Mopar Muscle Association UK

Hi guys,
Having got the Dash apart fitting a new temp gauge on my 69 Runner,I noticed that the wires going into the ammeter were fairly hot.
Is this normal or is there a problem with gauge and or wiring.
(Ammeter works fine BTW).

The ammeter is one of several electrical weak spots on B-bodies (& other mopars of the era) .

The threaded studs to which the wires attach are a press fit into the ammeter itself. This was an unwise arrangement even when new , - 30 years later it's just asking for trouble.

The fix for this is to take the speedo cluster out of the dash , take the perspex off the front , & remove the ammeter itself. You'll see where the terminal studs were pressed into the meter mechanism itself, & they'll probably be loose & scorched. (The fibreboard insulation between the studs & the cast ally gauge housing may also have suffered , & should be replaced . I use thin sheet fibreglass from printed circuit boards to make new insulators with. ) Anyway , with the gauge out , get a very small file & dress the domed tops of the terminal studs, and the adjacent part of the ammeter where they press in , back to shiny metal. You can now get a soldering iron ( a hot , professional one may be necessary to get a good join on these relatively large pieces) , and solder the terminal studs to the ammeter itself. Reassemble, remembering the two insulating pads, & bob's your uncle.

Now all you have to do for a much more reliable electrical system is bypass the charging system terminals on the bulkhead connector middle block. Much has been written about this already, but basically the factory connectors are way,way inadequate. With reference to the relevant wiring diagram, run wires through the bulkhead to bypass the charging system terminals on the through-bulkhead connector.

Matt

Thanks Matt.