Running 12-volts through a 6-volt starter

Just called a local old-timer mom & pop automotive electrical place in Costa Mesa and he said I could wire it as if it were a negative ground, no problem.

I'm going to put it in tonight and see what happens!

P.S. Yes Jimmy! I know you're right and you RULE!

 

I had a positive ground 6v Chrysler starter that I wired to 12v negitive ground. Worked like a champ....no problems at all.

 

For what it is worth, I used the 6v starter that came on my 53 Chrysler Hemi, when I installed it into my 41 Ford tudor and since I milled the heads almost an 1/8" the six volt was challenged. I mounted up a 57 Plymouth generator and regulator and have not had a problem with anything electrical. This was done in 1961.
Good Luck

 

Got the starter back, works fine now.

I have a new problem though that's unrelated to the starter.

Thank you everyone for your input! I appreciate it!

Cheers!

 

there is nothing wrong with running a 6 volt starter to 12 volt battery if you have ever seen a car with hydrolics they use 12 volt starter and run 72 volts to them check the brushes and make sure nothing is grounding out

 

Ran 12v through the same flathead starter for 18 years, no problems not even a broken bendix spring. Though now have rebuilt the whole car and gone to a small road runner 12v starter.

 

HEy, I had an early hemi in a 54 Jag XK-120,and got tired of the 6 volt compromise. Went to 12 volts, and that 6 volt starter must have doubled it's speed! Spun that engine like it was a toy! I would not suggest extended cranking, but that little attempt lasted more than three years and hundreds of starts.

 

hey SCOOTER...learn something every day, like what? that 12 volts wouldn't fry a 6 volt starter. i'am 68 yrs. old and didn't know that. but i am semply dumb founded. i'll bet that old 6 volt realy sings. O YEA, hell man nobody know's everything...POP.

 

Yep! I just went ahead and ran it! Works great! I think the rebuild people just didn't check a couple things they should have when they went through it. Ever since I got it back it's been A-O-K!

 

I tried to read all of the posts, to this long discussion. I didn't find one that really explains the genesis of the theory involved;

All old starters are series-wound. The dc series-wound motor is not voltage sensitive, per-se. The only thing that affects efficiency is the wire size. A series-wound motor that runs well on 6 volts wouldn’t run well on 2 volts(if there were such an animal), because the wires in the windings are too small in a 6 volt starter for it to be turned by 2 volts. A series-wound motor designed to run on 2 volts that would spin a car motor over for starting would weigh about 30 pounds, due to the required cross section of the wires in the windings.

Motors designed to spin a motor over using a 6 volt power source run good on 12 volts because the wires in the windings are larger than they need to be, which has absolutely no effect on performance.

Any series-wound motor(starter) that is ran continuously, even on the “design“ voltage will overheat.

 

never had a problem with a six volt starter..driven by 12 volt..d32

 

Starters are not permanently magnatized. the field coils are engegized when current is applied, so they don't give a hoot about polarity. As metioned 6V starters are much stouter than 12 V units. And don't realy care that much about the voltage either. Now the relay (solenoid) is a different story and a 6V will burn its contacts pretty quiclky with the extra voltage. The big mechanical issue is the added speed with which the bendix spins out and contact the ring gear as it will also be 2x faster than its design speed. So it might be that the bendix did not release as the engine did not fire to kick it out. There might be an inter conect that prevents the starter from turning is the bendix gear isn't in its correct postion.

Could be it just needs some new brushes or a bit of cleaning of the commutator.

 

I have a 6v starter in a 331 poly ground it for long long periods of time, and no damage. Something wrong in the wiring, must have killed the solenoid or something. only way a starter would be damaged by being stuck in the flywheel would be if it was reved so fast that it throws the solder out of the starter. Looks like my post is about the same as everyone elses. My dad commonly put 12v batteries in 6v cars and trucks for years, and never had a starter problem.

 

I have a 6 volt starter on my V12 Lincoln 32 Hot Rod and the rest is 12 volts I like the fact that it starts the engine quicker never had a problem. Last issue I had is that the starter got stuck in the flywheel teeth loosen the starter and put it back on and no more problem. Also I had an issue with the solenoid I was getting power to it but would not turn over at all so I disconnected one side of the solenoid and waited a few minutes than hooked it back up and than I was able to start the car it was like the cable needed to be off a few minute to reset it back. Now no more issues. I have also run a 6 volt starter on my 12 volts system VW and would start quicker and never damaged the 6 volt starter.

Frenchy

 

aah yeah Ol' 46 plym and 29 'Gnash', kinda hit the nail on the head here.some of these posts run so long that I don,t know if they have already been answered or not. Being an old time motor winder bak in the day I know just by lookin at them windings on the 'old' style starter motors they will take a lotta AMPS! they are SERIES type of motors like in 'Cranes, trains, an automobles', of which I have rewound many.You have never seen a real motor meltdown till you see a 1500hp diesel electric locomotive series wound, traction motor melt down. the one thing that might not work is the 6 volt solenoid, lotta folks don,t bother with it but it should be changed to 12v. Yes the old 6v will tend to overheat if you continue to work it too long. it would be better to use a regular 12v starter/solenoid replacement but sometimes we just use whats there cause it always worked. Now the newer geared type of motor isnt at all like the old style series motors, they are 12v permenent/magnet geared starters. And the one thing I always check first is the solenoid. it and its contacts are the heart of the starter motor circuit.Thats where it tells the tale.

 

Can't add a thing because I believe it's has all been said/ discussed. I would like to say Thanks to Scooter for starting this thread and keeping order in the Court. We all learned something and if you didn't it was a good refresher course!

 

i like to use a 12v solenoid on the 6v starter to slow down the gear to gear engagement. you eventually beat the crap out of the flywheel teeth in a few areas with the jet powered engagement speed.