amp guage after 12v conversion ?

[p24-1953]

if you switch to a 12 volt + 60 amp alternator, what do you do with the in dash amp guage? can you leave it connected, (but reversed wires) is it a danger? 60 amps, but only shows 50 amps will it overheat? will it show anything worthwhile? do you nead a volt meterinstead or in addition to?

[1949P17BC]

I left mine alone, switched to 12 volt battery, generator and voltage regualtor. Never even thought about that gauge?

[TodFitch]

if you switch to a 12 volt + 60 amp alternator, what do you do with the in dash amp guage? can you leave it connected, (but reversed wires) is it a danger? 60 amps, but only shows 50 amps will it overheat? will it show anything worthwhile? do you nead a volt meterinstead or in addition to?

I guess the question is will you ever put more than 50 amps through the old gauge. If you haven't installed anything that takes a huge amount of power then your actual current through the ammeter should, in general, be half of what it was when you ran 6v.

And all your big loads should be on the same side of the ammeter as the alternator so when the engine is running none of that current will be going through the ammeter anyway.

[B-Watson]

if you switch to a 12 volt + 60 amp alternator, what do you do with the in dash amp guage? can you leave it connected, (but reversed wires) is it a danger? 60 amps, but only shows 50 amps will it overheat? will it show anything worthwhile? do you nead a volt meterinstead or in addition to?

The old 6 volt cars may have had half the voltage, but the amps were almost double what the succeeding 12 volt cars had. Which is why the 6 volt cars were not the problem most think they are and why the main battery and generator wires were thicker.

The standard generator on a 1953 Plymouth put out 50 amps with a 55 amp generator or 80 amp Leece-Neville alternator optional. Only one amp gauge was offered and it worked with all generators or alternators.

So you should have no problems.

Bill

Vancouver, BC

[p24-1953]

our stock generators were 50 amp? i thought they were 35. so did they produce a full 50 amps or did it have a built in loss? (output is 40 ish)

[Don Coatney]

Why would you need a 60 amp alternator?

[Plymouthy Adams]

per the factory service manual 46-54 all model Plymouth

Model GDZ 4801 w/Voltage reg. VRP 4503 8 volt out, max amp 35 at 2,000 RPM

Model GGW 6001 w/volt reg VRP 4503B 40 amp: w/volt reg VBE 6001A 45 amp these were at 2800 rpm

my 1954 is an automatic tranny, if you can believe what you read on all the various sites, this car came equipped with the larger group size battery and checking my car it is the matching 6001 gen and reg for 45 amps out..was very much surprised to see the original part number regulator on the firewall..as to your 1953..you must read to data plate to establish your output rating..keeping in mind that the max rpm must be maintained for to generate the max amperage out..

Edited November 15, 2009 by Tim Adams

[p24-1953]

Why would you need a 60 amp alternator?

the current plan is to add a/c and an electric fan. do you think 60 is over kill the a/c requires 30 amps alone