i burnt up my ammeter, now what. 7/4/13--- UPDATE

[Pete in NH]

Good to know the Autogage voltmeter would actually fit in the dash in place of the ammeter if someone wanted to go that way. Good luck on the re-wiring!

[1974dodgecharger]

splice the amm wires together with screw and nut... and isolate them ( tape )... will be able to drive the car

what nacho said i took apart my cluster recently and found out that ammeter is bad news now just connect thise two wires and forget about it....

[Nacho-RT74]

well, I simply would replace the ammeter for a new one with new housing isolators... which is what restore a car it means

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ammeter-Insulator-for-most-MOPAR-instrument-clusters-/360261068217?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item53e13ba5b9&vxp=mtr#ht_485wt_1051

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-70-Mopar-Bbody-Rallye-Dash-Ammeter-Original-Restored-Charger-Super-Bee-/380506201829?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item5897efdee5&vxp=mtr#ht_120wt_1051

[lukedukem]

Yeah, I decided to buy these two nacho and restore my cluster while its out. Do it right. I'll do your upgrade too.

My next issue is the wiring under the hood. I just replaced my dash harness. And I have a engine harness, but what other harnesses do I need. A wiper harness and light harness. Is that right? And I also need to know where to get the voltage regulator and ballast too. I'm relocating the battery back under the hood, like factory. So I pretty much need everything under the hood. I have jacobs ignition that I might swap out, I can't find the instructions and the wiring is a mess.

So if anyone can help me out, I know it's,a lot but need to do it right. Thanks

Luke

[lukedukem]

And a good alternator, and how to wire it up if its not stock, though I prefer that.

Luke

[b5blue]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,70008.msg791137/topicseen.html#msg791137

[lukedukem]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,70008.msg791137/topicseen.html#msg791137

Thanks b5,  so you didn't do the upgrade that nacho did.  This alternator setup did the trick? You bought the 60amp or 120?

Luke

[b5blue]

  120, no mods just adapter shown. Works like a champ.  I am going to and do recommend upgrade to "OEM brand" alt gauge though. It will handle high idle amp output (60amp) in case battery is drained somewhat from repeated cranking. (Just in case.) Something very similar to Nachos mods will be done by me in the future, I had "plans" cooking in my head way before seeing his very nice topic. (USAF trained in install/maint. years ago.)
  I do constantly preach about how cars have never been engineered to charge dead or badly discharged batteries, (More than 20%.) and that would be compounded by a car with an ALT gauge like old Mopars. As my car sat for weeks/months without starting as I did body work it would require a lot of cranking to get started. Having my radio out I can reach inside the dash and hold the ALT gauge studs to feel how hot they get. The gauge is working and at full swing to the right (Max recharge of battery.) they heat up to hot in about 3-4 minutes. (Hot to the touch.) If stranded you could shut down for 10 minutes and restart, run for 5 and shut down again. In normal operation everything works much much better than ever!

[Budnicks]

check out Mad Enterprises @ www.madelectrical.com check out there Mopar or Electrical Tech repair section too, great guys to deal with & they also have great wiring & connectors, relays Products/Supplies/Schematics too...

[lukedukem]

That's b5, ill be ordering that tonight from Mancini. Thanks budnicks. Good read.
What about under the hood harnesses. Anyone replace all these.

[Pete in NH]

Hi Luke,

I guess you have quite a few options on what kind of alternator set up you can install. The factory alternators were I believe either 35 amp standard or 45 amp units if the car had factory A/C. Back in 69 they would have used a relay mechanical regulator rather than the newer electronic regulator. If using a Chrysler alternator I would upgrade to the newer electronic regulator. If you do this I would suggest using a real Mopar electronic regulator. All my experience with after market regulators has been mostly bad. I would use a two field wire, round back 45 amp unit. This would look like the original 69 alternator but allow the use of the electronic regulator. These alternators were used on 70-71 cars with A/C. Also at 45 amps you will not over tax the ammeter. You could also use a 72 and up square back alternator for more output. One you go outside of the Chrysler alternators you have many, many options if you choose to go that way but the wiring gets further away from stock and would have to be worked out on a custom basis.

On the rest of the engine compartment wiring, how you wire it will depend on ignition system choice and if you go with the factory type alternators and regulators. Moving the battery back under the hood you will need new battery cables, both positive and negative. The positive cable also contains wiring to the starter relay which mounts on the firewall near the bulk head connector.

Once you make some basic decisions on how factory or custom you want to make things I can help you work things out wire by wire and I'm sure many others will jump in also.

[Budnicks]

That's b5, ill be ordering that tonight from Mancini. Thanks budnicks. Good read.
What about under the hood harnesses. Anyone replace all these.

Evans or M&H harnesses are the best plug & play harnesses... M&H when dealing with Mopar harnesses, you have to go thru Year One... you can get them with the CEI {Chrysler Electronic Ignition} & Electronic Voltage regulator wired in too...

[b5blue]

  My engine harness is from Evens, it's a work of art. However being a wiring kinda geek I double check everything. The blue wire to the bulkhead connector was not crimped tightly and slid right out of the connector with ease! As I have a proper crimp gun that duplicates the factory crimp and connectors it was an easy repair. 
  It was a critical connector (They all are really!) and a loose crimp would have been a disaster in that it would have never delivered full power and only gotten worse over time. Examine new AND old harnesses very closely, do a "tug test" by pulling sharply and firmly on every single wires connection, look inside every connector to be certain all is perfect! My new M&H rear harness has an improper made light bulb socket contact, the wire cap that contacts the bulbs electrical connection is off at a 45 degree angle and soldered in place that way. That would lead to contact issues deforming the bulbs soldered contact on the bottom of the base.
  Finding flaws from both manufacturers has me wondering how many others have not found these issues before installing and are now at whits end trying to find some issue thinking: It can't be my harness, it's new!     

