I was blown away when my mechanic told me I put over 80 hours on my Verado in 2010. I thought it would be way less than that. So, I see I need to install an hour meter on there. The question is, where should I hook it up to that it will be accurate? Just cause the key is on doesn’t mean the motor is running, so I want to hook the hot wire to somewhere that is only hot if the motor is running. Ideas? Thanks.
Why not just use the one that is included on the Smartcraft gauge?
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Why not just use the one that is included on the Smartcraft gauge?
Don’t have Smartcraft Gauges. The dealer put junky analog gauges in. I didn’t know any better at the time. At least I didn’t appreciate how “valuable” they were as far as user provided data. I would love to install SmartCraft now but they aren’t cheap.
you can get one from Cabelas that will wrap around a spark plug wire it costs $40.00.
wade,
just pick up one of these
http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/gasoline.php
i would buy that specific brand and you could just install it under the cowling. most lawn tractor dealers will carry these, and they are very weather proof, durable and dependable. you just wrap the one lead around a spark plug wire, and thats it. They do come with a ground wire, but i’ve installed plenty of these on mudmotors, and i’ve never needed the ground wire, you can just clip it off. (make sure it works first on your motor obviously).
they show hours and minutes(some older ones only showed hours, once hour 1 was hit) run when the key is off. when the key is on, they show RPM’s.
this exact tach is what every mud motor manufacturer installs.
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just pick up one of these
http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/gasoline.php
I have been meaning to get one of those, so thanks for bringing it up. Are they as simple to install as they say?
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just pick up one of these
http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/gasoline.php
I have been meaning to get one of those, so thanks for bringing it up. Are they as simple to install as they say?
for the 4 stroke commercial engines on mud motors, it is very easy.
find a place to mount it, and wrap the lead wire around a spark plug wire as many times as it can. done.
it does say in the notes on the tiny tach page that outboards can cause electronic noise, and they may need to install a filter on the line. and to note this on your order, of what exactly its going on.
http://www.tinytach.com/tinytach/gasoline.php
they are very easy to install though. and work great, and for quite a few years. in fact, i’ve never seen one die.
Thanks, I will install one once this spring 
Got my new Tiny Tach the other day. Can’t wait to install it and actually see what kind of RPMs I am turning.
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Got my new Tiny Tach the other day. Can’t wait to install it and actually see what kind of RPMs I am turning.
sweet! let me know if you run into any problems with it.
Great advise guys. I plan to put a lot of hours on my new 4 stroke so I put a tiny tack on order based on your post. Sounds like an easy solution to stay on top of engine maintneance and reads engine rpms as a bonus
I installed an hour meter on my rig many years ago. I just wired it to the key – so when the key is on, the meter is running. I can’t imagine a scenario in my boat when I would have the key on without the motor being running…..as the motor is the only thing key-controlled.
T
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I installed an hour meter on my rig many years ago. I just wired it to the key – so when the key is on, the meter is running. I can’t imagine a scenario in my boat when I would have the key on without the motor being running…..as the motor is the only thing key-controlled.
T
the way the tiny tach’s work, is they record hours, as long as there is an RPM reading. so, if the engine is turned off, it does not record time against the hour meter.
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