hooking up a alt, gauge

[slotracer]

whats the right way of wiring up a gauge? thanks
pat(slotracer) :eat:

[Kindsvater Flat]

Are you using an ampmeter or a voltmeter Pat?
Ampmeter gets put in series with the bat wire to the alt.
Voltmeter just gets hooked to a switched power lead.

[slotracer]

it is a ampmeter with a single wire alternator.
pat(slotracer) :lightsabe

[Kindsvater Flat]

Cut bat wire to the alt and hook the guage inbetween the 2 wires. 50/50 chance if you hook it up wrong it will show discharge. Easy fix is use a multimeter to make sure its charging so you know the alt is working. Then you can reverse the wires on the guage if need be.

[Havasu Hangin']

If you can, I'd ditch the ampmeter.
All your current will be running through that wire. That's probably 20' through a 10 gauge wire? If so, you will never get all the amps back to the batteries (to much resistance on a wire that long).
A voltmeter will tell you the same tale, without hindering the alternator's output.
Just my 2 cents.

[058]

Dump the ampmeter. A voltmeter will tell you more and can be wired to any part of the electrical system, even from the cigarette lighter. The voltmeter has more info as it will show draw from the starter, ignition system and electrical system in general as well as showing alt. charge and how much its charging. The ampmeter is not as safe as you will need to run 10Ga wire to and from the dash which will increase your chances for a direct short and a bigger chance of fire.

[Kindsvater Flat]

Ya these guys are right... then again my ampmeter is only 1' from the battery and alt.

[slotracer]

if i go to a volt meter how would i rewire it? it has the hot wire for the key switch going to it. thanks
pat(slotracer) :p

[Panic Button]

if i go to a volt meter how would i rewire it? it has the hot wire for the key switch going to it. thanks
pat(slotracer) :p
3 wires 1- goes to the hot side of the ignition, 1- ground & 1- to the light.

[steelcomp]

Volt meter can go anywhere in the electrical system, to any (+) wire, after your switch. Panic's right...the other two wires go, one, to ground, and if the other is for a light, again to a (+) wire. Since there's very little draw with this gauge or light, you don't have to worry about wire size. :coffeycup

[slotracer]

well now i went and did it and spent some more $$$$$$$$. ordered a new volt meter from summit along with some other items while i had them on the phone. ca ching ca ching. :2purples:
pat(slotracer) :crossx:

[Kindsvater Flat]

well now i went and did it and spent some more $$$$$$$$. ordered a new volt meter from summit along with some other items while i had them on the phone. ca ching ca ching. :2purples:
pat(slotracer) :crossx:
Could be worse....:D
http://www.schoutenranch.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10001/blowersheet.JPG

[slotracer]

i have that also plus a set of canfield 310 alum. heads for one bbc. and for another bbc a set of complete redone 990 heads that need to go back to the shop to have the springs changed for the iski cam and 8-71 thats going on that engine. next have to send out the carbs to get redone and matched for the blower set up. lucky for me my kids are grown and now that they are working they are paying rent to support my hobbies :rollside:
pat(slotracer) :220v:

[Foggerjet]

I agree 100% with the guys about ditching the ammeter. If something goes haywire with the guage, no charge. A voltmeter tells really all you need to know. When I switch the ign on I show about 12v. After I crank the motor up, it jumps to 13.5v. If it don't jump up, somethings wrong. And you can hook it to pretty much anything with 12v somewhere under the dash. I've never seen it but I've heard of ammeters shorting out to ground (through the light circuit) and causing an electrical fire. That would suck.
fog