VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Electrical - 6 volt 1936 Ampmeter fix

I have changed from a 30 amp generator to a 50 amp aternator with internal regulator and would like to keep the original meter which is +- 20 amps. Has anyone done this? can I shunt the meter to split the current? any help would be appreciated.

Don't worry about it. Just because you put a 50 amp alternator on your vehicle doesn't mean it'll be putting out 50 amps. It'll put out what your vehicle needs. If you're still basically stock I doubt it'll ever put out more than 30 in a worst case scenario. I have a 60 amp 6v alternator on my '38 & haven't had a problem with it.

Thanks for the input. my truck is mostly .stock so i will just keep wiring and I should be ok.

Tiny's advice is probably true except for one situation--- if your battery is "dead" (left the lights on maybe) and you jump start it the alt will go to high amps for perhaps long enough to fry your gauge. Just a thought. Dan

I replaced my generator with a 6 volt 60 amp alternator about 10 years ago. I was advised to attach a 4" piece of 10 ga wire between the 2 screws behind the ammeter. Any current above the limit of the stock ammeter would pass through the shunt and not damage the old ammeter. The ammeter reading is reduced by about 10% but works fine and no need to worry about damage in the event of exceeding the 20 or 30 amp ammeter. I got this from an old shop manuel printed, I believe,in the 40's. Very simple to do even for me!!