Bypassing Amp Gauge in 69 Charger

[mike337]

I have elected to install aftermarket (Autometer) gauges in my 69 Charger and have two questions.

1. I plan to bolt together the dash harness red and black wire ends that went to the Amp Gauge, put some solder on them for security, and put a piece of heat shrink over the joined ends.  Will that suffice?

2. Any suggestions on where to connect up my new Voltmeter that is in the dash?  Will any switched 12-volt source work?

Thanx,
Mike

[2Gunz]

1. Yes   But make sure the wires show no signs on heat damage.


2. Also yes

[mike337]

Thanx,

The dash wiring harness is new, so no heat damage.  I just want to keep it that way.

Mike

[TylerCharger69]

why not just take the two wires off of the original gauge and put them on the new one?....that's what I did

[FLG]

why not just take the two wires off of the original gauge and put them on the new one?....that's what I did

The amp gauge is a weak point in these systems. Some (like Nacho) swear by the amp gauge. If your bone stock then id say with a new gauge you would probably be good to go, if you add electric fans, radio..ect to your system you are then putting stress on a amp gauge that its really not meant to handle and you are better off connecting the wires together for safety reasons. Once i put my electric fans in my amp gauge posts would get RED hot. I ran additional wiring and removed the gauge, wires get warm but nothing to be concerned about.

[Nacho-RT74]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoMgnJDXd3k

[Charger RT]

Bypassing the amp meter is the first step in keeping that new harness in good shape.

What I would also do is run a wire from the battery terminal of the alternator back to the battery. This keeps all the amps the alternator makes that would go to the battery from running through the firewall twice. Keeping the amps that do go through the firewall lower and that new harness in better shape. It also then splits the inside load over the 2 wires that go in. With the factory setup everything went in on one wire the inside load was used and the extra out to the battery on the other wire.

The gauge of that wire would need to be determined by what alternator you are going to use. That wire would allow a pretty good size unit too.

Also if electric fans or any extra loads are added under the hood use relays to power the fans. For instance if you put electric fans to cool the radiator you get power to feed them right off the battery to a relay. power out to the fan. no power for the fans running through the firewall. The control side of the relay would be powered from inside but that is a very small load and no damage to those 2 wires that run trough the firewall from it.
Tim

[FLG]

Bypassing the amp meter is the first step in keeping that new harness in good shape.

What I would also do is run a wire from the battery terminal of the alternator back to the battery. This keeps all the amps the alternator makes that would go to the battery from running through the firewall twice. Keeping the amps that do go through the firewall lower and that new harness in better shape. It also then splits the inside load over the 2 wires that go in. With the factory setup everything went in on one wire the inside load was used and the extra out to the battery on the other wire.

The gauge of that wire would need to be determined by what alternator you are going to use. That wire would allow a pretty good size unit too.

Also if electric fans or any extra loads are added under the hood use relays to power the fans. For instance if you put electric fans to cool the radiator you get power to feed them right off the battery to a relay. power out to the fan. no power for the fans running through the firewall. The control side of the relay would be powered from inside but that is a very small load and no damage to those 2 wires that run trough the firewall from it.
Tim

Yep thats exactly how my fans are wired. The only wires that go inside are to energize the relays in the run position.