I am building my Model T roadster with a 216 from a Chevy truck. The truck had a push pedal starter. I was looking forward to seting my car up with this unique (by todays standards) feature. However there is very little room inside the car for me to place yet another pedal. I think a car solenoid will fit on the starter just fine. Is this true? And if so where can I go to get one of these? Is there any issue with my 12 volt conversion (I dont think there is)? Thanks again. Mike
use a foot electric button as used in some later 50-60's model chevy full sized trucks looks like a dimmer switch.
I had considered that possipility but I would still need a solenoid on the starter to engage the starter gear. If I am going that route anyway I will likely just use a key type switch. It is starting to get realy crowded in this car. It is a stick. And I dont know if ya have looked at many T rods but nearly all of them are automatic because of the lack of space for a third pedal. I went to great lengths to make that third pedal work. Seems giving up that starter pedal should not be too tough. Mike
my 30 chevy had the old foot mechanical starter. i converted to electrical switch. the starter shop converted my old starter to utilize the newer setup.
I will have to ask at the autoparts store tomorrow. Likely they will know where I can get the part even if they can not. Likely a very popular part since soooo many 216s were built with toe starters. Mike
No problem with the later starter w/solenoid as you said...with a key-ignition and starter button. Just be sure that your flywheel and starter-gear teeth match. Chances are that if you're using the 216 flywheel and a later starter with a solenoid, both having the wider-spaced teeth...they will. But...there is another alternative. My '37 Chevy coupe has a unique sytem. It's a mechanical linkage mounted to the bellhousing that works just as the foot-pedal starter buttons do, but is activated by the accelerator pedal. There's a vacuum-operated actuator that looks like a vacuum advance, that pulls the lever off of the linkage once the engine is running. Sounds complicated, but it's not. There is also another alternative. The inline Buick engines had an electrical switch that was also activated by the accelerator pedal. This switch was also accuated by vacuum to disable it while the engine was running. These switches are mounted on the carb. I'm not sure if the switch can be used off the carb. I have a couple of Buick straight-eights...I could look for you. PM me if you want. I'm sure you could locate a similar type of switch of more modern origin. Of course, in this case, you would still have to use a starter with a solenoid. With either system, you turn on the key, and press the gas-pedal, and vrrrrrroooom!...your running. The standard key/starter-button/solenoid sytem or even the more modern key-only/solonoid system will work fine. But if you really have your heart on an old-style method of starting, the two methods I mentioned work great too. Good luck - Rick
P.S. - Hey 57...I forgot to mention that as you probably know, a 6-volt starter will work fine on 12 volts, but the solenoid needs to be 12 volts if you've got a 12 volt system. I'm sure that the later 6-volt Chevy starters equipped with 6-volt solenoics could be retro-fitted with a 12-volt solenoid, as hotrod-Linkin mentioned, but remember that the inline 235s with the style of starter you're looking for, were built through 1962. And remember that Chevy went to 12 volts in 1955. So, I imagine that if you get a 235-style starter from 1955 to 1962, you're in business. Again though...be sure your teeth on the flywheel and starter gear match. If you need to, I think that you can change the starter gear. - Rick...again.
For a solenoid activated 6 volt starter ,look for a 49-54 car starter. To run the system on 12 volts, you can swap out the 6 volt solenoid for a 12 volt version from a 55-57 car. If you use a flywheel from a '55-62 235, then you can just use a '55-62 car starter as is.
I droped my starter off at the shop today. He says he thinks he can mount a solenoid to it. He needs to have a look and see what one can do the job. Mike
Leave the starter set up for the foot switch and have a push button on the dash like the new cars. Better yet hide the button for security
The problem with that is the starter has a manualy engageing bendix. Mounting a push buton will do nothing unless this starter is modified or replaced with a car starter. Mike
The Jalopy Journal
