The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Voltage regulator question

Hi, Truck is a 1959 Apache 235 question is the red wire from the regulator goes to amp gauge there is another red wire spliced in before amp gauge would that go to the headlight switch?Thanks Steve

Who knows, just trace it out, if you a VOM meter it would be helpful.

Ed

Is the ammeter a factory installation or an add-on? If the truck was originally equipped with an idiot light, a small wire was crimped in with the big charging lead that was part of the warning light circuit. If the extra wire is an add-on, there's no telling where it might have gone.
Jerry

It has the factory amp gauge in the dash cluster. PO had the spliced wire off the main voltage regulator wire that went to the amp gauge connected to the headlight switch. I am not to swift with the wiring but I am learning thanks to all the subject matter that was asked before.Thanks Steve

Normally, the side of the ammeter opposite the single wire that goes to the battery cable connection at the starter will have several wires attached to it- - - -light switch, ignition switch, fuse box, and any other circuit that needs unswitched battery voltage. Some ammeters have a longer stud on that side to accommodate several ring terminals. Connected that way, any current in or out of the battery can be monitored by the ammeter. As long as the charging system is producing more current than the sum of all the loads, the ammeter will show a charge. If the load exceeds the charging system output, a negative flow will be indicated. The generator or alternator meets all the electrical demand first, and then uses its leftover output to charge the battery.
Jerry

Thank you for the help!!

Hi, I am not going to use the ammeter gauge in the dash going to use a under dash volt gauge . My question is do I run the wire that was going to the ammeter from the voltage regulator to the pos side of the battery? Thanks Steve

You will still need a junction block to distribute the current to the under-dash components- - - -ignition switch, light switch, fuse block, etc. If you want to bypass the ammeter for some strange reason, just put all the connectors, including the one going to the starter, on a single terminal of the ammeter. I can never understand why anyone would do that.
Jerry

The original wiring on TF trucks had the power to the ignition switch passing through the amp meter. All trucks used an amp meter. It used spade terminals. No telling what you have If someone has modified it.
Fred

Still learning this wiring thing so if I use the ammeter gauge the red wire from voltage regulator along with ignition and headlight switch go to one side and the other side goes to the positive side of the battery? Thanks for your patience!!

A lot of self-appointed "experts" spread misinformation about an ammeter being a dangerous fire hazard. I'm amazed that any of these old trucks survived long enough for us to get interested in restoring them, since millions of pre-1960's vehicles should have gone up in flames shortly after they rolled off the factory assembly lines! An ammeter is probably the most rugged instrument on the dashboard. Even if a high-capacity alternator is substituted for the generator, a very simple home-brewed shunt will keep the ammeter from going full scale while the battery is recovering from the high current demand of the starter.

Yes, one wire at the ammeter needs to go to the battery cable terminal at the starter. All other connections, including the charging lead from the alternator or voltage regulator attach to the other side. When the circuit is connected that way, the ammeter will indicate both charge and discharge current. If you connect the charging system directly to the battery without the ammeter in the circuit, the ammeter will only show "discharge" as current is supplied to the ignition switch, headlights, accessories, etc.
Jerry

I fabricated a shunt for the ammeter as Jerry suggested. I made it out of a stainless steel hose clamp. Works like a champ.

See my previous post. Post1310217

Will do that will be the plan thanks again!! Steve