[lukedukem]

i would like to get all the harnesses that come out of the bulk head connector on the underhood side. i just finished installing my dash harness last night and i have two issues on two plugs. when i removed my old dash harness they were not being used and i dont know where they go. here are some pics. they both come out of the harness right beside the plug for the ignition. i have more questions but i will wait till i get these taken care of.  this stuff is really getting to me. but you guys are a big help. just bare with me. thanks

[Nacho-RT74]

if rubber tripple female bus connectior is attached to a yellow wire is the door ground switch, for stuff activated with door ground ( i.e. courtesy lights, time delay light for key, map light )

the T conector... need to know wire colors

[lukedukem]

if rubber tripple female bus connectior is attached to a yellow wire is the door ground switch, for stuff activated with door ground ( i.e. courtesy lights, time delay light for key, map light )

the T conector... need to know wire colors

heres another pic, i'm color blind so not sure what colors they are... whata think

[lukedukem]

i had my wife look at the colors and the triple female connector has a orange wire comming out and its a light orange. the T connector as in the pics has two orange, (darker than the triple female orange), a white and a white with red stripe. Anyone?

Luke

[lukedukem]

I do remember that the wire for the electric fuel pump had a spade connector on it and was pushed into the T shaped plug.  Anyone?

Luke

[lukedukem]

I got it. The three female connector is for the ash receiver and the T shaped one was for the radio. Booyah.

Now what two harnesses do I need for under the hood olong with engine harnesses.
And what ballast resistor to get. I have jacobs ignition with ultra coil.

Luke

[Nacho-RT74]

yeap I was to say Radio... orange is dial light, red is power, on this case, ACC sourced.

all orange wires on dash harness are light, dimmer controlled

electric fuel pump are more correct to be feeded from RUN circuit ( blue )

[lukedukem]

yeap I was to say Radio... orange is dial light, red is power, on this case, ACC sourced.

all orange wires on dash harness are light, dimmer controlled

electric fuel pump are more correct to be feeded from RUN circuit ( blue )

i was wondering if i can still leave it connected there since i dont have a factory radio and never will

luke

[Pete in NH]

Hi Luke,

I agree with Nacho, the radio feed connector is not a good place to get power for the fuel pump. I would just leave it disconnected if you don't have a factory radio. Your car had a mechanical fuel pump on the engine when it left the factory, so there is no wiring for the electric fuel pump that was added. Where is the electric pump mounted? The right way to handle the electric pump would be to give it it's own circuit. We can work that out but, it would be helpful to know where the pump is mounted to give an idea what the wiring might look like.

[lukedukem]

Hi Luke,

I agree with Nacho, the radio feed connector is not a good place to get power for the fuel pump. I would just leave it disconnected if you don't have a factory radio. Your car had a mechanical fuel pump on the engine when it left the factory, so there is no wiring for the electric fuel pump that was added. Where is the electric pump mounted? The right way to handle the electric pump would be to give it it's own circuit. We can work that out but, it would be helpful to know where the pump is mounted to give an idea what the wiring might look like.

its mounted by the tank. the wire is ran up and comes out of the kick panel on the driver side. woudl i need to run it to the fuse box or what?

[Nacho-RT74]

better use a relay, feeded from alternator side of circuit if keeking ammeter but allways triggered from blue RUN circuit. I don't recall 2nd gens with some source "ready to go" from Run circuit, like 3rd gens got. Maybe splice it from ign switch itself OR bulkhead terminal.

to make a clean conection you could cut existant female spade terminal either at ign switch  plug or bulkhead attach both wires together ( trigger wire and existant ) and attach a new terminal into cavity. That's at least what I would do if I want a source inside the cab instead peel off the wire cover and splice there the power.

Tipically elect fuel pumps are triggered from ballast or voltage regulator if on engine bay

UNLESS 2nd gens got an existant RUN circuit source floating around.

3rd gens got a fuse at fuse box on the run circuit for some dash functions and is posible to attach there the trigger wire.

[Pete in NH]

I would suggest a relay for the fuel pump also. That way you don't load the ignition switch with the fuel pump load. Chrysler engineers never intended the switch to carry that extra load and it's a good idea to take it easy on 40 year old parts.

I would get a small four pin automotive cube relay, you can get them with a small mounting tab with a screw hole for mounting. Wire one side of the relay coil to a good ground and the other to the run side of the ignition switch. You can also wire in a hidden kill switch in this wire if you would like as a theft prevention thing. That would shut off  fuel delivery unless you set the hidden switch in the closed position. Connect one of the remaining relay contact pins to your fuel pump wire and the last pin to a source of battery voltage through a 15 amp fuse. I would use a modern blade type fuse in an in line holder. You may be able to find a source of battery voltage on the fuse block. I don't have any wiring diagrams for your 69 to give you an exact location on the fuse block.

Also, since you said the pump was in the rear of the car, I would use at least #12 wire to keep the voltage drop down. you can follow the existing path but make sure the wire is properly installed to prevent it for getting cut on any metal. Tieing it along any existing wiring harness with cable ties and plastic electrical tape would be the way to go.