Bulkhead bypass vs ammeter bypass

dano said

Running a separate large charge wire (and mega fuse) from the alternator to the battery helps take the load off the bulkhead. Bypassing the Amp Meter prevents a potential issue at the Amp Meter itself. As stated, opinions vary, I'd prefer my 55 year old $30k+, blood, sweat, and tears investment not to burn my house down.

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Could not agree more. Even a reman stock alternator will increase the alternator output from the stock 35 amps to 55 amps or more, which will increase the battery charging current and thus increase the heat in the bulkhead contacts, even without any additional loads. Heat is proportional to the square of the current.

A volt meter will show you when the voltage is high enough to charge the battery, so you can tell if the charging system is bad. If you want a nice looking voltmeter, Mr. Heaterox was doing ammeter to voltmerter conversions for ralley dashes. Mr. Heaterbox is a class act, honest, good turnaround time, reasonable price, and stands behind his stuff.