Hour meter

[Ken Juul]

Mine has stopped working.  Wild guess at this point, but I assume it has a small motor turning plastic gears that turn the hour wheels.  If it is like a car, it is the gears that fail.  We have a shop locally that manufacturers replacement gears for auto speedos, etc. 

If I can get it appart may be able to repair.  Has anybody tried to disect one?

[Ralph Masters]

Ken,
Mine has not worked since I bought the boat nearly a year ago, I can see the 1/10 dial ticking like it wants to go, but that's it.  I have been planning on replacing the entire tach and be done with it.  Let me know if you're sucessful at repairs, I'm sure it'll cost less then a new tach.

Ralph
Ciao Bella

[tommyt]

If you find a way to fix at a reasonable cost, let us know. I am on my third tach on a 2004, and although they are not expensive it is a pain. It is always the hour meter that dies first.

[Ed Shankle]

Yes, I had that happen and through happenstance, came to realize it was sticking on the "9". so every time 9 came around and stuck, I'd give the side of the tach a rap and it would release. After a while it finally stopped sticking. So I assume a gear either had some crud on it or it was catching on something else in there.

Ed

[Ron Hill]

Guys : Not too sure if Teleflex will fix then, but it may be worth a try (941)263-1000.
 
I called them when I go the new engine and asked about "zeroing" the meter - their answer was NO can't be done.  It was so close to 5K hrs that I just ran it fwd to 5000 and started from there! 

[prh77]

Another option is to install a Hobbs hour meter. I purchased mine for under $30 and wired it in to the fuel pump circuit.

[Jeff Kaplan]

Ken, I recommend what Peyton said and go to an auto or truck parts store and get a Hobbs meter, they come round or retangular. The product is very accurate and not much money. I used to sell them...Jeff

[Ralph Masters]

The Hobbs hour meter wired into the fuel pump circut sounds like the best option yet.  Headed to Kragen Auto Parts this afternoon.

Thanks for the thought,

Ralph
Ciao Bella

Sometimes the answer is easy to see, sometimes the problem gets in the way................

[Ken Juul]

Great idea.....but the McGuiver in me can't do that until I try to fix the original.

[pablosgirl]

Ken,

I am interested in the out come of your tinkering with your hour meter to get it to work.  I too have a tach with an stuck hour meter (973 hrs).  I bought a rectangular one and wired it to the "on" position of the engine panel key switch.  it is mounted in the aft cockpit locker.  I can't seem to make myself spend the $120 on a new tach just to get the hour meter.  The McGivar in me would like to see if the hour meter can be repaired.

Paul

[Joe Kern]

Ditto.   Stuck at 603 hours

[Mike and Joanne Stimmler]

When mine stopped at over 3000 hours, I took it to a automotive tachometer specialty shop and was told "these gauges are not repairable".
Lucky for me Steve Stoneback had a used one from his old instrument cluster that I got at a reasonable price and it's been working good ever since. There's no way to reset the hours as far as I know.

Mike

[Hawk]

Now I know why there are all those low hour boats around (:

Hawk

[Ken Juul]

I could not get the tach open.  Hard to tell if the face plate screws off or if the back is glued on.  In any case, decided I did not want to break it.  Hobbs meter installed in the engine compartment, visible through the door in the head.

[Ralph Masters]

Ken,
Old School Navy logic, " If it won't move, force it, if it breaks, probably needed replacing anyway".
I'm looking at putting in a Hobbs as well, mine is stuck at 916.9, been there for the year I've had the boat.

Ralph