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MG MGA - Jaeger MGA Face on a Smith's Electric Tach?

I am putting a new 5 bearing MGB engine in my '56 A. Got a rebuilt electric tach from Nisonger(negative ground, for cars with pertronix ignition). Has anyone out there put a Jaeger MGA tach face and indicator needle on one of these puppies? Just wanted to keep the original MGA look.

Frank Nocera

And yes, I know I am being obsessive to want to do this. Just my OCD.
Frank Nocera

Frank,
I have seen this done, here in the UK, I seem to recall the weight of the needle has some significance on the accuracy of the tach so you may struggle with the use of the orginal MGA needle.
Regards...JB
J Bray

Frank,
Many years ago, I put in a Smiths electric tach and thought about changing the face. I ended up just changing the indicator needle. It seems to work fine with the Jaeger needle.

It has been so long that I don't remember all the details, but I believe the shaft that the needle mounts on is larger in diameter for the Jaeger, so you will need some kind of bushing in the needle. Don't remember what I did.

The mounting screw holes for the Smith's electric face were spaced much wider than those on the Jaeger face, so unless you wanted to drill some more holes in the Jaeger face, you would have to fashion some kind of mounting plate to attach the face to. Also, the arc on the Jaeger face is 270 degrees, and the arc on the Smith electric face is only about 250 degrees. Don't know if the electric needle can swing further. I decided it wasn't worth the trouble to me, and the Smiths face was close enough.

Good Luck,
Jeff
Jeff Schultz

I haven't looked at the MGA/MGB swap but I have adapted an electric tach to my XK project. As Jeff mentions, the screws are in a different spots. The needle pin was smaller on the electronic gauge so the XK-style needle needed a bush to fit. The pin is very small and tapered so adaption is tricky.

The other issues I had probably don't apply to the MGA.

Hope this helps,
Bill
Bill Eastman


After reading the responses and talking to the guys at Nisonger, I think the wise thing to do is to leave it alone and just get used to having a slightly different tach on the dash.
Frank Nocera


Or I could go the other route and have all Smith's instruments on the panel. Hmmmmm.
Frank Nocera

Frank, Have it re-worked by Mo-MA. I have done exactly what you want to do. The neddle has a heavy weight that has to be ground down to work correctly with an elec. tack. I left just enought to mount it on the unit. I used an early B tack. When you look at it , unless you know what was done, you can not tell. Talk to Margeret at MO-MA in New Mexico.
JEFF BECKER

What's their contact info, Jeff. Google gave me nothing. Unless the repairs are offered by the New Mexico Museum of Madern Art, that is.

Derek Nicholson

The weight is a counterweight to balance the needle, so just curious as to why it has to be ground down. I left the weight as is, and just bushed the needle to fit the smaller shaft, and it has worked fine for many years.

Perhaps the electric gauge is compensating for the unbalanced needle, but mine doesn't seem to have too much error even with the counterweight in place.
Jeff Schultz

Haven't dealt with them, but here is the number I have for MoMa. (505)766-6661
Jeff Schultz

Mo Ma Manufacturing - instrument repair
Email momanm@aol.com
1321 Second Street. NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Ph (505) 766-6661 - Fax (505) 766-5419
Barney Gaylord

The elec tack has a different looking needle and is VERY LIGHT WEIGHT. I presume the tack cable will drive the heavy weight neddle but the elec is very light and should move VERY freely. If the weight was left alone, the elec tack would somehow have to put out more power to move the needle to the correct rpm. The elec tack has a new board and it is calabrated corectly. My needle moves and reacts to the engine as I rev it.
JEFF BECKER

This thread was discussed between 13/08/2006 and 17/08/2006

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