wiring part needed

[custom68]

There has been a lot of discussion on here about the shunt that is needed to make the full instrumentation gauges work in a truck that was equipped with idiot lights. I have been looking in the yards around East KY and can't find one. I want to change over to a set of full instrumentation gauges and I am in need of shunt. If anyone has a parts truck or a place they know they can get one let me know. I would appreciate it. I am thinking of trying to splice it in and see if it will work.

Thanks'

Steve

[willowbilly3]

I have a 71 with full insterments that is just about ready to get hauled off. I could pull the cluster and see if I can find it. I think on the F-600 panel it is looped around behind the cluster as I always find this 3 foot long wire back there that seems needlesly long for any other purpose. I will say I have only had maybe 2 trucks out of dozens that the factory guage even twitched, and that included a couple new ones. It might be a lot of effort without any rewards.

[custom68]

I thought the shunt was located between the battery and the alternator. I might be wrong, but from what I have read on here thats thats where they say it is located. I atleast want to try it before I give up on it. If you can find it I would really appreciate it, Keith had a picture of the shunt posted in a forum about F-600 gauge installation.

Steve

[bluef250]

Steve, On the 68, as far as I can tell, the shunt goes from a splice between the Alternator, voltage regulator, and the starter solenoid to the starter solenoid - about 2 or 3 feet. This wire may be a "resistance" type. I have not had anyone be able to tell me and the factory wire diagram does not help. Ford probably counted on the different wire gauges to balance the current flow. The voltage drop between the two ends and resistance in each circuit between the ends will determine the relative current each circuit will carry. One reason that the factory amp (charge) gauge does not seem to work well is the shunt does not "force" much current through the gauge. On my truck, the amp gauge is "protected" on either side on the gauge by 4 amp in-line fuses. So far as changing to factory instruments I would find '68 gauges (I bought one on eBay for about $25 including the shipping) and get a '68 wiring diagram and make the change. I could email a copy to you later. Also it appears that Ford made assembly line production changes not reflected on the wiring diagrams. You might be ahead if you could find a donor truck for the wiring harness and gauges. Phil

[FoMoCo]

If sombody finds this magical part please find out what the resistance is so we can all venture to Radio Shack.

Nick