Thread: Hooking up Amp gauge!

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Hi;This sounds like a very simple project!Car is a 48 Lincoln with a 50s Cad engine.Just bought it,Has 2 6volt batteries hooked to a relay that IK believe supplies 12 volts to the starter.The Factory gauge shows proper discharge etc with lights etc.Has ythe voltage regulator on firewall and all wires look to be original.Now the thing is has a 6 volt positive ground Alternator.Hooked with single wire feeding direct to the battery!Checked with volt meter it is charging OK.Trying to figure how to get the charge to show on the factory gauge?The alrenator does have the 2 prong plug labeled R@F that probably would have been hooked up in normal installation.Is a DelcoRemy labeled 12volt neg but apparently has breen remodeled to 6 volt positive.Any ideas?THanks.

Without actually seeing it, I would guess it's a 12 Volt alternator charging the two 6V batteries in series with a 6V takeoff in the wire connecting the two batteries, powering the guages, etc.

Thanks for the interest.When I find my digital camera will try to post some pictures new to this site so will try!It is a 6volt positive grd alt apparently modified from a 12volt Delco Remy.The relay is from the old days to provide 12 volts to the starter while allowing the rest of car to stay with the 6 positive ground.I do see 3 wires capped off about where the generator would have been on the old V12.The bat wire on the Alt goes to the negative terminal of one of the batteries.It is 6 volt goes to 7.4 when engine running.I wonder if this thing even has any regulation on the ALT at all with this single wire hook up?Thanks.

Hi;Did get couple picture but not much to see.Will try topost them anyway first try so who knows what will get.The picturre showing the alt just behind it hanging from the hydraulic pump are 3 wires coming from the original volt regulater.THe one with the 2 batteries behind them on the firewallis the relay for the starter.One side gets a + and the other side gets a - from the seperate batteries.Mainly I am just trying to get the amp gauge working.I assume maybe the delco-remy has it's built in regulater so that might clash with the factory one?Probably best talk to an autoelectric guy except none of them old enough to remember pos.grd etc.Will try couple pictures see if works!Thanks

Hi;Did get couple picture but not much to see.Will try topost them anyway first try so who knows what will get.The picturre showing the alt just behind it hanging from the hydraulic pump are 3 wires coming from the original volt regulater.THe one with the 2 batteries behind them on the firewallis the relay for the starter.One side gets a + and the other side gets a - from the seperate batteries.Mainly I am just trying to get the amp gauge working.I assume maybe the delco-remy has it's built in regulater so that might clash with the factory one?Probably best talk to an autoelectric guy except none of them old enough to remember pos.grd etc.Will try couple pictures see if works!Thanks

Looks like pictures didn't go maybe to long message.Is there some trick to posting them?Used the browse and transfered them from a floppy indicated on browse that theywere received?Oh well they weren't to good anyway.

Think correct to see someone who works on them.Alt dores put out 6 volts and goes to the neg terminal of the battery though.I see wrong picture there were 2 closeups of the engine comp don't know where they went?Usually pictures are small as this camera has few pixels for email use.Send them this way on Model Plane site and can send several at a time then click on them to enlarge.

if its a delco the only terminal you should be looking for is the "s" terminal. check it ther to be sure your getting correct voltage if so that where you hook er up

Denny;This is definitely formerly 12 volt negative grd Delco Remy.Someone wrote 6 volt positive grd on it.The bat terminal goes to the negative terminal of one of the 6 volt batteries.Think there is no question it is a positive grd alt!Suppose there are so many things involved that would have been to hard to change the car to negative grd.Hard to understand some of this as the negative lead goes to the starter but would seem to me that would make the starter turn the wrong way as it is in effect a DC motor unless is a special starter to?Don't know the year of the Cad engine except that it has 4 barrel carb which would place it newer that 52?Was assuming had 12 volt starter but wiring looks to be 6 volt too.Gets confusing.Anyway do appreciatte your imput here eventually will get it figured out.Hard to go and figure someone elses work!

Starter motors don't care which ground, they turn the right way either hookup. If I was working on that car, I'd put a 12 volt alternator on it like I said above, less hassle and better charging.

Hi;I still have the pictures but they show nothing as ewiring is scattered around under hood.Problem changing to 12 volts is so much 6 volt equip O/D etc.Gauges woirk fine discarge with ;lites etc just doesn't show any afect from the Alt charge.Did check it iis putting out 7.5.THE battery terminal of the alt feeds to the negative terminal one of the batterys.THis would be correct for a Pos grd system.All I was trying to do here was get the factory amp gauge to read the alt!Have enough other things to try to figure out would like to move batteries to trunk open up hood a lot.My other Cont.had orignally had a battery in trunk I assume for a booster.Thats a whole nother topic wire sizes etc!O/D doesn't work no one knows them anymore either,fixed my other one 10 years ago but forgot everything now.With an old car never need to worry about getting bored.Out to Back To The 50s show tomorrow10Kcars after while they all look alike.Again Thanks for the ideas.

Denny;Will try to send picture under hood but don't look to easy to read.Just got a floppy reader hooked up on this computerAs said earlier no tquite sure how this site works on pictures.Have 2 will try them.

Well figured out can only send one at a time.THe black wire to the block is poitive,smaller wire goes to relay on firewall.The +wire goes to driverws side of relay.2nd battery -goes to starter and small wire to relay on firewall + goes to the pass.side of the relay.No volt registers on the 2 large battery cables at the relay when sitting.The small terminals from the battery show 10volts.