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Amp gauge

8K views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  snkbyt 
#1 ·
1958 Chevy Fleetside with original gauge cluster with 350 sbc, one wire 100 amp alternator, HEI distributer and electric motor fan. When the electric motor fan kicks on it would send the amp gauge from the middle of the gauge to the far right. This let me know my fan was on and that my alternator was putting out current. I rewired the entire truck with an EZ Wire kit and have either overlooked it or it did not come with a wire for the amp gauge. The amp gauge has several connectors on the back of it and I don't know what wires it takes to get it going again,,,,,, any suggestions?
 
#3 ·
Trouble with an amp gauge is that all the cars current must go through it to get a proper reading. That means taking a main wire through the amp gauge.....A volt meter just monitors the voltage, so a feed from almost anywhere will tell you your charging system is working....I would just install a voltmeter if I were you.
 
#5 ·
There are diagrams to show you how to wire it up. Amp gauges we're in cars for a lot of years. If they weren't safe the factory wouldn't have used them. You have full power going in to run your fuse box anyway. All a amp gauge is a big fuse with a shunt in I, draw to many amps and it will shut down.
 
#6 ·
Full current amp gauges were fairly common in older vehicles, but the output of alternators was also usually quite low (about 40 amps or less). As alternator amperage increased, the in-dash amp gauges were changed to a shunt-type amp gauge, which does not flow the full current through the wiring.

An amp gauge that uses a shunt under the hood (used by GM in the 70's) works more like a milli-voltmeter that measures the voltage drop between two points in the wiring harness. The gauge then uses the measurement of voltage drop to calculate an amp (or current flow) reading on the gauge. Its similar to measuring the amount of fuel in your gas tank at two points in time. If you know the amount of time and the fuel level difference between the two measurements, you can calculate the fuel flow rate.

The article referenced in a previous post by Rick 5150 69 identifies a replacement cluster that uses a voltmeter instead of an ammeter. This is a much safer choice.

Bruce
 
#7 ·
ohms law

There is no question that the voltmeter is the gauge of choice as compared with the ammeter.
Some of the statements here on the HRBB about ammeters, however, are incorrect. Including Madelectrical.
While it is correct that some Manufactures (Chrysler) did route the full electrical load (current) through the ammeter, GM did not. Don't know about Ford. Who cares.
All the data I have seen indicate that GM used the main accessory wire as a shunt and measured the voltage drop (IR) across this wire to drive the ammeter. It's ohms law stuff.

vicrod
 
#8 ·
i did a write up on how to change an amp meter to a volt gauge in a task force truck over on the 67-72 truck forum
i have a build thread over there look for post 36 67-72chevytrucks.com

i used the stock gauge face and inserted the guts from a 2'' volt gauge into the stock cluster
here the truk is off and voltage is zero, i installed the needle to be on the middle dot when the voltage is 14 volts

 
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