The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 1953 Wiring Harness Install

I decided to make this post with a subject that made more sense. I am getting ready to install and carefully document the installation of a 1953 wiring harness. To do that, I need to take pictures as I go and a few questions are coming up.

The harness that is in it was home made so is of no help whatsoever as far as what goes where. I will be asking questions and hoping someone knows....

1) The Ammeter.. There was no way to tell how it was wired. The best I can figure is Ammeter MINUS on the back of the gauge corresponds to the CHARGE side (right hand side looking at the face of it). That seems counterintuitive to me. I do not want to wire this backwards, worse tell everyone else to do the same. Does anyone know for sure when it comes to wiring diagrams, which Poll is Ammeter Positive and which is Ammeter Negative?

I found THIS today....

"Typically, in an automotive application, the ammeter minus terminal connects directly to the battery positive terminal. (The only thing that DOESN'T go through the ammeter is the heavy cable to the starter solenoid - ammeters can't handle starter current!) Everything else connects to the ammeter positive terminal - all electrical loads, the alternator, etc. In this arrangement the ammeter reads positive (+) if the battery is being charged or negative (-) if there is a current drain from the battery."

Amazing how little information there is on this. I will write things up this way and hope for the best. Once its sorted out, we will not have to tell people...

"If it shows a discharge, swap the wires to the other terminal."

Meaning.. Ammeter minus (equals the Charge side Poll) to Starter/Battery and plus to the loads per the wiring diagram. Confusing.

Deve,

Have you seen this thread?

Ammeter Wiring

I replaced my ammeter with a volt meter (Tech Tip) . It seems to provide me with good information on the battery and alternator status/condition.

Yeah, I was seeing the exact opposite on the sites I looked over today. The discharge represents the positive side according to them. I got so confused I gave up.

So you wired it that way (Discharge = Minus and Charge = Positive) and it works as it's supposed to?

This truck is not a candidate for any conversions to voltmeters. I will be doing that on my main builds in the future. Thanks Andy!

As I said in my e-mail, the PO butchered the gauge cluster in my truck. I purchased another one and installed the volt meter, much to my satisfaction.

I did some more looking around on this.....and I found conflicting information too. Have you looked in the FAM? Specifically, Section 12, Sheet 12.01, it's even dated 6-29-53!

Certainly, someone out there has questioned this before and likely has the answer. Let's see what turns up.....

The FAM 12.01 and 12.02 are not in sync with each other either. In fact, I can't make out what they are saying in 12.01. Text at the top seems to be different than what they are saying in the middle of the page! I wish I had a truck that was all put together. All of mine have the harnesses out!

All of the wiring diagrams for these trucks, and I have each year, show Ammeter Positive goes to the Battery Terminal on the Starter. So the question is simply what do they consider the positive terminal? The Discharge Side or the Charge Side?

If you go by 12.01 of the FAM TOP TEXT MIDDLE, it leads you to believe the DISCHARGE Side is the Positive Side. That is how I think this truck was wired based on the color wire that was dangling from it. But not conclusive.

Pics/Diagrams so far with more to come are here:
http://devestechnet.com/Home/MorePix#ADWiringInfo

Deve,

My manuals are packed for moving.

Can you post links to the pages of the FAM?

Thanks,

Is the FAM online somewhere? If not, I can scan a few pages in if necessary.

It is not on-line.

12.01 is right hand drive

Good catch DADS50!

FAM Sect. 12
Sheet 12.00

MODELS
ALL LD
CABS & COWLS WITH WINDSHIELDS

Wonder why this one has the gauges upside down. That sure helps! LOL! But if I read this right, this is another page that says the starter/battery connection is connected to the DISCHARGE side of the gauge. Which contradicts the other posters in the other thread.

I have no idea as to why FAM Sheet 12.00 shows the gauges upside down. But, I continue to ponder this in hopes of learning the how and why of ammeters.....maybe that's why I have a volt meter!

So, in simple terms, the ammeter indicates the direction of current flow (charge or discharge) and the relative amount of current flow. In the center of the ammeter gauge is zero current flow and all the way to the left and right on the gauge shows maximum charge or discharge.

The ammeter has a frame with a magnet attached to it and an armature with a needle attached to it. Without current flowing in the system, the needle is held at the center point of the gauge by the magnet. With current flowing in the system in either direction (charge or discharge) the magnetic field attracts the armature away from the magnet and the indicator needle gives a reading in relationship to the strength of the current.

It seems to me that the starter/battery connection should be the charge (+) side of the ammeter and the discharge side (-) or load should be on the other terminal of the ammeter gauge.

I'll close with this. If the system is charging, the current is flowing back to the battery. If the system is discharging, the current use (load/demand) is exceeding the current supply.

I hope you get this solved soon. Otherwise you'll need an eloquent way to say "If it shows a discharge, swap the wires to the other terminal."

