Battery and amp meter.

pennies4pennies

pennies4pennies

Member
Just a couple of question. I just got another 6 volt battery for my car. I bought a quick disconnect with the new battery. Which is the best place for it Neg or Positive?

Question number 2
I order a 6 volt/ 60 amp alternator which will be in this weekend.
The only amp meter I could find was a 30 AMP. I haven't found a 60 amp yet that would work in the dash. Since the model A uses little amps do you think the 30 AMP meter would be okay?

Question 3
The alternator is a one wire. I have three going to the generator right now to the same post. Would I hook up the three wires the same way to the alternator?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Frank
 
The stock -20 0 +20 amp meter need not be replaced. Though an alternator is being installed with 60 amp capability, the load requirement of the car remains the same. When you first start up the car the new alternator will immediately replace the power that was taken from the battery by the starter to start the car and it will peg the ammeter to +20, but it won't hurt the ammeter, the heavy current is going through the meter shunt, not the meter movement. In a short while the regulator circuit in the alternator will reduce the current going to the battery to zero when the battery is fully charged.

I have been running mine that way for years with no damage to the ammeter.

Hook the three wires to the alternator output post. One wire is coming from the battery, another is going down to the light bale, and the third is going to the ahooguh.

Tom Endy
 
I'll leave the quick disconnect question to those who have actually done it - each method seems to have it's own rationale and advantages/disadvantages and those who have thought this out can make their case.

The ammeter should be ok. You may peg the 30a meter for short times, but as the ammeter is merely a shunt voltmeter, you can peg it without worry.

If your wiring is stock you will have one YELLOW wire going to your horn, one YELLOW wiring going to your headlight switch, and one YELLOW/BLACK wiring going to your terminal box, either in a tube or loom depending on your model year. Yes, these wires should all be landed on the OUTLET of your voltage regulator or cutout. Possibly the outlet post of the generator if the VR is built inside.

Check out the wiring diagram. http://www.webjunk.com/modela/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/wiring-diagramcolor2sm.jpg

Joe K
 
pennies4pennies said:
Just a couple of question. I just got another 6 volt battery for my car. I bought a quick disconnect with the new battery. Which is the best place for it Neg or Positive?

Functionally it makes no difference

Question number 2
I order a 6 volt/ 60 amp alternator which will be in this weekend.
The only amp meter I could find was a 30 AMP. I haven't found a 60 amp yet that would work in the dash. Since the model A uses little amps do you think the 30 AMP meter would be okay?

You only need a 60 amp meter if you are going to use 60 amps out of the alt.

Question 3
The alternator is a one wire. I have three going to the generator right now to the same post. Would I hook up the three wires the same way to the alternator?

The generator has one output, your alternator has one output, hook it up the same.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Frank
Click to expand...

Better to ask then not to.
 
Instinct might tell you to put the cutout switch on the power cable, but functionally the switch is better off on the ground cable, and that's where I'd install it, if it was my car.
 
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