The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay amp gauge

I was about to install my new amp gauge and was trying to remeber is there a cardboard insulator on both side of the gauge bolts. Cleaned and painted my gauge case last year and forgot to note any insulators on the mount studs

I beleive the insulators are on both bolts, the bottom side only, The nut makes the contact.

The rebuilt gauges Amp, and fuel came back without any insulators was the reason for my post. So as you wrote I will make sure that the bolts do not contact the metal case right? Thanks, my problem is this old girl is a project on going for the past 6 years, love it

Don’t know what year or model your addressing but here’s a picture of my ’50 gauge cluster. The one that shows the fish paper insulator best is kind of blurry;
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2051497640098611668XNufJz
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2353743490098611668whnTKM
I think the reason the fish paper is there is so the connector won't short if it gets bend down. I'm sure the terminals themselves are insulated from the case.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Thanks guys for your input. I did a stupid thing over the weekend and rushed the install of the gauges. Thinking that the gauges were insulated as you noted Denny, I put the power to the system, and melted the temp gauge tube....the gauges are not insulated from the case. The need for the paper is to insulate. I should have known this as I have been involved with trucks all my life, just got away from them the past few years, so if you work on new gauges be sure to use the insulating paper, not always sent with these gauges.

Another reason for the for the temperature tube to melt is that it was the only ground path. You need a better ground than the temperature tube to the instrument cluster for the fuel gauge to work well.

run a ground strap from the engine to the firewall, be sure the dash panel is well grounded to the firewall, and run a ground strap from the battery to the engine and also the frame. Clean the mounting for the alternator or a ground wire from the alternator.