Thinking about replacing all of my gauges. Not loving the inaccuracy of the current sets. My starboard tach is pegging at 5000 rpm, these days...

I'd need to replace the uppers and lowers, and their respective sending units.

I'd like to minimize the amount of wiring changes (want to use the old wires, if possible).

Thanks!

J

I pulled the flybridge gauges and wiring out for rehabilitation. My project 32' stood out in the weather for many years and the flybridge took a beating. The interior console looks brand new and everything is factory stock. Pulling the inside console wiring would be much harder than the flybridge which is designed for easy removal. I cut matching panel cutouts out of 1/4' plywood and mounted the flybridge electrics on it so I could work it front and back on a bench. What I found is that most of the gauges work fine. The only mystery is how accurate the tachs are. I cannot find a cheap signal generator for them. Teleflex publishes info on how to bench test the others. Gauges by themselves are pretty simple to wire and test. There is the signal wire and power for the gauge and the internal lighting wire and ground. Now when you add in the backlighting bulbs, ignition, engine warning system and after market speakers and electronics it looks like a big mess. I worked on each gauge and system one at a time. I cleaned or replaced each connection and tested it - one at a time. I had to find and buy bunch of new snapack breaker switches because they have plastic barrels and break easily. I have no test for breaker function.

I would not replace every gauge. You won't gain much except a new pretty color. If you want accurate gas levels good luck - you need a better sender -- try ultrasound - the gauge just shows the ohms it is sent. If I went that far I would reconfigure the whole panel, go digital or computer readout, and and replace the breaker toggles with protected rockers. But I wouldn't go that far because that is big bucks that would be better spent on good likker and wimmin.

Guys how bout it ? .. where can we get a cheap tachometer adjuster (for the bench) and a breaker tester.

All the Marinette gauges are standard automotive 240 - 33 ohm units, except of course the tachs. Many sell them, you might try fpmarine.com or surpluscenter.com. It is going to be hard to get a full set of matching gauges as surplus.

The tachs run off the ignition and can be driven by any squarewave. Using a resistor, diode, and small transformer will give you a calibration point at 3600 pps (60 Hz) from shore power, or 900 rpm for 8 cylinders. Sadly, my tachs run off the alternators which do not turn at engine speed so they cannot be bench tested.

Centroid Products has good prices on well-made fuel senders.

I would clean all the connections and resolder the terminals, and then test each gauge using the method elsewhere in this forum. Why replace working units?

Hi, I found this place: http://www.kendormarine.com

Thay appear to be a surplus house with many sets of guages.
Chris