What is involved or how hard is it to convert a GM starter from 6 volts to 12 volts? Its a 1951 Chev starter off of a 235 6 Cylinder. How do you set it up so you know the drive gear it shooting out the correct distance? And what is the correct distance for the drive gear?
Windings are actually heavier in a 6V starter. I've done this many times, just put 12V to it. The only caution is don't grind on it untill it gets really hot, but you can burn up a 12V starter that way too.
X4. 12 volts will also make you 6 volt horn scream but the same applies....just don't lay on it for too long.
Actually used 12V on a 6V starter to move the car once in a pinch. Crank, go a couple feet, stop, let it cool, hit the button again... no problems -
Well that is good to know. I read that after a while the Solenoid could stick and jam the starter. But I guess that would be if you have to crank for a long time and heat it up. This motor starts fast. So I shouldnt have anything to worry about there. One thing that it is doing now but only sometimes the drive gear is hitting the flywheel. It didnt do that on 6 Volts. But it was also shooting the gear out way slower then. Is there anything that I could do to correct that? And I have noticed the Horn. It shoulds like a Trains Horn Blasting!!!!
Take it apart and clean the solenoid and linkage. Check for excessive wear on the pivot points then a dab of wheel bearing grease and reinstall. Bias the solenoid to take up any slack and that's as good as it will get. I have put a small "O" ring around the shaft to act as a cushion for the Bendix to slam into.
years ago buying some parts for a 40 willys truck project friend and I asked the same question to a parts guy. He asked to see the starter then pulled a pencil out of his pocket wrote 12V on it and told us now you guys have a 12 volt starter. never forgot that. great when you run into a great parts guy.
Well, the actual answer to your question is this. It is very likely there is a part number for 12 volt field coils that can be installled in your existing case and a 12 volt solenoid swapped also. Any good starter/generator/alternator shop could do that. That said, the previous posters are correct in that you can use a 6 volt starter on a 12 volt system, keeping in mind the cautions they stated. Ray
it would be a good idea to attach a 12V solenoid to the 6V starter so the bendix doesn't shoot out so fast that it eventually damages the flywheel teeth. don't ask me how i know.
The guys are right. It will work fine, so long as you don't abuse it. I had a big problem too, I thought. My old Chrysler was positive ground, and I am converting to 12 volts, so I was concerned that the starter would run in reverse because of the change in polarity. Not! Went to the best starter/alternator guy in town. DC motors run one way. He took me outside to his Model A with a 6 volt starter in a 12 volt system. The engine needed half a crank to start! Yes, it was the old 4-cylinder. My Imperial is 60 years old, and has not run since 1970. The starter spins hell out of that engine.
Something else I was told by a good starter/alternator man...All electric appliance motors are DC, can run them, that is why your hair dryer, vacuum, food processor work. You could, in a pinch change the other electric parts to handle DC and you could run any of them from your charging system.
my dad has used the 6 volt starters in his old tractors on 12 volts for 25-30 years with no problems. most of the wiring systems and the generators are unhooked, they run on magnetos and he just charges them up with a charger a couple times in summer.(no starter problems)
12V's no problem BUT don't get the idea that a truck mounted arc welder will do a good job in a pinch. Open voltage on a welder is over 50 volts and will blow the housing end right of the starter. Don't ask me how I know!
A starter generator shop can convert a 6v starter over to 12V. If your 6V starter dies after years of use on 12Vs why not have it rebuilt to 12Vs? They converted my Studebaker starter to 12Vs so a Chevy would be a piece of cake. I had carb problems and after unknown years working on 12Vs it finally gave out trying to sort out my carb problems. It took a few days for the shop to get the 12V windings for a 50s 6V starter. I'm sure it will out last me.
I've been running 12 volts for about 4 years now with no issues - until last week. Started to hear a scrapping or whirling noise after the starter disengaged and stopped spinning. Took it apart only to find one of the windings had actually been thrown out of the communator and was grinding on the side. Guess I must have spun it a little to long once or twice. Threw another commutator in it and we're back on the road. Only got 2 spares left - after that we'll have to get one rewired for 12 volts.
If its as easy as throwing on a 55-56 Chev Solenoid I might as well do it. Even if it just slows down the drive gear a bit so it doesnt Hammer so hard!! Thanks For The Info!! 48 Fleetline
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