reversing the Miata tach rotation? Anyone else ever thought about it?

[JamieH]

I was looking at the Miata gauge faces on revlimiter's site and all the different 0 rotations, and I got to thinking, what would it take to reverse the tach rotation on the Miata? For example, how cool would it be to have the tach 0 at a 4 o'clock position and the speedo 0 at a 8 o'clock position and the gauges sweep away from one another? Like an Aston DB9 or TVR Sagaris?

I have no idea how simple or difficult it would be. I mean, I was thinking it could be as simple as switching signal inputs on the tach motor. Probably not likely this is just a passing thought I just had) but still, has anyone else thought about this? Or does anyone know if someone has attempted/done this for the Miata?

[speedypenguin]

http://images.thecarconnection.com/lrg/2011-aston-martin-rapide-4-door-sedan-auto-instrument-cluster_100361631_l.jpg

So something like this, but with the tach and speedometer switched? Consider me intrigued.

[Ihatecars]

That's a really interesting idea. I wonder if Adam(RevLimiter) has any knowledge on this subject.

He is the custom gauge guru. :teehee:

[theothersawyer]

I actually just had this thought the other day! It'd be cool for sure!

[Ciotti]

I think I mentioned it to Adam when he released the Prototipo gauges and he mentioned that it was something he started to look into a while back but never followed up on.

[iKhanh]

i wish there was an easy enough mod where the needles would sweep the gauges upon start up too lol.

[Phatmiata]

pretty sure they both sweep to the right on the NA / NB Miata, so you can start them anywhere, but I don't believe you can change the direction of the rotation. If you have a spare cluster take it apart and see, might be something simple, might not, but worth a shot! Looks great for sure!

[theothersawyer]

I doubt that it would be something simple, but the idea is still cool!

[HELLIONMX5]

mind = imploded... lol

[iKhanh]

get Adam in here to chime in; i remember reading somewhere him mentioning something about this and saying that it would be extremely difficult something something blah blah, i forget. lol

[MX5RACER]

It is still an electric motor that turns the needle. If you can take the gauge apart far enough to get to the wires on the motor, you can swap them and the motor will turn the opposite direction.

[revlimiter]

Sorry, I managed never to see this thread. I have most likely done every mod possible to a Miata cluster at this point. :)

It IS actually easy to make the needle spin the other way. You just invert the signal going to the tach with a jumper wire. Instant needle spinning backwards!

The problem is that the gauge scale goes to hell immediately. It becomes extremely non-linear and not in the fun way like a Lotus Elise tach. The low end takes over most of the tach sweep. The 3500-7000 range is shrunk down to the very top of the range, about where 6000-7000 lives on the OEM scale. In essence, the tach becomes useless.

I've had a handful of customers order reversed gauges before. Each of them came back to me a few months later and bought a regular tach face after sourcing a new tach to swap into their cluster. I now try to discourage folks from attempting this mod.

Cliff notes: reverse tach is not worth it.

[JamieH]

Damn, that's too bad. Thanks, Adam!