Well I took your suggestion and double checked all the connections on the inside. I had already cleaned and reassembled everything on the inside so this time I pulled the covers off the clamps and it looked like the negative cable had been arcing where the wire was crimped. I took it apart, cleaned it and cut the wire back to get a good clean end and now it's showing the same voltage as before with no load but I connected it to my El Camino and turned everything on inside and now the amp gauge moves, but in the opposite direction. The positive lead comes off the rectifier plate and goes through the amp meter, does it matter which direction it goes through the meter? I forgot to measure the voltage with it under a load but it gives a big spark when you touch the leads together on the 2 amp setting.

 

It's great you found a problem with the clamp wire. Sometimes I will make the mess and solder them out of frustration.
The ammeter is polarity sensitive, it does matter which direction the current is flowing on the wire through it. Did you change it by accident?
Try turning the charger off and connecting it to a good battery. There should be no spark, no movement of the ammeter.
If there is, the back flow is due to shorted rectifier diodes and another problem to fix up.

 

Well...I hooked the charger up to my car again and no movement of the amp meter so I guess that's good. I removed the positive lead and ran it through the amp meter in the opposite direction and everything seems to be working now. Hooked it up to El Camino and put a load on it, at 2 amps the meter barely moves but on the 40 amp setting the meter reads about 35 - 40 amps so I'm assuming everything is working as it should. When I drug this thing home 5 years ago I cleaned all the larger connections so I suppose I could have ran the positive lead through the amp meter backwards when I put it all back together, it's been so long I can't remember. If I missed anything, let me know. I appreciate all the help and suggestions. I know the basics but you all help me out a lot. Thanks!