Originally Posted By: Keroppi

I'm not exactly sure what the Ammeter does, it seems to allow voltage to travel both ways depending on the system state, since the coil is getting current from the Ammeter, AFAIK.

The one piece I'm trying to understand is where exactly this voltage reducer goes that I have?


The ammeter is the indicator of battery health and generator function. On these old vehicle there is an always hot bus-wire that runs from the positive post on the starter (where the battery attaches) through the firewall to the Bat post on the ignition switch. Attached to the same terminal on the ignition switch is a wire that attaches to the + side of the Ammeter. Then there is a wire that attaches to the negative side of the Ammeter. It runs through the firewall and terminates on the Bat terminal of the voltage regulator. This is part of the so called "charging circuit". The Gen post on the voltage regulator attaches to the Arm post on the generator. When relays inside the regulator are magnetically closed the output of the generator flows on the charging circuit (since relay contacts connect the Gen and Bat posts).

You can reuse the wire attached to the Voltage Regulator Bat post in your alternator installation by extending it and attaching it to the Bat post on the back of the alternator (along with the dedicated wire running directly to the positive post on the starter). This will allow the Ammeter to function.

You need to use the voltage step down (or a resistor wire) on the wire sending power from the ignition switch to the coil. Constant 12volts with fry it. As Blackwater has stated some wiring diagrams include a temporary full 12volt path to the coil when the starter solenoid is closed.