I am currently restoring a 1969 Chevelle Malibu. I have purchased a factory gauge cluster and want to convert from the original idiot lights without buying a new harness. I have been searching high and low to try and find out how to do this.

I found the article on nonecks website. In his instructions he advises to connect two power lines to the A meter. This does not sound right at all. The A meter has a ground and a power terminal and I don't know why you would hook up two hot lines to it.

Does anyone know where I could get detailed instructions on how to properly convert the factory idiot lights to the tach and gauge cluster?

Thanks,

Frank

An AMP gauge should just run in-line to a heavy-gauge (8 awg or so depending on the amperage of your system) hot wire. At least that is how mine was before I removed it in favor of a digital cluster with volt meter. This link should clear it up for you: http://www.mgaguru.com/mgtech/electric/et221.htm

Dave

He is correct... Copied from the site:

"One wire goes to the junction block on the radiator support behind the battery, and the other wire runs to the battery terminal on the horn relay. Both of these wires should be #16 with a #20 fusible link installed on both. The fusible links are very important, as without them the gauge is unprotected, and could be shorted out"

Where you are confused is with the ground. The dash cluster is grounded by one wire that is connected to the center of the dash cluster between the tach and speedo. Do NOT remove the bulb circuit for the idiot battery light. Leave it alone and just tuck it away out of site. This part of the circuit needs to stay " complete". It needs the small resistance of the bulb to complete the circuit. If you remove this from the wiring... you will most likely end up with alt/charging system problems.

Hope that this helps!!! Wire as instructed above and you will be fine. MAKE SURE that you hook up taht ground wire in the center of the dash cluster or your gauges will probably not work!!

Good Luck!!
Tom

One more important thing to consider -- make sure your gauge can handle the amperage you are generating. Don't try to use a 60 AMP gauge if your alternator is cranking out 100 AMPs. The sight of smoke and the smell of melting wires is never a good thing -- don't ask me how I know. :o

I found the article on nonecks website. In his instructions he advises to connect two power lines to the A meter. This does not sound right at all. The A meter has a ground and a power terminal and I don't know why you would hook up two hot lines to it.
Nonecks website gives the correct info. The factory amp gauge is really a mili volt meter and reads the voltage drop on the battery charge wire and is wired to 2 hot places, near the 4 way splice and the junction block, see pic

http://www.chevelles.com/showroom/data/500/Chevy_old_with_amp_gauge.jpg

Thanks Tom, it all makes sense now. I will be working thru the night!

Frank

Thanks for the diagram, you guys are awesome!

Hey Frank.. Happy to help!!! Hope that it all goes smoothly!!

Just finished the same swap. Installed factory type gauge and tach cluster in my son's 69 Chevelle. Took about 4 hours to complete the install, we used the wiring info found Nonecks site and all works fine.