bypassing amp gauge

[68fish]

Ive read a few articles on bypassing the amp meter as this is the weakest link in the system and I am upgrading to a 60 amp alt. Some simply put in a 10 guage wire from starting relay directly to alt with fusable link and keep origianal wireing hooked up to amp gauge. Others completely take out the amp guage bypassing it making it totally dead along with the new wire from starting realay to alt.

Which way do you guys prefer???

Fish

[Dood]

There may be another option which is to change out the amp guage to a voltemeter. See this post: amp meter to volt meter

[robertob]

One of my gauge panels had a little piece of steel with two holes drilled in it to short out the amp gauge. Seems like a good idea.

I am eventually going to convert one of mine to a voltmeter, I've just been too lazy to put the parts together. I have a cheapo voltmeter that I disassembled and took the face off of already. I just need to graft it onto a factory gauge. Now of course I have the round ones so it should be easier, other than the fact that you have to get one with reverse needles (round needles point down, square needles point up).

[elacruze]

I haven't done anything yet with the pickup, but on my '68 Charger I just ran the bypass to the alternator. What that does is leave the alternator in place and functional but it doesn't carry the battery charging load. It reads all the loads inside the car, but nothing that powers from the start relay stud.
Later, I had it changed to a voltmeter.

[robertob]

I haven't done anything yet with the pickup, but on my '68 Charger I just ran the bypass to the alternator. What that does is leave the alternator in place and functional but it doesn't carry the battery charging load. It reads all the loads inside the car, but nothing that powers from the start relay stud.
Later, I had it changed to a voltmeter.

Did that on my old Dart. Works good too - the amp gauge just doesn't tell you when you have a bad alternator anymore.

[OregonDodgeboy]

When I was wiring my Scout 2 to accept the MoPar electrics, I used this site:

http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical ... uges.shtml

This is a great write-up, well illustrated, and even shown on a 70's era Dodge truck. Perfect for what you need to know and do. I followed his instructions and my Scout's electrical works fine. It only takes a few dollars worth of wire and some connections, and you're in business. Not like some places that you have to buy their "kit" to get the parts and instructions. (BTW, I swapped in a Dodge 360, and the original wiring for the Scout was GM style. It was interesting figure out, but it didn't take long.)

[garyo]

I understand the new big wire from the alternator to the relay stud. Do I still leave the old black wire still hook to the alternator stud?