I was wondering how many of you guys are running 6volt systems. If so, is all o.k. the way it is or are you considering the 12v conversion? What are your thoughts?
54 Ford was daily driver thru 2 wisconsin winters. 6 volt positive ground system with the biggest single battery I could find. If your gonna do it use large good quality cables. 54chop
I've had at least one 6v car in my "stable" for the last 40+ years and never saw a need to change any of them to 12v. Good grounds and proper size cables/wires and the system will work just fine.
Still running 6v in the '39 i have no intention to 12v it until the hot motor goes in, just for good cranking really & maybe some sounds! Kev.
And one other point to add ... If your wiring is the older RUBBER insulated, (original, with a fabric outer cover) enough time has gone by that the rubber has started to break down. A quick test is to pinch the wire at the end; if the rubber "crumbles", you COULD have a potential electrical wiring FIRE hazzard within your wiring system.
I learned how to repair a charging sytem, not replace it. No 8 volt battery, no 6/12 dual thing, just a properly adjusted Delco regulator, a battery equal to the original size and capacity, and clean grounds everywhere. High maintainance, sure, but I still enjoy hearing the different signature starter sounds, or a '50 Buick radio warming up ...
I had a lot of 6 volt experience in my stocker Model A Ford. I changed it over to a 12 volt and it wasn't any better, it was still for the most part the same. But I was able to run a tape player without a 6 to 12 volt adapter. I believe it was because I was using a generator, which has some limitations. Mostly in charging amperage. And the fact that they charge only at high RPM's. Alternators charge at an idle. I have two tractors that are 6 volt. A 1951 Ferguson TO-20 and a 1948 Ford 8N. I put a 6 volt alternator on the Ferguson when the original generator failed me. I had to eliminate the idiot light (yes, this tractor has an idiot light, and no guage) and install a Stewart Warner 30 amp ampmeter guage on a home made custom sub plate. It fires up, runs over to 30 amps for a few minutes, and then goes to zero. the original generator had to run on charge all day. 10 amps, wide open. I put a smaller pully for the alternator, a Delco-Remy that Floyd's Auto Electric in Wyoming Michigan set up with a 6 volt regulator. The pulley I used came from Snyder's Antique Auto Parts in OH. I bought a positive ground Model A alternator from Snyder's for the 8N Ford. Same good story with that one. The hardest part of the retrofit was to engineer and build the necessary bracts to make the installation. And a longer belt. But that was no problem, as I'm a Journeyman Tool and Diemaker. Now I understand that mounting hardware is commercially available, but I don't know where to get it. I manufactured my own, and it took a few tries to get it right. I hope this helps. No changing Headlights, Coil, Starter, or anything. Just purchase the 6 volt alternator. And the Battery now lasts for 5 or 6 years on the average. A cheapie from the Farm Store.
I run both (2 6v in series). My Dash and O/D are run off of a small 6v fuse panel, and one battery. The rest of the main box and both batteries.
I still have 6v positive ground in my '40 Ford. With an Optima battery and electronic ignition (Pertronix), it runs like a champ. I recently replaced the generator with a 6v, 40 amp lookalike alternator from E. J. Whitney, and now can run halogen headlights and the original tube radio with no problem. As previously mentioned, good grounds and big cables are critical to 6v operation. JMTCW.
The reason for the big cables in 6V systems is that they run a higher amperage than a 12 V system. The Model A club guys put in GM style 6V positive ground alternators and run all over the country. It works better than a generator (no more dim headlights idling at a stoplight), and with a good battery it's just as dependable as a 12V. Won't run a modern stereo, however.
I changed my '55 New Yorker to 12v after the 6v mechanical voltage regulator pissed me off for the last time. You can get them at NAPA, but they're not cheap, and they don't always work as I found out. I think I flipped the terminals on some stuff but it was pretty much just that and light bulbs. A 12v alternator costs less than a damn 6v voltage regulator too...
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