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How much amps are our gauges?
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JoeyAlvin58
Posted 2021-11-13 7:21 PM (#616806)
Subject: How much amps are our gauges?


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Location: Alvin, Texas
Does anyone know what amps the gauges are on a 58 Plymouth? I would like to put fuses on the power wires going to the gauges.
Thanks in Advance!
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Old Ray
Posted 2021-11-13 8:43 PM (#616813 - in reply to #616806)
Subject: RE: How much amps are our gauges?



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Location: Invermere B.C. Canada - Rocky Mountains

Humm, if it has a real ammeter with a heavy wire, then that wire is handling most all of the electricity for the car with the exception of the starter. So if you were to put a fuse in and it burns out you will have nothing, no lights, no ignition, dead in the middle of the night in a rain storm. A automatic resetting circuit breaker would be better, at least you would have intermittent power.  The amount of amps is actually determined by the maximum output of the generator, around 30 amps. If you don't fuse the ammeter circuit but do the other gauges you should be OK, but a CB is still the best. 

 Now if the wire to your ammeter is the same size as the rest of your wires (light) then that is completely different.

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mstrug
Posted 2021-11-14 9:11 AM (#616818 - in reply to #616806)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?



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30 amp is normal. 40 for cars with A/C. Excerpt: Drtoner and Tommy bring up the most basic yet important points to consider here...that probably most problems blamed soley on the ammeter are likely the result of poor installation and/or poor insulation!

Shorts don't normally just "happen"...they're caused. Either via vibration, loose connections, metal edges chaffing through wires, poor routing and poor planning.

I like to go overkill when it comes to insulating and isolating wires, something learned from my days spent messing with 4x4s and off road vehicles. I came up with some habits that have served me well when wiring my cars:

1. Wire it like a fiberglass car. That is to say, run dedicated ground wires to every component that might normally just be grounded to the body or chassis. I like to run new ground wires (of the proper gauge) back to a common bulkhead on the firewall usually that is in direct contact with a heavy gauge battery cable going to the engine block and meeting the battery's ground cable. It's overkill, for sure, but it virtually eliminates any problems caused by bad grounds.

2. Wear a rubber! I use various pieces of rubber hose as well as rubber grommets to insulate all wires and harnesses that pass through or lie next to anything metal. It isn't always pretty, although you can spiff it up with a little extra effort. It provides positive assurance that no 'hot' wires will get chaffed and cause a short.

3. Fuse it! Cars use fuses (and fuseable links) for a REASON! To provide a fail-safe in the event of a component failure or short that leads to excessive amperage being forced through the harness! Fuses are cheap insurance against BIG problems such as fried components and fires! USE THEM!

4. Hold 'er down! You'd be surprised at how many shorts, fires and even explosions I've seen that were caused by a battery that was able to flop around hitting everything in sight or better yet...falling into the fan! Your old shoestrings or bungee cords are poor choices...use a REAL battery tray with a real, bolt-down system that positvely holds the battery in place! I've seen some nice, high dollar cars with batteries held down by nothing more than gravity! It's stupid...and ASKING for trouble! Bolt that sucker DOWN! (You won't get far in a lifted rig on a bumpy trail with a wandering battery...so I learned that lesson early!).

5. Clean and tight! Corrosion and loose connections account for many mysterious electrical problems. On my cars, I make sure every connection is tight, and I use this incredible stuff called No-Ox-Id that looks and feels kinda like ear wax, but once you put a light coat on every connection, it'll protect it against moisture and corrosion and insure a good connection for years to come. I'm sure there's other products out there that do much the same thing, but the stuff I use comes from YEARS ago when my Dad worked for Detroit Edison...it's as good as it gets!

I've installed ammeters in my cars before and never had a problem with one. Of course, I didn't just pop it into the dash and drape the wires over the headers and stick them through jagged holes in the firewall...so maybe that has something to do with it?! Like most any other component, it's only as good as the installation...you do s**tty work, or take a few shortcuts, and it'll come back to bite you in the ass later!

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/installing-an-amp-guage....
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Old Ray
Posted 2021-11-14 2:42 PM (#616832 - in reply to #616818)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?



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Nice answer, I wonder what the question was, oh ya, should he fuse the gagues ? 

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Shep
Posted 2021-11-14 7:29 PM (#616840 - in reply to #616832)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?



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Best thing here is eliminate the ammeter and install voltmeter, much safer..
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Old Ray
Posted 2021-11-15 12:42 PM (#616864 - in reply to #616840)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?



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Location: Invermere B.C. Canada - Rocky Mountains

Shep - 2021-11-14 5:29 PM Best thing here is eliminate the ammeter and install voltmeter, much safer..

Yes, of course, true and a great response, BUT that was not the original posters question.

Given the wording and content I think replies should take into consideration the OP 's unknown level of ability and giving somewhat unrelated information could just confuse the situation. But I could be wrong, again, sorry.

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JoeyAlvin58
Posted 2021-11-21 9:55 PM (#617042 - in reply to #616806)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?


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Posts: 164
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Location: Alvin, Texas
Thanks guys for answering I really appreciate it. My knowledge is very little regarding mechanical, electronics and wiring. A lot of the stuff goes over my head and I have to research what is being said.
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57chizler
Posted 2021-11-22 3:14 PM (#617064 - in reply to #617042)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?



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Not sure about the Plymouth, but many Mopars of that era have induction ammeters i.e. the current doesn't actually pass through the meter through threaded terminals but instead the main wire passes through a loop at the back of the gauge.

Edited by 57chizler 2021-11-22 3:16 PM




(Ammeter.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments Ammeter.jpg (59KB - 144 downloads)
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JoeyAlvin58
Posted 2021-12-02 11:25 AM (#617339 - in reply to #616806)
Subject: Re: How much amps are our gauges?


Veteran

Posts: 164
1002525
Location: Alvin, Texas
I have more videos up if you want to look up username Belvedere1958 on YouTube! I’m almost ready to install my steering column and was wondering how the horn wire is routed. Does it go straight down the column into the engine compartment? Or does it go down a separate hole on the steering column and out the square hole on the side of the column, under the dash, thru a hole on the firewall where all the wiring goes in the engine compartment? Sorry for the run on sentencing.

Thanks in advance!
Joey
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