Batt gauge headaches!

[67chevemall]

hello

I'm trying to hook up my batt gauge. I have the starter wire and
another smaller wire coming off the batt.
Now I think it is a ampmeter that is the OEM gauge so the
book says to run a wire from where the small wire from the
batt feeds the volt reg, then run that to the gauge and back to the reg.

Now that small wire off the batt is a 12g wire and the wire going to the
cluster plug is like 16 or 18 g and the printed circut is less then that.
Won't this cause a melt down? Do you by-pass the printed circut and
the cluster plug in and go right to the factory gauge? If so how did the
factory have it hooked up?

How the heck do you hook this thing up?

[Gordo]

Is this gauge a volt meter gauge or an amp gauge after-market? If it's a volt meter all you need to do is tap into an "ignition on" source at the fuse box. If it's an amp gauge then you can "run a wire from where the small wire from the
batt feeds the volt reg, then run that to the gauge and back to the reg". 12 gauge to and fro should be fine in a stock truck, if you have a few extra power demands bump it up to 10 gauge.

[67chevemall]

The gauge is the 67 original one. I can't see how I can run a 10g
wire to the cluster gauge. The wiring on it is very small.

I think it is pin # 1 and 12 or something out of the cluster wire harness
Even with the fuse box and electric fan, I would melt the printed circut
.No?

How can you keep the Original Amp gauge and still have electric options?

[Longhorn Man]

It should be hooked up through the printed circuit on the back of the inst. panel.

[67chevemall]

I switched colunms and from idiot lights to gauges. I have the oil/temp/air going but the Batt I found a brain fart.
I'd like to keep a idiot light for the Gen.(bulb someplace) and the Amp gauge but am stuck?

[Fred T]

Can't recall exactly how it's wired, but it does not work like the standard amp gauge. You're right about the pins. #1 is black & white, #12 is black. 20 ga. wire, IIRC. Only other wire of the same color in the lead to the cluster is a black ground, #7.

I can't recall which wire was hooked to which post. Splice in some #20 or bigger wire and hook it up. If it's backwards, you'll know. And don't hook the gauge up to 12 volts to check it, you can burn it up.

[67chevemall]

10 gauge wire from the front of the truck to the cluster which turns into
20 g wire can't work
????

[jhow66]

Here's what you need:
http://www.gmcpauls.com/Tech%20Tips1.htm

[67chevemall]

1-Black with white stripe (alternator) This runs from the 12 R from voltage regulator and should have a inline fuse.

Run a small wire to the volt reg 12R


12-Black/w brown stripe use wire ran from the junction block near battery mounted to passenger side fender with a inline fuse located at junction block end.

Run a small wire to 12R off batt!

OK it is starting to make sense. The other info I have puts the gauge inbetween
the main current, which is crazy. This way it is just tapping into it.

[StingRay]

The factory gauge is a shunted ammeter. It works by measureing the voltage drop across a know resistance ( the piece of wire between the battery and the junction on drivers side near the fender)at a known voltage and as per ohms law e=ir. The only way the gauge can work is with the factory wiring in place or a conductor of equivelent resistance.

[67chevemall]

So I ran a 20g wire from pin #1 on the cluster to the 12g red wire beside the
battery. And a 20g wire from pin #12 to the 12g wire on the Altenator.
this will read a voltage drop but is it where the factory wires ran????

[john]

It sounds like you have it. This diagram shows the wires and the 4A fuses. John