[Badpuppy]

1931 should have the coil connected directly to the generator at the firewall so the ammeter reads only battery current. The ammeter will read 0 until the cutout closes, after which you should expect >6 amps to replenish the battery after starting but should drop to 1 amp or so after a minute or two. A weak (shorted cell) battery won't charge to full voltage and will keep drawing a higher current and heat up. You may need a new battery.