Tachometer for Old IHC

I've had this old KB model tachometer and decided I'd like to ( Try ) to add it to my 1937 D-2 IHC pickup with an HD-213 Engine and 3 speed transmission. Does anyone just happen to know the following?

Where to connect this item on the vehicle?

How to connect it?

What type or stock# of cable could be used for it?

Worst case scenario, if no can do, I will simply place it in the cab unattached.

See the pics for more help. Thank you.

I've been looking for one of those for my D30 cummins project.

That appears to be a mechanical tachometer, they're usually driven by a speedometer cable. The cable was usually driven at 1/2 engine speed from the camshaft or distributor. I am unaware where IH connected the cable, on old corvettes there was a special tach drive distributor which had a speedometer cable connection below the base of the distributor.

There was one of those tachs in a factory four wheel drive KB8 out of Deadwood, SD that sold a few months ago. It was a beast, could have drove right over a lot full of toyotas!

I built a tach drive for our Cummins 4bta. Years ago, I had a tach drive distributor in our R120 with a 220SD. The tach was out of an R190 gravel truck. I do not have the 220SD distributor, but I know who does. I will try to remember to visit him where he works.
http://youtu.be/87WuczmOI6s

Nikki, can you tell us more about that distributor? Was it IH truck or off something else? I haven't seen any with tach drives in parts books for SDs.

I do not remember the details of this distributor, but I think it came off of another IHC engine similar to the SD220, possibly something industrial. It seems to me that there might have been some issues with the advance going the wrong way. I know who owned the distributor last and I will try to call him tomorrow.
It has been a very long time, but I think we adapted a pickup SD220 advance and this worked. Sadly, my Dad is not around to give a second thought. He would have been 97 last month, he has been gone since 1989.
Is there room on the front of a SD220 to make and attach a tach drive to the front of the timing gear cover?
I would like to have a tachometer like the one pictured in this thread. More stuff on the clock face adds to the interesting. I seldom look at the tach in any of my vehicles, but I like having a tach for the fun of it.

I've had this old KB model tachometer and decided I'd like to ( Try ) to add it to my 1937 D-2 IHC pickup with an HD-213 Engine and 3 speed transmission. Does anyone just happen to know the following?

Where to connect this item on the vehicle?

How to connect it?

What type or stock# of cable could be used for it?

Worst case scenario, if no can do, I will simply place it in the cab unattached.

See the pics for more help. Thank you.

I have a couple of those, my KB-6 had a aftermarket electric sun tach in it that didn't work , I put one of these in to fill the hole in the dash,

haven't come across an adapter for a BLD-250 to make it work, if one even exists, just looks good sitting there though.

Seems like this topic has gotten some interesting responses. It's a bit of a tough nut to crack being that D-2 IHC's did not have Tach's available ( I believe ). If I am wrong, hopefully someone can shed some light on this. I may attempt to see if there is a way to customize the distributor? We'll see.

I have included a couple of pics of the distributor for my truck - see if it helps any. It's a Delco Distributor Model# 622 R 161267

I do not think it would be a good idea to modify that distributor. Of course, just about anything can be imagineered into something else.
The mechanical tachometer drive I built for our Cummins 4bta is driven off the injection pump gear. The injection pump turns at 50% of the crankshaft speed as does the cam in most engines. The first concern for me is to check for front engine clearance for the drive and if necessary, possibly making a reroute for the drive belts that interfere with that space. A nice touch is to convert all of the pulleys to modern SERPINTINE belts and one tensioner. These belts lend themselves well to bending in both directions, BUT, alignment is super critical.
I bought a SBC HEU distributor from a neighbour who was parting out his MALIBOU. A little time in the lathe and a new Ford Flathead distributor drive gear, from THE OLD CAR CENTRE, fitted had the HEI firing a different application. The HEI advance had to be restricted for the Flathead. This modification will have to be determined by the end-user.
To make a working mechanical drive will require some Stewart Warnerhttp://www.stewart-warner.com/ or SS White http://www.sswt.com/products.htm shafts and most likely an angle drive will be needed to turn the drive to the cable 90 degrees. These drives can be opened and the out-put direction reversed.
The second option may be to try and find a distributor from another engine that has the mechanical tach drive. Another tachometer option may be one that had a governor drive connection. This may be an easy conversion to a drive cable. Some of the governors were driven by a speedo style cable.
I am going to call my friend about the IHC tach drive distributor that I gave him, maybe he still has it and maybe he will let me get it back. If I am able to get the distributor, it will be a good source for what to look for.
I saw an IHC stationary engine near CHILLIWACK, BC, and it had a tach drive distributor and the engine drove a large gen-set for a chicken barn emergency power.

I did call the man that I gave my 220SD engine with the mechanical drive distributor to. When he sold his truck wrecking business, everything went for scrap. He business was mostly IHC Vintage. He remembers the distributor because he had several of them and not survived. He said it was the environmental concerns and increasing cost for a permit to operate a wrecking business that forced the sale. I was given the name of a wrecking yard in Chilliwack, BC that may be the last option for this sort of stuff. It is KEN'S VINTAGE AUTO PARTS. This business does not have a web-site and the telephone number is available if the business name is Googled.
I have another option for vintage IH stuff in the interior of BC. I will be going to visit in that area, in the spring because the Highway Through Hell is too dangerous in the winter. My wife thinks that she may have put a few early pictures of the R120 away, somewhere??
The picture shows there will some interference at the front of the cam from the front motor mount. No big deal. A cut and weld in section of 3-4 inch tube will give the access needed for a cam drive tach system.
If anyone is really interested in doing this modification, I will share what we have done in the past. I'll need convincing that this could turn into a real project, first.

nikkinutshop, great advice. I'll leave the Distributor well enough alone. I must admit, I am just a simple backyard mechanic. But I do understand about 50% of what you stated in your reply. Let me throw this at you. Right now, a friend of mine owes me a favor, and he owns a full fledged machine shop ( he's a machinist ) and has been doing all sorts of engine modifications and rebuilds for years. What if I pose this same question to him? I'm wondering if there is a chance he may be able to come up with an idea once I give him your reply. I agree, alignment is critical, and so is precision.

I am thinking out loud here, but I was also thinking maybe he could find or possibly make some sort of pulley mechanism and modify an existing pulley to accommodate a tachometer and cable? Bolt it to the engine and allow it to tension against the belt? What's your opinion on this?

If he can't do it, I am wondering who could either build or modify a device to accommodate this item? Any ideas?

I have included a pic regarding the idea I have.