Quote:
Originally Posted by bluschek
I'm installing all new wiring harness and 1-wire alternator. My attached diagram the correct way to wire up the battery gauge? Do you have the part number for shunt? Thanks in advance.
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The wiring diagram you posted may or may not give the desired reading on the meter. It all depends on where you'll be drawing power for the electrical loads in your truck.
For example, if you were planning on using the "BATT" stud on the starter solenoid as your main power distribution point, your meter will only show the output current of the alternator as a "charge". It will never show "discharge" current being drawn from the battery because it's not in the path to measure that current.
Now, if you were to make the right side of the shunt your main power distribution point, the meter will show both "charge" and "discharge" current flowing to or from the battery just like the stock configuration.
The shunt that
fixit-p showed back in post #5 is for ChevyII/Nova SS applications and is available from sources such as -->
http://www.modernperformanceclassics...s%20Shunt.aspx
However, I see you're showing 4 gauge wiring on your diagram so I assume you're planning on using a fairly high output alternator. I don't know the exact rating on those Nova SS shunts, but I doubt that they are designed to handle much over 60 amps (the largest available alternator on a '65 ChevyII/Nova was a 62 amp unit).
As
fixit-p also said in post #5, the "shunt" in these trucks is simply the inherent resistance present in the charge wire ... not a separate component. So the stock "shunt" was a section of 12 gauge wire about 4 and a half, maybe 5 feet long that ran from the junction block on the passenger side fender near the battery, across the radiator support to the factory multi-wire splice that served as the main power distribution point. The current carrying capacity of this system can be increased by using a heavier gauge wire. But that has lower resistance per foot so the sensitivity of the battery gauge will be reduced.
In other words, it would be possible to make the stock battery gauge capable of reading 100 amps or more by using a suitably heavy gauge shunt wire. But it wouldn't be very useful because you wouldn't see much needle deflection at lower currents. For example, with the stock configuration, you can see the needle move to the discharge side if you turn the headlights on without the engine running. But with a larger gauge shunt you might not see any needle movement at all.
With that in mind, I would recommend changing to a voltmeter. That will simplify the wiring and work with most any charging system. I believe member
T-Bone converts the '76-'87 style voltmeters to fit '67-'72 gauge clusters.