WD45 Voltmeter Wiring

First, I owe a huge debt of gratitude to Steve Barbato for his patience in trying to help me understand, for him it must be like trying to communicate with chimp lol...
Steve: "Hey, stop. Don't eat that, it's not a banana."
Me: "BANANA!!!"
Steve: "NO, that's a cigar. A GOOD cigar. MY cigar. Don't eat it."
Me: "banana?"
Steve: "NO!!! NOT BANANA! BAD MONKEY!!!"
Me: "BANANA! ME EAT!!!"
Steve: ">sigh...<"
Me: "YUCK. Bad banana. Why you give me bad banana?!?!?!"

I can relate. I like cigars. I even grow my own tobacco to make cigars. And they're not bananas... not at all.

But I'm still confused. Sorry, Steve! I have been avoiding asking this question because of my profound embarrassment over my utter ignorance. At some point in its past the tractor was converted to 12v but the wiring is a mess and the ammeter (already out of instrument panel) is 30-0-30 and won't be used. So, you would expect that even a chimp could figure it out! I've got a new (1-wire - yes I know lol) alternator, got some wiring parts from Steve. New wire. It all makes sense IF keeping it with an ammeter. And for anyone and everyone in the future, doesn't matter the reasons for having to go the "cheap" route (IT'S NOT!!!), just go 100% with Steve's kit. I should've. I didn't. But that's history now.
Anyways, using the Duey Schutter 12v Conversion (distributor, key-start, solenoid, lights etc.) diagram, I am going to delete the ammeter and install the voltmeter I got from Steve. But I'm confused on the wiring when the ammeter is deleted and a voltmeter is used instead. I can follow a schematic like the one I mentioned, I get it, I can follow it clearly. But figuring out anything electrical that's new-to-me on my own ain't gonna happen any time soon.
I actually have thought of wiring it as the diagram shows with a 60-0-60 ammeter. THAT I can figure out. Only difference is I'm thinking of having the ammeter in its own, non-metallic (I have a junction box if that would work) enclosure mounted away from the rest of the switches/gauges etc., and wiring the voltmeter (properly) in the place on the instrument panel previously occupied by the ammeter.

So... anyone speak chimp? I'm almost done. This is my only sticking point. ...I hope...

Thanks, guys. Go ahead and fire away, I deserve it lol.
- Tim aka Cheetah
P.S. - is wiring the light on the voltmeter (Sunpro) as simple as connecting to appropriate terminals of the voltmeter? Or do I use a different banana?

If your key switch has an ACC position, wire the + wire to that. If it has a second wire (probably black) run that to a ground connection. If it doesn't have a second wire, the case of the volt meter is where it gets its ground. If your key switch doesn't have an ACC position, wire the voltmeter to the IGN terminal on the switch.

It has the accessory position, thanks Doug and frnkeore. I do get that for wiring the voltmeter, maybe I shouldn't have placed so much emphasis on the voltmeter when it's my issue of what to do with the other wiring when the ammeter is deleted; do I just hook the red wire (keeping with the diagram I mentioned) from the alternator straight to the solenoid, OR do I connect it to the BATT on the switch and then connect from BATT to the solenoid (that is absolutely the only way it makes sense, to me)? I know you state to the battery, if I understand, keeping the 3-post switch on it now, what post on the switch (3-position still) runs to the solenoid? And as for the light switch being connected to the "+" on the ammeter per the diagram, I'm pretty sure I should have the wire for the lights connected to the ACC, right? And I'm also thinking the light for the voltmeter might be best hooked up the light switch, but not sure. Can't see any point having that light on all the time.
So, to sum up: I THINK that I'm supposed to run the red wire from the alternator to the BATT, then from there to the solenoid. And the light switch is wired to the ACC, the voltmeter light connected to the light wiring, or maybe the ACC but I don't think so. Am I on track? Looking for clarification.
The issue is that I can use the ignition switch NAPA P/N KSb180 (I have) and keep it the same as the diagram, but if I use the 3-post already there, where does the wire from SOL to the solenoid (per diagram) get connected on the 3-post. It would have been a lot easier for me to understand ALL of this if there was a way to follow the wiring already on the tractor, but that is a tangled mess you would not believe. Different gauge wires in the same line spliced together, original cloth covered wires spliced with old wires spliced with new and all different gauges, wires hanging out and going nowhere, even with a continuity tester some do not make any sense, possibly broken wires under the 40 pounds of electrical tape the guy used. Hard to imagine I could do a worse job. And the battery never charged before. Didn't know if bad wiring or alternator or both. Doesn't matter now, I'm going all new.
...I think I need a banana lol. The only thing that concerns me is without guidance, I do something wrong that fries all the time and money, along with the tractor, that I've got into it so far.

