Reply to "Ammeter question"

...Larry is Right!!

Here's My story: Maybe it will help you with your questions.

NEVER try to charge a 'Dead' Battery with your 90-100 amp Alternator...Especially through the Panteras' Original Ampmeter!! There are warnings about this, out there!

I ran the amp meter And a Digital Volt Gauge.
The Volts always showed a good battery holding 12.3 Volts and charging 13.2 The amp Gauge was Always 'Pegged', Indicating a Positive Charging at 75+ Amperes. And the Needle Never Moved to Decrease, Ever! No matter how Long the Drive.

Two weeks ago I took the Kat out on a hot day and puffs of smoke were coming out from under the central dash, from the amp gauge. Soon after, I Noticed the Volts were counting down, 13.2...12.4.....11.8, The Battery was Not getting/taking a charge, even though the Ampmeter showed Full Charging WAS Taking Place! The Ignition was still being powered off the Battery as I headed Directly back home! As I pulled into the Driveway, ten minutes of driving later, the Volts were right at 11.0
Pulled into the garage, shut everything down to cool.

The next day I pulled the central dash, and this is what I found!
NO Loose connections, but because of the High Current, Both Post connection were so Hot that One was melting the Rubber Boot covering that connection, that is where the smoke was coming from. Further, The reason the Battery was Not charging is...Although the Nut on the Terminal was still 'tight', getting SO Hot over the long periods of time, caused a 'Corrosion' to build up UNDER the Cable Terminal and around the stud, which caused a Intermittent 'Disconnect' that had just become Permanent! No wonder the Battery stopped charging and the Ampmeter never decreased.

MY Cure!!
1. Disconnected Both cables from the Gauge.
2. Filed both sides of both cable Terminals Shiny Clean down to the copper.
3. Bolted both cables TERMINALS directly together, eliminating the amp gauges completely using a stainless machine screw and nylock nut, NO Washers, This is important...Nothing 'in the way' of a 'pure' connection.
4. Covered the assembly with 'Super thick' industrial/underground 'Shrink Tubing', and then covered THAT with a Second tube of the same. This stuff is so thick they recommend using a torch to shrink it. I used a Heat Gun and was just enough to shrink it down. This thing can now get hot and will never touch ground.

The gauge was left in place with dash lighting working, but gauge inoperable, just there to fill the space and for looks.

When I first fired up the Engine Hoping that the Alternator had Not Burned-out, and was the reason for Not Charging....I was relieved to see 14.2 to 14.3 VOLTS come up on the Digital VOLT Gauge. Right at the 'Maximum Normal' for charging a 12 Volt battery. That gauge had never before seen over 13.4

So I recommend following the advice of those who came before Me...."Get rid of the Amp Gauge!!" It really doesn't show much, certainly not as much as a good Volt Meter!
And Your Battery will charge more fully and You will feel a Great Improvement in the Response of the Ignition! Fan speeds and Lights!

Good-Luck with It!