Starting/Charging issues (long)

first off, bypassing the ammeter is a safety issue. an ammeter is a bridge to see amp flow and higher than normal can fry this gauge or the gauge can just go. you need to put a multi meter on the hot post of the alternator and see if it is charging. must be at least 13.5 volts but not more than 15. red to post, black to ground somewhere. next, while starting it, have the volt meter on the battery and see how many volts it drops when it starts. more than 2-3 volts is a bad battery.