Truck Repair: ford ranger fuses., oil gauge, gas gauge

Question
i recently changed the alternator on my truck.  1997,ford ranger, 2.3L, no a/c, power steering.  when i connected the battery, the connection that hooks to the battery terminal broke (I didn't notice it until later), when i was driving, the truck jolted like it got a huge power surge and then lost power.  i changed the end of the battery wire and reconnected it to the battery and changed the 3 fuses that were blown.  all of them are working now except one that controls my dashboard gauges and warning lights.  it is a 7.5 fuse, it controls my speedomoter,gas gauge, temp. gauge and oil gauge.
everytime i change the fuse and turn on my truck, the gauges will work for about 5-6 seconds and then it will blow. i have checked all the wires that lead from the alternator and battery but could not find anything lose or frayed. any suggestions would help.  

Answer
Hello Kyle,
Grab your owners manual, and find the page that tells what all is protected by each fuse, that one in particular. You may find something other than what you listed.
At any rate, you may need to disconnect several items that are protected by that fuse, and then reconnect them one at a time till you find the circuit that blows the fuse. Once it is isolated, (may take a few fuses), then concentrate on that circuit.
Kinda like tracking down a battery drain problem. See this link.
http://electric.articles.mbz.org/drain

Good luck,
Van