Factory Gauges

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ramman5600

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What do I need to do to use the factory gauges with the 6.1L swap. I have heard that the high output from the alternator will toast the factory parts. Thoughts.

-C
 
With a proper voltage regulator the biggest concern is the ammeter.
The ammeter and factory wiring is marginal in even a stock setting. The high current output of the alternator could easily be more than the ammeter is designed to handle if you are running all your current demands through it and you have high draw accessories. If you run parallel circuits for high draw components like fans, headlights, and stereo amplifiers that are not routed through the ammeter it should not be an issue.

Here's a link to the Mopar installation instructions with more info.
http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/upload2/3448211-ABEHEMI5.76.1LInstallationInstructions.pdf
 
I have a few mods on my car to deal with the new alternator. I love having actual output at low rpm, so my lights don't flicker near as bad or dim like they used to. I wanted to bypass the ammeter because of the potential current issue (not to mention it was fraying at the firewall connection very badly to start with), but the whole dash and interior pretty much runs off of the back of it, so bypassing it wasn't the easiest way to go. Instead I just ran a second parallel wire from the alternator to the battery as an additional charge line. This way I have one line that goes from the alternator to the ammeter and one line that goes from the alternator straight to the battery. The ammeter doesn't really do anything now, but I still have full power in the interior, so I'm not really complaining since I installed an aftermarket volt meter in a little three gauge pod under the dash anyway.
 
I'm planning on just switching over to a volt meter, not as useful as an ammeter, but much, much safer.
 
Stacked360 said:
I'm planning on just switching over to a volt meter, not as useful as an ammeter, but much, much safer.
Click to expand...

I'm also converting the ammeter to a voltmeter (My cluster is at Redline now for this mod). You are asking for big trouble (plus smoke and flames) if you keep the stock ammeter and stock wiring through the bulkhead when using a high amperage alternator..
 
I also converted my amp gauge to a volt gauge. There is a little rewiring required.
 
I guess I should have also mentioned that I redid the wiring through the bulkhead on my ammeter connection. I just drilled a new hole in the firewall and installed a grommet with some heavy gauge wiring. I used bigger more solid connections than the bulkhead spade connectors.
 
I can try to snap some tomorrow. All I really did was cut the wire at the bulkhead connector on both sides of the firewall and crimp some new heavy gauge wire to extend it through my new firewall hole. I didn't do any gauge rewiring like others have mentioned.
 
Here are some shots of what I did. The two big wires with the yellow connectors go up behind the dash to the ammeter (stock wires, just cut off at the bulkhead). They come out right behind the head on my car (pretty tight back there), and wire up to the stock wiring on the engine side of the bulkhead (yellow butt connectors). I also took a pic of the extra alternator charge cable I wired. It just runs back to the firewall along with the stock wire and then over to the starter relay box where the stock charge wire connected.
 

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Aside from the ammeter not really doing anything anymore, nope, haven't seen any noticeable issues. I run my voltmeter (three gauge pod under the dash) off of the radio switch 12v line and it's rock solid 90% of the time when the car is running. Turn signals and stuff will make it twitch some, but not all that bad. Haven't felt any wires for heat or anything lately, but I was pretty comfortable with the single direct charge line. Off the top of my head I think it was maybe 8 gauge wire that I used for all the extra I put it, but I'd have to double check.
 
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