diesel pulley on alternator (2-5/8" OD)

upgraded my alternator to CS-244, more reable, and works fine from more then 10 years

but it cames with gasser pulley, also later diesel alternators 96-99 works with smaller gasser pulley (2-3/8" OD)

now want to try have the right RPM on tach (it are reading about 300 - 350 RPM more).

know tach signal comes from alternator regulator (PIN P - white wire) also for later model 96-99 but work with smaller pulley, same gasser pulley.

so for later models GM change tachometer spec

thought that the tachometer stepper motor had some resistance jumpered on the two of the four pins, and it was enough to remove or modify it. voltmeter, engine water temperature, oil pressure, fuel level, all work with a specific resistance.....that would have been simple enough
knew the speedometer was controlled by a circuit board but after opening the panel .... found that the tachometer is also managed by the same circuit board.
not as simple as I thought

it would be enough to find an electronic card in some salvageyard and replace it, but not so easy to find overseas, or impossible.
to complicate matters further my speedometer reads in KM/H (for overseas model). so i would have to modify it anyway

for 96-99 diesel models this circuit board is identified with # 16183928E is used as basis (also used on gasser models but with different components).
found some pics online but came from gasser, not usefull for my purpose.

anyone has ability or can access and post some front and back pics of this circuit board # 16183928E for diesel?

this would help me alot



this is my 95 circuit board
 

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Is you gauge cluster actual needle gauges or the slide type like the 94 had? if they are needle gauges you can do like I did to fix the gauges after someone before me messed with the cluster.

I used a plastic fork gently removing the needle by prying up. crank the rig up and having a scanner or something to verify RPM at idle I gently reinstalled the needle. it took a couple of tried to get it right but afterwards works. all of my gauges were off because someone had pulled all the needles off and didn't put them back in the right orientation. I do have the diesel pulley on mine though. I got mine from a local alternator shop after getting the correct OD of the pulley.
 
not my case, all pressure gauges work properly and are calibrated with the exception of the speedometer, because it is designed to read the revolutions with the diesel pulley which has a larger diameter.
my 95 instrument cluster look the same of later model, but with old concept of a dedicated diesel alternator
the purpose is not to be bound to the diameter of the diesel pulley by updating the electronic circuit.
later diesel models 96-99 read the correct RPM from smaller gas pulley and have the same components as my instrument cluster
 
The alternator on My 2000 has the smaller gasser pulley, I have not been real concerned about the RPMs being off, and now, I am reading in this thread that the smaller gasser pulley reads correctly on the later year model of trucks ?
Is that correct ?
Or is that dependent on what alternator is installed ?
If it is on what year of alternator is installed, could You just get an alternator for one of the newer trucks and install that, with the gasser pulley ?
 
read first post...for more

GMT400 platform diesel always read RPM from alternator (later gas no)
95 and earlier need diesel pulley on alternator (2-5/8" OD)
96 and later read correct RPM with smaller gasser pulley (2-3/8" OD)
alternator must have correct size pulley for model year TACH
 
I think from what I am understanding, Alex is having issues locating a pulley that size where he's located and looking for some alternative to get the tach to read right.
 
only thing I can think of would be to run the gasser pulley and reset the needle in the cluster to accommodate the change. inside the cluster there are resistors on each stepper motor of various values, if there is one on the tach, maybe get the value of that resistor, then remove it and hillbilly a rheostat (volume control) set at the value of the oe resistor. fire the rig up and tweak the rheostat up or down and see what changes that makes. maybe he could post the details of that and we'd know a possible way to adjust and set our other gauges to be more accurate?
 
You mean he's saying that he goofed and didn't keep the diesel pulley off the OEM alternator when he upgraded to the higher output, gasser pulley equipped alternator and now doesn't have the correct pulley to put on the upgraded alternator to get the correct rpm signal to the tach? And is attempting brain surgery on his instrument panel to make up for not having a diesel pulley? Somebody please send this man a spare diesel pulley!
 