What do you mean by the FAM showing the ammeter gauge upside-down?

As viewed from the front of the dash board.....

On my '47 gauge cluster: Fuel is upper left, Battery upper right, Temperature lower left, and Oil lower right.

The FAM 12.00 gauge cluster: Temperature is upper left, Fuel is upper right, Battery is lower left, and Oil is lower right.

Of course the FAM is viewing from the back side.

54 gauges

Thanks again DADS50!

I wondered if the '54 gauge clusters were arranged differently!!

I know Andy. I am not a rookie where electronics is concerned, but when you do Technical writing, you have to be absolutely sure and since the plan is to do this in installments, the first part of the writeup comes way before the harness is installed and tested completely. When you write it so people can follow along, you have to be absolutely sure. The FAM is showing the battery/starter connected to the discharge side, a few posts on HAMB confirmed that was the way it works (see my first post in quotes), and then there is the thread here you posted saying just the opposite. I may have to try to set up a test on another stock ammeter gauge with my test engine, but was hoping before I spend a few days reconfiguring things, someone here would know for sure.

Yes, 1954/55 Advance-Design ammeters were different from 1947-1953 ammeters AND those two styles of ammeters were located in a different location and orientation in the instrument cluster:

Here are: Chevrolet Advance-Design trucks (1947-1955) ammeters & gauge clusters


The 1947-1954 Factory Assembly Manual is actually a 1954/55 Chevrolet Truck Factory Assembly Manual

Testing it when you have a test engine isn't that difficult. I unhooked my test ammeter and hooked up the original gauge, then put a heater motor on the other side as a load. Since the test engine hasn't been ran for awhile, the battery was low enough for the Alternator to charge it. I could see the Charging Indication, and when I put the motor to it, I could see the immediate discharge indication. So now that I have done this, and seen for myself, I can confidently conclude..

Just look at the negative (Discharge) and positive (Charge) markings on the front of the gauge. They correlate to the wiring diagrams positive and negative.

When installing a wiring harness in a truck, the Starter/Battery connection goes to the CHARGE side of the meter.

Discharge/Minus on the gauge means Ammeter Negative in the wiring diagram. (Starter/Battery Connection)
Charge/Plus on the gauge means Ammeter Positive in the wiring diagram. (Alternator/fuel gauge/Load Connection)

Sometimes it really helps to have you guys commenting and keeping things on track. Thanks for your help.

Nice work Deve, thanks for your follow through!

I dug through my old parts and took a look at my old ammeter gauge. As I was examining it I noticed markings on the end of each terminal. I'm not sure if these would be a factory making or added over the years. Here's a couple of pictures:

Ammeter - Front

Ammeter - Back

The markings are hard to see, positive (+) on the right terminal and negative (-) on the left terminal as viewed from the rear of the gauge.

Now we know!!

Thanks again,

I have a NOS 48 Ammeter and it does not have any markings. Not sure about other years or even other manufacturers.

The 47-48 ammeter is slightly different from the 49-53 ammeter, and both are significantly different from the 54-55 ammeter (three styles during Advance-Design years).

Put the first installment up today. If there is anything wrong, let me know.

http://forums.devestechnet.com/foru...60-tip-of-the-week-33-for-may-15-21-2016

Deve,

Here is a factory pic of the LH mounting circa '51 which as you know factory shots of these areas are rare.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/12315086065/in/album-72157640522200463/
The stake pocket has two holes in-line that correspond with the RH/LH brackets.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/advance-design_parts_co/8129182883/in/album-72157631867396207/
This shows my '50 install, in looking through the 1953 full line brochure it appears to be the same (LH), the RH accessory is exceedingly rare and has not appeared in any photos I have.

Perfect Thanks again Brad. There is an offering from ClassicParts.com that gives us a left hand with License Plate bracket and a right hand without for mounting the tail lights.

Here:
http://www.classicparts.com/1947-53-Taillamp-Bracket-Chrome-Left/productinfo/49-561/#.VzjPKJErK9I

and here:
http://www.classicparts.com/1947-53-Taillamp-Bracket-Chrome-Right/productinfo/49-562/#.VzjPSJErK9I

I ordered the unpainted ones for this project. Kind of nice if you are putting a blinker system in. You don't need to change the rear bulbs, but need to put dual filament sockets in the front park lamps. Thanks again!

Has anyone installed a glove box light in their AD? What is a good kit to install? I have a metal glovebox coming and think a light would nice too.

I put a light in one of my trucks - standard aftermarket issue. It worked fine.

http://www.classicparts.com/1941-53-Glove-Box-Light-Kit/productinfo/22-705A/#.VzkEuJMrKdE

http://www.classicparts.com/1954-72-Glove-Box-Light-Kit/productinfo/22-705B/#.VzkEy5MrKdE

There does not seem to be a mounting bracket in the 54-72 kit?