Ammeter works when key is off?

[Mattax]

By running 10g wire from alt output to battery side of starter relay it then carries most of the load to charge battery instead of sending all through bulkhead connector were thing tend to melt down if Iam reading correctly.There saying to use a fuse link in line of 10 g wire

The battery recharging is only a high load if the battery has been run down.

There saying to use a fuse link in line of 10 g wire

Yup.
Fusible link is mostly to protect against battery grounding.
Any additional protection it provides is a matter of luck.

In my opinion, the best way to reduce the load on the bulkhead connectors is to parallel the feed wires. At least the alternator feed. But doing the battery feed wouldn't hurt, its just a little more work because it should be spliced in at the fusible link.

Current flow will look something like this while the battery is recharging.

 

[67Dart273]

Iam thinking on running either a 10g or 8g wire from alt output to starter relay to alleviate some of the amp draw through the bulkhead connector and under dash after reading the article in this thread.What would you use instead of the fusible link. Working on 70 stock dart.

"In general" not nearly enough on these old girls is fused. Only protection in the headlights circuit is the breaker built into the headlight switch. Nothing in the ignition/ regulator/ alternator field circuit is fused. Some cars had electric chokes and other smog devices on that same circuit...........no protection

As Mattox mentioned, the fuse link is luck. Here's a true story:

In the early 70's my then 70 V code Roadrunner got rear ended, and while in the "body shop" I got two different Valiant loaners from the dealer. One morning the leading chief came into the shop, I had started the Valiant to warm up. One of the few cold days in San Diego. "Uh, is that thing supposed to be squealing and smoking?"

Went out, the alternator was stopped, the belt smoking. Shut if off and wiggled the alternator, and the diode that had FALLEN DOWN INSIDE then shorted. Sat there and got to see the entire underhood harness go phsssssfffffffffffffzzzzzzzttttzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzssssssssssssssfffttt!!!

AND THEN THE LINK BLEW!!!

 

[Dfr360cuda]

Pull fuses one at a time til it goes to zero.
Give you an idea where your short is.

 

[Garrett Ellison]

Yes, it's showing a current draw, time to connect a test light in between battery and ground cable. Start pulling fuses and unhooking things and when the test light goes out, you've found the circuit that the draw is on. If it's more than one circuit, you sometimes have to pull all your fuses and then start pushing them in until the light comes back on. Or do it the easy way like Dfr360cuda suggested and watch for the ammeter to return to zero.