Ammeter connections when adding a fuse panel??

[rcl700]

So I'm trying to plan out my wiring. I'm staying 6v pos ground. I'm planing to replace all wiring. I need help understanding the ammeter connections. So my thought is that I come off the starter solenoid (battery side) to one side of the meter then out of the meter to the new fuse panel from the other side. All 6v power supply to accessories will come from the fuse pannel. 

 

So hopefully that part to correct. Basically battery to meter then meter to fuse panel. If this is correct, does the generator charge (b) wire go to the battery side of the ammeter? 

 

I'm looking at the factory wiring diagram and the ammeter goes to the horn relay. In my new fuel pannel the horn relay built in. 

[Sniper]

All loads need to be on the generator side of the ammeter, not the battery side.  The only thing you really want on the battery side is the battery.  The ammeter is there to show the state of charge to/from the battery.  Any other load on the battery side of the ammeter will show a discharge on the meter.

 

In your drawing your charge wire needs to move to where your fuse wire is, keep the fuse wire there.  If the meter reads backwards, swap the wire on the ammeter.

[rcl700]

So as pictured below? 

What if any of these links should be fused? 

 

I have a section of fusible link wire that came with the panel. This will go on the connection from fuse panel to ammeter.

 

I have no idea how this worked as it is setup from factory wiring diagram. Looks to me like all supply to the car accessories came from one side of the ammeter and the other side was connected to the horn relay. How is the battery connected? 

[Sniper]

I am not sure that colored wring diagram you have is correct.  The coil power needs to go thru the ignition switch, it doesn't in that drawing.  The battery sin;t hooked up to teh generator output in the drawing either.  Both of those are wrong.  So I dug out my FSM's, they show the same for a P15.  So I grabbed a shot of the P-17 diagram and it shows properly.

 

 

 

Your corrected hand drawing is good.  The fusible link should probably go between the ammeter and fuse box connection. 

[rcl700]

I'm glad I'm not going crazy. I couldn't figure out why there was no battery link to the ammeter on the p15 wiring diagram. Seems strange that this has not come up before as this is printed in my manual.

Thank you as always, I'm grateful for your knowledge and willingness to assist. I'm really green when I comes to this stuff. This is my first real project car. 

[Dartgame]

I'm not currently using the ammeter after my 12 volt conversion and installation of fuse panel. A friend suggested trying a shunt in the circuit to the ammeter to avoid having all the cars voltage run through it before the fuse panel. Comments or thoughts ?

[Sniper]

Your friend has no idea how the ammeter circuit works.  The only current it should be measuring is what is going to or from the battery, not the fuse panel.

 

 

[Los_Control]

Sniper has schooled me on this also .... I too was concerned and considering running a shunt.

The wiring diagram I saved from the internet and plan to use, you can see the + side of the Ammeter is fed by the battery, the main power or charging wire from the alternator is going to the - side of the gauge .... The amp gauge is not reading the charging system, it is just showing the state of the battery.

 

As the charging system charges the battery, you will see the amp gauge show a positive charge as the battery gets charged .... My 65 amp alternator will not be going through the amp gauge though.

 

If the power from the alternator was going to the + side of the amp gauge .... Which is wrong! Then I would need a shunt to try and correct the mistake.

 

At least this is my understanding what I have been taught from here at the forum.

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Los_Control