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So I got this awesome rally pack from set from cdrod.
It wasn't NOS, but I could not have found a better used set. The triple gauge worked perfect, and the clock even worked. The electric winder was noisy, so I put in an ISI quartz conversion kit in it. I like those kits. It worked great for the month before I sent the gauge to Redline for tach repair.
I've just rebuilt my engine and tranny, and found the tach did not work. Turns out these tachs need a conversion to run electronic ignition or in my case a Petronix module in the distributor.
A bunch of research pointed me strongly to Redline (Red Line Gauge and Clock Repair of Humboldt, Tennessee). After a quick discussion on the phone with John, I boxed it up and shipped away. I felt really good about this one. I paid UPS a lot to box it up, but I asked for maximum protection. The gauge came back looking concourse ready. When I connected the wiring everything worked, but the clock stopped as soon as tilted the case to fasten it in the dash. was nearly impossible to maneuver the housing into place and keep the clock running. I moved it to the benck and ir was replicated easily. Ran fine connected to 12 volts, but the slightest movement made the clock lock up.
I called and talked to John, asking if I should open the case to investigate. He insisted I ship it back for him to troubleshoot. It went back (another $20). Less than a week later I got an email saying "Your clock/tach arrived last Friday and has been running perfectly since then.". Quick turn around and excited to get it installed,but wait... the same problem.
A quick email to Tammy at Redline and she says they just connected it to power and it worked fine. They never opened it up. I guess they thought ISI did the clock install and suggested I send it back to them. I did the install so I decided time to open it up and take a look. I am aghast.
Inside my beautiful Rally Pack, pristine almost 5 decades later, was one of the worst hack jobs I have ever seen. What they did to this instrument is an aberration. The kind of work I would expect to find in a flea market back stall. Below are pictures of the cold solder joints,gerry rigged cheap wire, sloppy epoxy work, electrical taped mess and a bunch of hot glue to piece it all together.
The gauge and the workmanship seemed so good from an outward inspection. Inside is a mess, an unacceptable hack job IMHO. A good company would do whatever it takes to make it right after causing a problem.
I'm not sure what Redline will do?
Surely I'm not overreacting?
Oh, and the clock problem; some of the black epoxy like substance they applied to the tach pointer, was preventing the clock hosing from closing the negative circuit to the tachometer assembly.
This is the conversion and Redline's excellent fit and finish
electrical tape for what? This board was connected to the assembly before Redline
More hot glue mess
sloppy glue connecting the tach indicator
The even glued the bulbs to the sockets, so I can source 50 year old sockets when the bulbs need replaced
Great soldering? not in my book. The GM circuit board is no longer connected to the assembly
I am totally surprised by Redline work. I hear good things about them. Next time, give your business to Oldspackrat (scott). He does an awesome job on my rally pack gauges and rear view mirror. PM him.
I talked to him. I believe he could not do the conversion to make the tach work with an Electronic ignition. My Tic Toc Tach looked and worked great, just not with EFI or a module.
I have a sidewinder tach hooked up to a Pertronix in my Red car, and one hooked to an Electronic Ignition on my Project car, and they both work perfect. There is no reason for a tach not to work with either if it is hooked up correctly.
And yeah, that looks like a real hack job..........
May 5th, 2018, 07:07 AM
