I just replaced the batt cables and the main power cables on the amp meter due to them having bad corrosion. I picked up .8 more volts at the battery. But I noticed the back of my amp gauge got hot (again) and was thinking about switching to a volt gauge. I would like to keep my dash as stock looking as possible and use the original amp gauge location.
So my questions are. 1 Is a volt gauge better then an amp gauge? 2 Is there one I can mount in the old amp gauge location? 3 Is there any wiring modafactions i need to do to my harness or can I use the two leads from the original harness?
Any info would be helpful....

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~Nic

The ammeter conversion can be done very cleanly without any hacks. How much it costs depends on whether you
do the work yourself or have it done for you. Look at
stealth
conversion of stock ammeter to voltmeter for "it must've
come that way from the factory!" appearance. Expensive that way, though. I've also seen
people successfully buy a Sunpro voltmeter, tear it apart,
and mount the old ammeter face over it with excellent, clean
results. See
here and
here.
Each type of gauge has its benefits and drawbacks.
Ammeters and voltmeters have to be wired up differently.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

Ok thanks. Im going to try to find a volt gauge that will fit. Im using a one wire alternator. In order to wire it up I go from the + post on the alternator to the volt gauge. Then from the gauge to the + side of the battery with no other contacts touching, correct? And do I need to connect the two amp wires together? I know when I disconnect them from the amp gauge nothing works. Yet when i touch them together they spark and my dome light comes back on when the door is open.

_________________
~Nic

On my 76 d100 I believe it is a shunt ammeter, not a full flow ammeter. Unless you have a failed ammeter there is no reason to replace it with a voltmeter. I will double check my factory wiring diagram.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

That's a good point—I didn't recall what year the trucks went to external-shunt ammeters; passenger cars phased them in starting in '71 and the last ones (A-bodies) got them for '76.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.

I double checked and yes, at least by 76 Dodge trucks had switched to shunt-style ammeters. The (+) feed for the ammeters comes off of a big splice near the starter relay and the ground for the ammeters somewhere under the hood. The fuse box is fed by a separate wire and is not fed from the ammeter.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

Ya that is how mine is routed as well but for some reason it got hot (again) behind the amp meter and I dont want to melt the back of the dash. I have yet to find a metal one though I know they exist. Maybe replacing the cables fixed a bad connection somewhere. I dont know.

_________________
~Nic

Well, short term just disconnect the ammeter.

I see no reason why you couldn't use the same two wires for a voltmeter.

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Casually looking for a Clifford hyperpak intake for cheap.

I found this webpage about the problems dodge trucks had with the amp gauge wires coming loose.
http://www.mopartruckparts.com/tech/t015.html

I noticed in the web page it says to run new wires to the amp gauge but leave the original black wire connected as it powers everything else. So since that wire is now new i'll keep that one and just run new wires from the alternator to the gauge and then to the battery. And just to be safe I will drill a hole and route the wires through it so their separated from the bulkhead connector.

_________________
~Nic

hello uncle dan and others- often wonder about this difference/comparative benefits too. uncle moe told me a long time ago that the major difference was ammeters tell you more about the condition of the battery b/c the amp saturation ability of the battery is key to its condition. the voltmeter tells more about the charging ability of the generator or alternator to put out the optimum 12.6- 13.5 v at idle. both pieces of info are needed to assess battery condition and charging rate. this is why some vehicles, notably tanks from the 50s had both gages on the dashboard. since current tanks have only i gage, im guessing the rules have changed and the old stuff doesnt apply. would appreciate if one of my favorite uncles and resident electrical sages would comment on this and give us the bottom line ammeter vs. voltmeter. betting it will be to have both gages on the dash. thanks dan and sages. bob f

An ammeter tells you whether current is flowing into or out of the battery in real time.

A voltmeter tells you the battery's state of charge.

You can deduce the health of the charging system, the battery, and the electrical system as a whole by watching either gauge. The ammeter's real-time current flow indication is more dynamic and conspicuous than "Oh, huh, lookit there, the voltmeter seems a little lower than it usually rides...or is that just the angle I'm sitting at?". But the voltmeter is simpler for most drivers to understand. The ammeter can give a great deal more information about exactly what's going on, but only if the driver knows how to interpret what it's doing.
12.6v is far below optimal charging voltage under any conditions.

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一期一会
Too many people who were born on third base actually believe they've hit a triple.