Recently installed my new Dave's small body HEI, Dave did a very nice job on it and I'm very pleased with it.

My only problem is my factory tach (69 Z) now bounces around between about 500 - 1500 rpm when motor is idling at about 800-900 rpm, until I give it a little gas and rpm's increase to and past 1000 rpm, then tach stabilizes and operates accurately until idle drops down again then bouncing resumes.

Do I need a tach adapter or filter?

I ran a Mallory Unilite before and never had problems with the tach.
I'm sure this question's been asked before but any suggestions are surely appreciated.

thanks,

Most likely yes, you need a tach filter. I think there is an article in the Electrical forum stickies if you're interested in building your own. Tachs and ignition systems are finiky things.

BTW: When did you get your distributor? I've got one from Dave a long time back. He's been an elusive fellow. Just curious if he's working in the shop again or if you've had it a while.

BTW: When did you get your distributor? I've got one from Dave a long time back. He's been an elusive fellow. Just curious if he's working in the shop again or if you've had it a while.

Got it from him a couple months ago. He's somewhere in the Reno, NV area. I'll try and find that sticky.
thanks,

Got it from him a couple months ago. He's somewhere in the Reno, NV area. I'll try and find that sticky.
thanks,

I had made contact with him in February and he wrote back that he would be sending me a spec sheet to send in with the dist. I never heard from him again.....:confused: Guess I should try sending another email.

I just heard today he posts on steves nova site as ignition man... Might check that out, as for the low rpm issue I don't have any issues with my factory 69 tach and a daves dist. Are you using an msd trigger or full dist? I think there is something with the msd boxes but not sure.

Are you using an msd trigger or full dist?

Using a small body HEI, all GM parts with NAPA coil, all suipplied by Dave. No MSD parts. Original 6x8 69 camaro tach.
Found the link for filter,

http://www.camaros.net/techref/electrical/tachfilter/ (http://www.camaros.net/forums/../techref/electrical/tachfilter/)

picked up the resistor and capacitor from RadioShack and will solder together and install later this week. Hopefully solves the problem.

thanks,

Soldered up the filter today and installed it. Works great!! Unwrapped the harness and spliced it to the tach wire along the kick panel, attached the ground wire to the common ground point just above the ebrake release handle, rewrapped the harness, quality job, out of sight. Tach is steady now when idling, no problems at all!!
Thanks much guys,

As far as Dave is concerned, there is a topic about him, and his recent injuries, in the Bench Racing section on this board.

I don't think Dave posts on the Nova site any longer, as one of their members, who is a "moderator", gave him all kinds of problems with every help post he made, stating he was "advertising" with every reply, when clearly, he was not. He just answered questions there and didn't refer board members to his services. He told me a year ago he doesn't do conversions for people on that board either, so...so much for all that fellow's accusations of Dave "advertising" on that site. Too bad just one moderator has to act like Hitler when he is wrong. Their loss.

Soldered up the filter today and installed it. Works great!! Unwrapped the harness and spliced it to the tach wire along the kick panel, attached the ground wire to the common ground point just above the ebrake release handle, rewrapped the harness, quality job, out of sight. Tach is steady now when idling, no problems at all!!
Thanks much guys,
I'm always glad to hear the results of these!

I'm always glad to hear the results of these!

Best $2.00 I've spent in awhile.
thanks again,