So, the car is a '71 plymouth roadrunner with a 440 6 pack and automatic. Driving on Friday I smelled a hot wire, but could not find it. The alt gauge showed full charge while driving. Later while driving it popped the fuse in the fusible link. I have checked for loose wires, had the battery checked, replaced the voltage regulator, and had the alternator checked. The ampmeter still shows the alternator charging almost pegged at idle. Where else could I look? I have pulled all the fuses out of the fuse box and the problem is still there. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Thanks, Lee

Few things here to check and narrow this down:

- Do you have any non-stock loads (electric/fans/pump/etc) on the positive battery stud or starter relay that might be pulling this current?

- What is the battery voltage at idle? Should be ~12.5-13.8V If the ammeter is pegged charging, this could be indicative of a bad VR which is allowing the alternator to peg at 16V+ which will start to fry things

- If the above two are not true, then your short most likely lies on the battery side of the ammeter. This is the circuit with the thick red wire...the same as where your fusible link burned. This could be a bit trickier to troubleshoot as you will need to inspect the length of that wire from the starter relay --> fusible link ---> bulkhead connector --> dash harness ----> ammeter. Using a multimeter, you could check that red wire for continuity to ground in various places.

Also check the back of the ammeter itself as this is a common place where the charging wires can ground on the gauge housing.

Holler back and let us know how it goes.

Did you check the power feed to the ammeter going through the bulkhead connector on the firewall? You have to pull the connectors to see it. I've seen a few bulkheads that were partially melted from the wire shorting to the firewall. It's usually the lower right looking from the engine compartment.

You have a dead short to ground which is full fielding the alt/reg field circuit. pull the female green wire connector off of the alt male field terminal & if it still charges then the alt field circuit inside the alt is internally grounded or the brush assy there at the green wire terminal is improperly grounded. if it stops charging then plug it back in & pull the triangle connector off of the reg & if it continues to charge then the green field wire from the alt to the reg is grounded somewhere along its' length. If it doesn't charge when you pull the triangle connector off then the reg is bad or it ain't grounded well to the firewall or the green wire terminal in the triangle connector is being improperly grounded right there inside the triangle. DO NOT drive it like this. Run it for a few seconds each time/test as you go thru the above till you find/fix the fault. If you DO have to drive it pull the alt field wires & let it run the batt down a bit which is FAR less damaging then operating it with it full fielded. Holler what it ends up being. EDIT also take off both batt cables & with your meter on ohms see if the positive cable has continuity to ground (it should not)

So after closer inspection, I found the power wire (fusible link wire) was melted at the bulkhead connection. The bulkhead slot where it went was melted and black, and the insulation on the wire was melted as well. So I'm currently bypassing the bulkhead connection with new wire. Thanks for the help so far! Ill let you know if this fixes my problem

Before you hook up a battery make sure that is the problem not the symptom.

So with both connections replaced, I went to start the car and I had the door ajar buzzer and horn, but when I turned the key to crank the car I lost power. I checked all connections and I got the power back into the car and the horn and door buzzer going, but when I turned the key again I lost all power. I haven't been able to get it power back inside the car since. I have checked all connections and I have power at the back of the alternator all the way to the fusible link and battery. I also have power at the fuse box on half of the fuses (the ones hot at all times), and I have power at all fuses when the key is turned backwards in the accessory phase, but when I turn the key to the run position, I lose all power at the fuse box....does anybody know what could cause this? Any tips are appreciated

Is that terminal on the bulkhead? And the open one would be the reason for no power? Thanks for the fast response!

(1) The ign1 terminal on the ign sw (2) yes. EDIT I'm assuming a 71 has the ign sw in the column. Seperate the dangling connector under the column & work downstream from there with the ign1 (run) wire