6 volt starter w/ 12 volt conversion

im sure theres a thread out there but searching on my computer has been taking forever for some reason... Im about to convert my 54 Chevy 210 to 12 volt and heard I could keep the starter. Any precautions I should take in doing this, or would it be best to buy another one?

 

Have a 52 gmc and a 41 suburban with 6 volt starters on 12 volt systems. Hasn't been a problem for a few years now. I would rest the starter more if you have to crank on it alot and you may have to rebuild sooner but that's about all.
JIm

 

Should be no problem unless your starter is on the brink already. I 've had old tractors that way for years with no problems. When the starters die...I replace with original 6 volt.

 

the flywheel in your car only works with the 6 volt starter anyways...so just run it and don't worry.

 

ive been runninga 6v on a 12v system for 10 years. works fine, i wouldnt worry about it. starter motors are tough

 

More voltage requires less amperage to do the work.
So what you get when you use a 6 volt starter on 12 volts is a very heavy duty starter! Like KY says above" been doing it for many years " with no problems..
Dave

 

Only precaution i take is not to keep the starter engaged for more then a second, 2 tops.
The 6v starter really kicks on 12v, but not as much as the horns.

As stated above, the flywheels are different for 6v and 12v starters.

 

Thanks, helped out alot. It starts up fine now, but was worried if for some reason it took a few more times I may burn the motor up, Ill just have to keep an eye on it. Thanks again to all
Chris

 

One word of caution. If you run into a no start problem don't crank and crank while you are sorting out the problem. Normally it will start so quickly that it will last forever. I have burnt up a 6V starter by cranking it too much with no cool down time between tests. I was so frustrated by the no start problem that I forgot what I was working with.

 

Good advice... I would understand if im getting frustrated and forget to give it time between starts. May be a stupid question, and I probably will just leave 12 to 6 on the starter no matter what, but what about a reducer?

 

its unnecc***ary. 6v starter has lasted me 10 years, and ive cranked it for extended periods of time, several times.

 

Ditto, I converted my 54 to 12V back in 91, still no problems. I have heard that its a good idea to get a 12V solenoid, but I haven't had any drama's with the 6V one so far.

Like the others, I'm easy on the starter, prolly run it for 3-4 sec at a time.

No need for a reducer. In any case, I'm not sure what you could use to disspate that kind of power.

 

Again... could be a basic question... since its a positive ground, after doing the 6 to 12 volt conversion, do I need to flip flop the wires? or does the NCA kit have instructions to answer that? Thanks Again... GONZO

 

Bump for early crowd at work bored....

 

Wire it like 12 volt. The starter will get its ground through the case. Put the positive wire through the solenoid and onto the starter wire lug. Ground the - battery terminal to the engine block.

 

run flatheads that way for years no problem

 

Amazingly, starters will run in only one direction, and are blind to polarity. So, no matter what you have, positive or negative ground, the starter will spin the engine properly.
Cosmo

 

I have run my Flatheads with 12v hooked up to the original starters and no problems as such. But I would keep a bendix with you just incase, I used to break them on my flatties every once in a while. Fortunately I still had the manual trans in it so I would park on a hill to pop the clutch if it ever broke.

 

not to mention how fast the 6 volt power seats work on 12 volts. I squashed my milkshake between me and the steering wheel in 1 second...lightning fast seats !!! but the starter won't give you a problem. cadillac dave

 

I've been running mine that way for several years now. With 6v the wiring had to handle twice the amperage than with a 12v system. I also found that 12v causes the engine to fire up way faster. In my truck the engine will fire up within maybe a second, so the starter is barely ever being used anyhow. I would think that could potentially increase its longevity. Just replace your solonoid with a 12v unit. That will eventually burn out.

 

With the juice required with a starter, you'd need one hell of a reducer I would think, and you'd have to dissipate a lot of heat.

 

I changed my solenoid to 12v and kept the 6v starter. works great...

 

Thanks again all you HAMBers... Just like taking every precaution before I go screwing things up.
-Gonzo

 

new problem... nothing other than it bothers me. now when i use the turning signals... the dash lights up both arrows and no matter which side i turn, the right arrow is always blinking. bad 12 v flasher? its brand new though

 

plus... nothing more than a bad horn ****on i believe, but i had a pretty embarr***ing moment when i first tested the horn and it decided to stay on. keep in mind it was midnight in an apartment complex on a sunday night. oops

 

Since one of your indicators is flashing, your flasher must be OK. the problem is in the wiring or signal switch.

 

Well I would agree except when it was wired 6V, there was no problem.

 

Did you move any wiring when you changed the indicator bulbs to 12 volt?

 

Nope. The only thing I remotely did in that area is change the bulbs.

 

I kept my 6V starter when I changed my '55 Ford to 12V, never had any trouble with it. If an engine is tuned up right and has good compression, it doesn't take much to fire it off. If you have to grind and grind on it to get it started, you have other problems you need to fix.