Taking the dash cluster apart on my '73 W200. Replacing missing bulb sockets and changing to LED's, cleaning it all up,and painting the gauge needles. My Amp gauge looks to be in fine shape, and I can find no signs that it's gotten too hot. Will also be taking the bulkhead connectors apart and cleaning them up and packing with grease.

I've been reading through a ton of the older posts on how to make the amp gauge safe for the vehicle, as now is a good time to do any modifications to make it so. I'd rather keep the amp gauge functional, to watch how the battery is doing. I understand that if I simply add a wire from the alt stud, with a suitable FL, to the stater relay batt stud, this will reduce load on wires passing through the bulkhead connectors, but will make the amp gauge inaccurate. If I run the "parallel" setup, per Nacho, since ALL leads are going to/from the amp gauge, the amp gauge should still render accurately, correct??

I also get it about the advice to NOT run any accessories or other powered items (think headlights run on a relay setup), except for maybe a winch, from the battery side, but to instead run them from the alt side. Where would i actually run wire off of to accomplish this, then? Right off the alt stud? I'm already running Crackedback's headlight relay system off the stud; there's not a lot more room if I end up doing a relay for the blower motor, and any other lights or accessories I might want. Should I run a wire off the alt stud to a power distribution block, and then power my headlight relays, blower motor relays, and other accessories off that? Do I run it off the battery stud on my starter relay, or is that considered running off the battery? Also looking at converting my cigarette lighter to a USB port, per E'berg's article in prior Mopar Action, and have picked up a USB outlet that also displays system volts.

Thank you,

Joe