Flat head starter help

I would like to know can I reverse the starter motor on my 8BA engine. These things were positive ground. I want to make it negative.

Thanks!

Mike

 

You don't need to reverse anything. I changed my 59AB to 12v NEG grd, and the starter worked just fine.

 

The starter does,nt know the difference.

 

Simple, just ground the negative side of the battery instead of the positive.

 

The starter also spins faster on 12 volts.

 

WOW! That is amazing! I am going to test it out. Can anyone explain why this is? All DC motors I have ever dealt with are polarity sensitive.

Mike

 

they work just fine as 12v negative ground, as a precaution install a NEW bendix spring and bolt, they turn over with much more torque and the old springs like to snap, past experiance has us keeping a spare in the trunk..

 

DC motors that reverse direction when the current is reversed use permanent magnets in the housing (field) and electromagnets in the armature (the part that spins). Reversing the current only reverses the polarity of the armature, so the motor turns the opposite way. Older starter motors are universal which means that they can use either DC or AC power (and will always spin the same way regardless of the way they are connected). The reason is that both the field and armature are electromagnets that will change polarity simultaneously if the current is switched.

 

Thanks 49! That makes sense!

Mike