The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Classic Parts harness question

I am installing the basic harness for my stock 53 6v. On the instructions it says Ammeter (+ terminal) to voltage regulator(B terminal). On the back of my gauge it does not show which terminal is positive. How are you supposed to know?

You should call the supplier to get their 1-800 Tech. support guy to help during the installation with questions like this one which will surely come up again. That's what I did with mine. I had never installed one before and I'm pretty sure I couldn't have done on my own. Mine was Painless wiring. Hope this helps.

The eseist way is to hook them up. If it works backwards, reverse the wires.

I am doing the same about now, the wiring is in place but not tested. The paperwork seems to indicate that the plus terminal of the ammeter is the behind plus side of the gauge as read from the front.

Karl

This sounds logical, but I don't want to fry my new harness.

you can't fry anything by making the meter read backwards ... on the factory schematics the dash is shown as it exists in the truck [right/left], including the terminals on the gauges .... that shows which side each wire connects to whether the gauge is labeled or not

Bill

Thanks Bill, Steve

So, in other words the "C" on the gauge indicates the positive location on the back or, the right side. Sorry, never had experience with this before.

clear schematic, note line labeled 'dash panel' [firewall] - the heavier [10ga] wire to the voltage regulator is right, the 2 lighter [14ga] wires are on the driver side/left and labeled "+" - but as said above, if the gauge acts backwards, just switch sides, no harm

Bill

I guessed and as luck would have it, it is backwards. hard to switch now as access is limited with a fully assembled dash. Doh! Might just leave it...just kidding.

Would this apply to the gas gauge as well? E(-) F(+)

I wired the plus side to the C side, and it seems to work just fine. Does not apply to the fuel gauge. You will mess that up if you get it backwards. if I remember right, my wire running from the sending unit went to the F and the power coming from the ignition went to the E post. Mine was a 1950 3100 6V.

same deal, look at the factory schematic, the gauges are shown there as they appear in the truck and the wires are shown on the sides they belong on .... and as a side note, the TF series changed sides on some gauges, the schematic is the bible

Bill

Bill:

I did exactly as you suggested and still got it wrong. One thing is for sure, either I or the bible was wrong...either way, it needs to get reversed.

Bill, I have not looked for the factory schematics yet, are they in the Shop Manual?

The F.A.M. Has some detail.

...click...

Diagrams are in the shop manual electrical section

Here are illustrations of 1953 truck wiring diagrams:

PDF document

jpg image

I have never seem a 1953 Shop Manual - the illustrations above are from the CSN (Chevrolet Service News - compliments of Keith Hardy)

I do not know if those are the factory schematic that Bill refers to.

The FAM illustration is for a 1954/55 truck gauge. The 47-53 gauge is different, but the orientation of the leads/poles might be the same.

I do not know how you would know if the left and right attachment points in the CSN illustration are from the front of the gauge or from the rear of the gauge?

Thanks Gus.What I see, is the red 10g wire going from the amm. to the Bat. on the regulator would be on the drivers LEFT side as he or she faces the gauge. The black wire on the right terminal shows it going to the starter switch. It sounds like no harm would be done if wired wrong though.

Gus, what does F.A.M. stand for?

...Factory Assembly Manual...

Tim is correct, looks like the detail and color code are the the newer trucks.

as I pointed out above, ALL the schematics are drawn with things exactly positioned as they are in the truck, the orientation is determined by the line across the drawing labeled "DASH PANEL" - viewed from the "tail light end" of the drawing you are facing the dash and the gauges are facing you as if they are "lying on their faces" .... if viewed from the "headlight end", you are seeing the gauges from the back, your left and right have swapped

and I see I made a mistake above, on this clear 51 schematic the heavier wire isn't the +, which is shown at the post with 2 wires on the driver side [left], sorry David [I changed the post above]

Bill