Amp meter bypass?

[slick]

I am in the process of getting the wiring squared away on the 68. I am doing the hole bypass of the amp meter. I have gone over the mad electrical diagram over and over but I still have questions. I have searched the forum and haven't really come up with a definitive answer. On the mad electrical sight it shows them just jumping the amp meter wires. My first question is doesn't the buss bar power other items off the power from the amp meter? Second question I have is can't I just dead end the black wire before it goes out the firewall instead of looping it back to the junction? Third question, I saw a thread on here where someone just put both amp meter wires on one pole of the amp meter after doing the alternator directly wired to the starter relay fix. Is that okay to do since all the alternator power is now goingto the relay? Here is the mad electrical diagram for reference. http://www.madelectrical.com/electrical ... ges2.shtml

[wally426ci]

Slick

From my experience of wiring mine as we speak, the bus bar is switched power frim the ign switch. It is isolated from the amp full power. The bus bar mounted there just keeps it solid and not loose. I asked the same question of 1 power wire and was told that the 2 simply make it a better system. I am keeping my bus bar with that volt gauge you saw. Let you know how it goes.

[slick]

The more i think about it, can't I just leave the amp guage hooked up now that it won't be getting all the amps from the alternator?

[wally426ci]

I think people consider the gauge a week point in the system as well.

[Roxyflash]

Best to run a new wire from the alternator straight to the battery stud on the starter relay 10 gauge wire with a 10 gauge fuse link.Then tie the two ampmeter wires together you can just move the red wire over to the black wire stud.Take the old black wire from alt. to the bulkhead and remove it.Then buy a voltmeter wire it positive to the buss bar which I believe is 12 volt ignition power negative to a good ground.

[slick]

I've done the 10 guage wire straight to relay already and disconnected the amp guage I just wasn't sure what the best way to.power up the bus bar would be. But, if I read Wallys respnse correctly the bus bar doesn't get powered from the amp guage?

[Roxyflash]

I believe he is correct I just ohmed my spare dash it doesn't go tru the ammeter.

[slick]

cool thanks fellas

[wally426ci]

Indeed. Powers from ign switch. I will take a pic of my setup

[Hobcobble]

I think people consider the gauge a week point in the system as well.

I've never had an issue with this gauge in any of my trucks.... Same
goes with any Dodge or Plymouth car I've owned. Am I in the minority
here?.... Just curious....

John

[wally426ci]

I never have either and this is around my 10th old mopar. I was just stating what others have argued. I got nervous after my meltdown is all.

[slick]

I had this issue in my Polara. In route to the bar when I was 21 years old! We were driving and I thought the car was on fire. Turns out the entire plug at the firewall was melted where the amp guage connects. I had been having charging issues before, but 15 years ago my diagnostic skills were minimal! The car was never the same after that. I had a big hole in the firewall where I took the plug out and had the wirin rigged to get by..

[Txas2step]

In 1971, my '68 coronet 500 ... cruising down the freeway right at dusk. Hit the toggle light switch....dash lights dim and then smoke billowing out from under the dash. Not a cool feeling when you loose your lights at 70 mph. What a mess!

[wally426ci]

In other notes, don't use those damn extinguishers I bought. I will post the brand. That stuff is super corrosive and I am still finding stuff that the baking sofa missed 6 months later....

[PwrWgnWalt]

Never had an issue with gauges, even in my old Mopar cars. Have owned and driven 8 of these trucks ('64 to '71) over the past 29 years, with only (what I now know to be) corrosion induced resistance problems. I think what some have written about is the plastic gauges getting too hot and melting/burning - our gauges are metal- or the wires burning from too much resistance.

You may have already seen these posts, but here's a link to the two that directly address your issue (I think)...

See the "Sixth Topic" of this post:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=34977

And this one:
viewtopic.php?f=21&t=34877

So far, the solution of the heavy 'direct' wiring has been great! No more electrical gremlins (knock on wood)



-Walt

[nytemuvr]

I think people consider the gauge a week point in the system as well.

I've never had an issue with this gauge in any of my trucks.... Same
goes with any Dodge or Plymouth car I've owned. Am I in the minority
here?.... Just curious.... :thinking

John

Same here...had a Mopar VR go out (actually it didn't regulate) one time, but didn't do any harm except burn out the filaments in some light bulbs. Most Mopars I've worked on or refurbished were post '69s. Wally's wiring was alright, it was the alternator that took a dump, if I'm not mistaken. All bets are off after that. Owned and worked on Mopar cars for 42+ years.

[wally426ci]

Agreed. Alt grounded. Just figured I would try something new.

Had the vr go out a few times in th challenger myself. Like an alien obduction with bright dash lights!