MF-35 Tach. Gauge

This tach problem annoys me too, and I keep trying to think of a way around it. My tach cable has been broken since I've had the tractor - about 10 years now. It already had an alternator when I bought it. I've seen pictures and diagrams showing the tach connection on the rear of the original generator at the axis. I tried driving the end of my tach cable with a variable speed drill and the tach seems to work just fine, according to the speed rating for my drill, the tach seems to register half the rpms of the cable. That seems consistent with the pully sizes on the Alternator and Crank.

I looked at the Distributor shaft to see if there was an easy way to attach a gear drive for the Tach, but under the points I found a centrigal advance mechanism - interesting in and of itself. Maybe its possible to put a gear the size of the starter pinion, or bendix, whichever its called, at the flywheel and then divide it down to the right rpm.

I bet someone has rigged some kind of a solution to this, I just keep looking to find it.

btw, does anyone know where I can get a replacement Gas Guage, and I also need to repair or replace the little instrument light on the hood.

I believe the alternator came off a 180 with a perkins engine

The drive for the original one does go through a belt which drives the generator. It shouldn't slip, but it isn't really a direct mechanical drive the way the old Corvette distributor or Detroit Disel camshaft drives were.

So if you still want a tach to check your engine speed perhaps you could find some sort of electrical one that gets triggered off the points or coil. You're probably smart to stay with the alternator in any event.