Tim,

Edited by Sugarmaker - 19 Jun 2019 at 1:34pm

EUREKA, THERE'S A CHIMP-HUMAN TRANSLATING DEVICE!!! lol!!!
Seriously guys, Chris and Frank, THANK YOU but I didn't have time to read your replies because Don(MO) got in touch with me via PM, said he spoke chimp, gave me his number and for the last hour and ten minutes we talked about the difference between wrappers of bananas and of cigars. And - I GOT IT! So, I sure overcomplicated it... but in all fairness to me, so did the previous owner! HAH! OK, now head to the farm and hopefully have time to get this done right while still fresh as a banana cigar in my mind. Went from clear as mud to clear as crystal. THANKS, DON! And all... what a huge help this forum is. Thank you. I'll let you know when I get it done and get it running. This SHOULD be the last on the list of things it needed. Glad I swallowed my pride and spoke up. oooh ooooh aaaah aaaah!!! (<--- translated: "me happy chimp!")
THANKS!!! Now to get to one of your classes!

Hi Bill, I actually didn't want an ammeter, my reason for thinking about keeping it was not so much that I didn't understand installing the voltmeter but that given the way my tractor was wired, and trying to reconcile it with the diagram I mentioned, I was beyond confused trying to figure how to move connections around, so I thought just keep the ammeter, wire it according to the diagram, and wire the voltmeter up as well. Now that I have a better grasp, reading what I wrote makes me more embarrassed now than I was before! The ammeter is about to go in the scrap barrel, as soon as I get to the farm lol.

If you have a rugged ignition switch you can tie the ammeter connections (all of them) to the BAT connection on the switch. Use good heavy duty connectors. If you have a wimpy switch then tie all the ammeter connections together and run a wire to the BAT terminal on the switch. Don't include the ignition wire on this terminal. Tie that to the IGN terminal on the switch. Tie the voltmeter to the switch as mentioned earlier.

I feel your pain. Them instrument panels are way too small for fingers and tools, have too many gages in them and the wires go to unmarked (or not well identified places). I now forget about wiring a voltmeter to the key switch. Instead, I run a wire from the + post of the coil to the + post on the voltmeter and then run a wire from the - post on the voltmeter to the - post on the battery. Use some more wire but avoid the hassle of disassembling/reassembling the instrument panel to install the gage.

Ok, Here is my crude sketch of the system I propose to use next. May not be big enough to read?

Doug,

I had a '53 WD. After it had been over hauled, the 6 volt battery would not turn it over very well if stalled when working it hard. I put a new 8 volt battery in it, and it worked very well, and stayed charged. 

TimCNY wrote: EUREKA, THERE'S A CHIMP-HUMAN TRANSLATING DEVICE!!! lol!!! Seriously guys, Chris and Frank, THANK YOU but I didn't have time to read your replies because Don(MO) got in touch with me via PM, said he spoke chimp, gave me his number and for the last hour and ten minutes we talked about the difference between wrappers of bananas and of cigars. And - I GOT IT! So, I sure overcomplicated it... but in all fairness to me, so did the previous owner! HAH! OK, now head to the farm and hopefully have time to get this done right while still fresh as a banana cigar in my mind. Went from clear as mud to clear as crystal. THANKS, DON! And all... what a huge help this forum is. Thank you. I'll let you know when I get it done and get it running. This SHOULD be the last on the list of things it needed. Glad I swallowed my pride and spoke up. oooh ooooh aaaah aaaah!!! (<--- translated: "me happy chimp!") THANKS!!! Now to get to one of your classes!