I am having some electrical problems I can't figure out.
I was smelling something burning and there was smoke. It was instrument cluster at the Alt gauge. My headlights blew out also.
Fuseable link into harness was burned.

Replaced Alternator, voltage regulator, re-spliced fuseable link, replaced instrument cluster.
Something is still not right. The fuseable link where I put back together gets really hot quickly. The Alternator seems to be getting hot quick also. I dont wont to burn up another cluster!

What the hell is going on?

Thank you guys for the help. I have learned so much from this site and everyone on it.
Thanks again
Oh 74 Dart Sport - 360 12.70's
Love this car

It might be full fielded (alt putting out max voltage). I would put it on fast idle & check the voltage at the alt "batt" post/alt case for 4 seconds max. Have your meter on the alt & have someone start it and rev it up for 4 seconds just long enough for you to take a reading then holler at him to shut it off. Have all lights/accessories off. post what you get. EDIT with a new alt/reg it's pretty much gonna take a dead short in the green field wire from reg to alt to full field it. If your charging rate is normal (which I kinda doubt expecially with the headlights blowing out) then we will go inside & locate what is dead shorted or excessively drawing current. I am assuming the batt is fully charged (it sure should be unless it is a different one that is way undercharged that you tossed in) and it is good (not sulphated/bad cell)

ground the alternator. bypass amp gauge.. had the same problem..

Did you look over the harness good when you pulled the cluster ??? bulkhead , everything , wire coverings will melt before the fusible link blows.

It sounds like you either have a poorly grounded alternator causing it to over charge OR you have a short on the charging circuit.

You can easily check the alternator output with a voltmeter...should be ~13.5-14.5V. Any more indicates a poor alternator/regulator ground or a bad regulator.

If you replaced all the charging components already then I would move on to checking the main charge wire for a short to ground somewhere.

On the two studs behind the alternator gauge, there needs to be an insulator between those two leads and the cluster case. Sometimes these can wear out and cause one or both of those leads to have a path to ground which is very bad news.

When the car is off, does the ammeter indicate a discharge? What about while running?

Thanks for the help!
I will take a good look and try these things out when I get home.
thanks

This is one of the best articles I have read regarding the problems of the Mopar electrical system and how to correct them...hope it helps! http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/amp-gauges.shtml

actually TO ME it seems you got something grounded to chassis, not really ammeter, alt or reg fail. Probably some of the MAIN wiring system ( wires linked to ammeter )

Ammeter is a gauge ALLMOST IMPOSIBLE TO BEAT!!! is simply a hard sheetmetal jumper between both studs attached, where a magnetic charged piece swings out just in front of and needle is attached to it.

the only "fail" I can think of on ammeter and is easy to fix, is the stud becoming kinda loosen from ammeter jumper plate. This makes to swing the ammeter studs and gauge itself untill make the isolation to be broken. The studs are pressed into the ammeter jumper plate.

you could get a melted wire around which made chassis contact and that fried the fuse link. IT CAN BE isolations to ammeter studs too as mentioned ( stressed by the heat up to get cracked ), or ammeter wiring cover melted.

why is this caused ?... poor charging qualities on stock alts at iddle, which when reving up, causes lot of load going through on just one moment to recharge the batt. Now think on this happening from years ago... Needle going back and forth unnecesarilly

several solutions to this depending on what you want to do. ( I don't like MAD Electrical solution as many of you know LOL )

running out of time to explain each one ( have to go to job ), but lot of ppl here knows what I will tell LOL, and sure will post too.