69 Charger Alternator Upgrade / Ammeter Voltmeter Switch

[69ds]

After reading a lot of the posts on here I still have a few questions about my '69 Charger so here it goes!  I am looking at upgrading the alternator to a higher amp maybe around the 80 mark.  I am looking at switching out the ammeter for a voltmeter.  My question is, what is the combination that can bolt in without any changes to wiring or any other electrical mods.  Which alternator and voltmeter will plug in with no problems or is there even such a thing!  The car has a square back alternator on it but is pretty old and worked, also it seems pretty worked running with just the regular headlights on.  I don't currently have a stereo in the car but would like something that can handle the draw of a modern stereo, nothing to crazy.  Car is a 440 non-ac, no stereo currently and all wiring is a brand new year one harness.  Ignition system is upgrade from points and all electrical in the car is brand new minus the gauges.  Sorry for the long description but hopefully that answers any questions and any help is appreciated!

[alcusswhen]

You can get a 80 or 100 amp alt for a 70 to 85 New Yorker or 5th Ave. It will bolt on run your field wire to ether field on the alternator And make a pigtail for the second field and run it to ground. I use #8 wire with a female spade on the field end and a 3/8 eyelet on the other end which I put behind the Alternator mounting bolt nut. Your 69 is a single field with a mechanical regulator. In 70 Chrysler went to the double field and electronic regulator. If you don't ground the second field on the new alt it will over charge and fry your battery. There is no advantage to a voltmeter.
But if you want one leave your ampmeter hooked up and install it separate be sure to run it to a keyed hot and a good ground. If you don't key hot a voltmeter it will kill the battery. Or everyone I've tried over the past 44 years of mopar has anyway. 

[69ds]

The new wiring harness I have has two connections on it that are currently both hooked up to the two fields on the square back alternator, doesn't a new style dual field alternator just plug right in?  Also the ignition came as a kit and has the chrome box, I thought that was the newer style electronic regulator.  Thanks once again! 

[b5blue]

You are thinking "ECU" not "voltage regulator" 

[69ds]

Hope fully this picture works, here is the voltage regulator I have except mine is in chrome.

[69ds]

The one I have has no writing on it, the exact same size and plug but no writing.

[b5blue]

That is a 70 up voltage regulator. Is that what you have in your 69? 

[alcusswhen]

You've already up graded to the duel field alt, so a 100 amp is a plug and play.

[Charger RT]

I wouldn't exactly say it is a plug and play upgrade. In a way it is. in that the higher amp alternator will plug right up. You say the car has new harnesses that is good. If they were made using factory gauge wire and factory style connections there are some things I would do to help the harness live. The factory harnesses has issues living with 35 amp alternators.

I have only been here a little while and have found there are a few thoughts of how to fix these cars and how the factory wired them. The basics are there are 2 wires going through the firewall that hook up to your amp meter. One comes from the starter relay in which gets its power from a battery feed and the other comes right from the alternator. This one is also the one that pretty much feeds everything in the car. They put the load on that side to make the amp meter work correct.

The problem that happens is the connections at the firewall melt and when they do they cause issues. The one that usually melts first is the one from the alternator since for the most part when the engine is running everything on in the car gets power from it and any extra power is sent back to the battery on it as well. With a higher amp alternator this will happen much quicker plus the factory amp meter is not rated for what can come back through it from the higher amp alternator.

There are a few threads telling how to run extra wires into the car to help take the heat off these connections but unless you are going to go crazy with loads I think just bypassing the amp meter and adding a wire from the alternator back to the battery should be all that would be needed to preserve the new harness. If you do add a bunch of stuff I would run a wire in to power that stuff separate from the rest of the car and turn it on with a relay so as to not add too much load to the factory stuff.

To make the changes I would pull the dash and either remove both amp meter wires and tie them together or put them both on the same stud of the amp meter. The other thing is you say you want an 80 amp alternator. Depending on the way you run the wire depends on the gauge wire needed. If you run the wire from the back of the alternator back to the firewall across the fire wall and down the inner fender to the battery if the run is about 6 feet or so a 6 gauge wire would be fine. If you chose to run the wire right across the front of the engine and drape it to the battery like an old ford 8 gauge wire is good for a 3.5 foot run. If the run gets to much more then the 6 feet listed in the first example 4 gauge wire would be the right pick.

As far as hooking that up it is the large stud on the back of the alternator and do not remove the wire already there just leave it on and add the wire. I would take the run right back to the battery. Some would say it needs to go to the starter relay. Either way is fine. Just keep in mind if it is run to the starter relay the circuit from the battery to the starter relay would need upgrading as well.

What these 2 changes does is instead of every amp the alternator creates running through the firewall and heating up those connections. Now the only amount of power going through the firewall is what is being used inside the car. It also now will use both the wires that were on the amp meter to supply that power before all power being used came in on one plus it carried whatever the battery gets out of the alternator. The alternator charges the battery direct on the added wire from the alternator. So there is less power running in to the car and 2 wires now to carry it.

If you like a volt meter add one. I have not heard of one that will bolt into the factory cluster but who knows what will pop up down the road. I bypassed my gauge and added the wire but am only running a 60 amp. I currently have no plans to add a volt meter unless one would be made to match the dash.
Tim

[Nacho-RT74]

I made a thread getting all my thoughts an other opinions on just one place.

If you have the patiente to read it ( some are long, but helpfull ) will help on get your own opinion on what youwant to get:

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,62772.0.html

[dkn1997]

After reading a lot of the posts on here I still have a few questions about my '69 Charger so here it goes!  I am looking at upgrading the alternator to a higher amp maybe around the 80 mark.  I am looking at switching out the ammeter for a voltmeter.  My question is, what is the combination that can bolt in without any changes to wiring or any other electrical mods.  Which alternator and voltmeter will plug in with no problems or is there even such a thing!  The car has a square back alternator on it but is pretty old and worked, also it seems pretty worked running with just the regular headlights on.  I don't currently have a stereo in the car but would like something that can handle the draw of a modern stereo, nothing to crazy.  Car is a 440 non-ac, no stereo currently and all wiring is a brand new year one harness.  Ignition system is upgrade from points and all electrical in the car is brand new minus the gauges.  Sorry for the long description but hopefully that answers any questions and any help is appreciated!

just do this and be happy:

http://www.moparchat.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61642

[mauve66]

i was on there back in 02 when they were doing it, i still have my 130 amp alt sitting on the shelf, car hasn't left the garage......................................

[dkn1997]

i was on there back in 02 when they were doing it, i still have my 130 amp alt sitting on the shelf, car hasn't left the garage......................................

"they" was me... and that alt was a steal for 75 bucks.  130amp brand new!! 

[BrianShaughnessy]

ammeter > voltmeter thread   http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,34721.msg432355.html#msg432355