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only thing I can think of would be to run the gasser pulley and reset the needle in the cluster to accommodate the change. inside the cluster there are resistors on each stepper motor of various values, if there is one on the tach, maybe get the value of that resistor, then remove it and hillbilly a rheostat (volume control) set at the value of the oe resistor. fire the rig up and tweak the rheostat up or down and see what changes that makes. maybe he could post the details of that and we'd know a possible way to adjust and set our other gauges to be more accurate?
No. It doesn’t work like that. It is a ratio not an exact amount it is off. Say it is low 20% for instance. At 500 rpm reading is 400. So 100 low- But at 1000 rpm reading is 800 rpm so 200 low. Now 3000 rpm will read 2400 thats 600 low.
So you can’t just bump up the needle a certain amount.

Same issue with speedometer that is off. It’s never off a certain amount- it’s always a percentage.
 
You mean he's saying that he goofed and didn't keep the diesel pulley off the OEM alternator when he upgraded to the higher output, gasser pulley equipped alternator and now doesn't have the correct pulley to put on the upgraded alternator to get the correct rpm signal to the tach? And is attempting brain surgery on his instrument panel to make up for not having a diesel pulley? Somebody please send this man a spare diesel pulley!
😂🤣😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
i am waiting
 
No. It doesn’t work like that. It is a ratio not an exact amount it is off. Say it is low 20% for instance. At 500 rpm reading is 400. So 100 low- But at 1000 rpm reading is 800 rpm so 200 low. Now 3000 rpm will read 2400 thats 600 low.
So you can’t just bump up the needle a certain amount.

Same issue with speedometer that is off. It’s never off a certain amount- it’s always a percentage.
yes Will L.
it is exactly like that, as RPM increases the gap increases
 
to access this cirtuit board you have to completely disassemble the instrument cluster, it is under the front gauges pannel, no one will disassemble, if hasn't problems, if hasn't to replace some stepper motors

but there is no one who has access to this part? an old broken donor instrument cluster?
or find it at a salvage yard and ship it to me, or take simple front and back pictures of that circuit board?
 
I think the diesel clusters are completely different as far as the circuitry on the tach, I have a gasser cluster I picked up for parts (stepper motors were the same) I can try to find it and shoot some pics if it's even remotely the same. I will though keep my eyes pealed next time I make it out to the pick a part yards.
 
I think this might be the right diesel alternator pulley?

 
As @Husker6.5 said, please someone, get one of these pulleys and send it to Alex, please. I’m broke, broke, broke or else I would.
Thank you very much MrMarty51, but i don't want it for free ...but i prefer not to be constrained to the diameter of the old diesel alternator pulley anymore,
IF i can do it, not sure i can..... i prefer to try upgrading cirbuit board, but without information it will be impossible
 
I think this might be the right diesel alternator pulley?

Thank You for interest
the problem is not just finding this pulley, but find a seller who ships it overseas, (seller you posted for example doesn't),..... and if you then find a seller who ships, he apply absurdly expensive shipping rates...
to give you an example for a simple bolt $140 shipping, than i must pay import tax (22% + what currier apply for custom job) over the full amount.

trust me its not easy when i cant find the part i need from Rockauto or Amazon
 
I think the diesel clusters are completely different as far as the circuitry on the tach, I have a gasser cluster I picked up for parts (stepper motors were the same) I can try to find it and shoot some pics if it's even remotely the same. I will though keep my eyes pealed next time I make it out to the pick a part yards.
YES, as I said before, the circuit is specific for diesels, this circuit board #16183928E has the same number of later gassers too, it has the same base board, but the circuit components are different, precisely because tach signal for later gasser is not taken from the alternator, also odometer signal for later diesel always comes from the VBBS, and therefore for diesel and gasser the components are different

to be sure this circuit board# 16183928E must be taken from a DIESEL instrument cluster 96-99 only
 
I'm sure one of us here can get a pulley in hands where we could ship it over at a lower cost than from a seller. lots of online sellers, mainly Flea Bay charge outrageous prices for shipping.

as for the tach circuit, years ago, not sure if they are still made, but there used to be a gasser tach that had a little switch to choose how many cylinders the engine has. some have a pot that could be adjusted, I'm sure you could study one of those circuits seeing what is changed on it creating your own. the tach signal comes from the alternator the same at it comes from any sensor. Honestly I am surprised that GM didn't tie into the crank position sensor on these engines for the tach
 
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