Alternator wires

[clazar]

70 RR. I've had the alternator wires behind the guage bolted together for some time. I'm going to put them back on the guage. One wire is red & the other is black. Is it correct for the red wire to go on the right (+) side & the black on the left (-) side. Also what size nuts hold them on the back of the guage.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

3/8" Hex head

Yes, red on + stud. Black on the other one, althought BOTH wires are actually positive.

 

[clazar]

3/8" Hex head

Yes, red on + stud. Black on the other one, althought BOTH wires are actually positive.

Thank You

 

[Beekeeper]

If you were to reverse the red and black all that would happen is the gauge would read backwards. The gauge is marked for polarity so it’s connected so the current flows through it in the correct direction.

 

[RJRENTON]

70 RR. I've had the alternator wires behind the guage bolted together for some time. I'm going to put them back on the guage. One wire is red & the other is black. Is it correct for the red wire to go on the right (+) side & the black on the left (-) side. Also what size nuts hold them on the back of the indtrument.

The nuts securing the wires to the threaded terminals were 3/16" NC thread x 3/8" hex head and were SIMILAR to a PAL Lock-Nut ve (hex head) Zinc plated. Fasten-All or McMaster-Car is a source.
BOB RENTON

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

’70 Rallye cluster casting is clearly marked, red wire goes to the passenger side, black to the driver’s side.

 

[clazar]

Are the nuts that hold the wires on, brass or steel ?

 

[RJRENTON]

Are the nuts that hold the wires on, brass or steel ?

I believe that the nuts are zinc plated steel but MAY BE tin plated brass. McMaster-Carr has quite an assortment of fasteners of all types. www.mcmaster.com
BOB RENTON

 

[clazar]

I can't find those nuts anywhere. I've found some 3/16 nuts locally. But they are the incorrect thread count. Does anyone have some or know where I can get them. McMaster & Fastenal doesn't have them.

 

[Beekeeper]

There’s only two thread possibilities for the studs they are 12-24 the only other one available is 12-32. I think I have an amp gauge around here someplace I can check the size and thread count and let you know.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

It’s 10-32, should be able find something locally.

 

[RJRENTON]

It’s 10-32, should be able find something locally.

Aren't these type of fasteners called PALNUTS. not to be confused with TINNERMEN nuts. Since these nuts are "invisible", could you use something like a conventional nut (with the correct thread pitch and diameter) with an attached shake-proof lock washer. ........just a thought....
BOB RENTON

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Ammeters originally used a toothed machine nut, where all other gauges used the Palnut type stamped nuts. I don’t see any reason why a generic machine KEPS nut/Star nut other means of locking washers couldn’t be used on the ammeter studs. Again, tight but not too tight as to crush or damage the fiber insulators.

 

[clazar]

Well my friend brought 2 nuts off a 70 Duster dash guage set & they don't work either. The only thing we came up with that they are metric nuts. So i'm off to Home Depot to see if something matches.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

Original Chrysler ammeter studs? They are not metric, SAE #10-32.

 

[clazar]

Original Chrysler ammeter studs? They are not metric, SAE #10-32.

I put an OER gauge in 5 yrs ago. But i bolted the two ammeter wires together & never used the gauge. Now i'm just getting around to hooking it back up.

 

[72RoadrunnerGTX]

That explains a bit, let’s see, an over-seas made repo ammeter, what do you suppose the odds are that the connection hardware used on that gauge is metric? Did it not come hardware? That little bit of info included in the OP would have been helpful.

 

[Nacho-RT74]

The trick to get tightened the ammeter wires without damage the gauge inside or the insulator is make it with two wrenches, one for the bottom one ( the one against the insulator ) just to hold it in place and the other one to tight the top one. That will tight just the eyelet terminals making the sandwich between both nuts keeping safe the rest.

 

[clazar]

I got the correct nuts finally. They are metric. I had no idea that they were metric. The gauge didn't come with any other nuts than the ones that hold it in the housing.

But, Thank You all for the kind help & knowledge you all have.