ramtough Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 I am fairly new to this forum so maybe I wasn't looking in the right places but I will post anyways. I have a 1948 FM1 fargo. I am looking to switch the starter over as well as the coil and distributor. I am lost on how to find a starter that works with the foot push start lever. As far as the coil goes I'm sure any universal coil will do? I have converted the truck to 12v already. The distributor has me stumped however. I am wondering what replacement works in the flathead 6 because doesn't the distributor have to spin half the speed of the motor? So I am wondering if any universal cap and rotor will work? Any feedback is greatly appreciated Quote
jeffsunzeri Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 What do you want to accomplish by changing the starter and distributor? Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 as most folks know there is little interchange in dist caps and rotors between makes and models...so I am wondering if instead he is asking in terms of "low cost generic" parts.... also I am not sure how much in depth knowledge he has regarding mechanical linked starters and that of electric solenoid controlled units...have you a manual for your vehicle? universal coil...most are if you wire them proper with the correct components..mix and match to your hearts desire...just remember...saturation is a dwell issue and applied voltage within the dwell time is critical for proper secondary voltage..yes the very dropping resisitor is what selects this operational value....where is it you want to be with your ignition ? Quote
Don Coatney Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 Most all coils generic or otherwise are polarity sensitive. You have not mentioned the polarity of your 12 volt conversion. Also what are your plans for a battery charging system? Quote
NiftyFifty Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 Stock caps and rotors are available quite easily, and the stock distb works fine with 12volt as does the 12v coil with a proper resistor in place. The starter pretty much needs to be the correct one, or from similar years of engine and vehicles, have you considered a rebuild of what you have? They work fine with 12 volt as well, just don't crank for extended amounts of times Quote
ramtough Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Posted June 6, 2014 I am just wondering about the distributor and coil for when then time comes to change it. As for the mechanical starter, I think it has seen it's day. The truck ran fine a week ago and now will not start. There is power to the starter as well but still won't start. I'm inspecting it this weekend hopefully to see if maybe the actual mechanism that connects power to the starter is broken or dirty or whatever it may be. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 (edited) power to the starter but will not start...UNLESS you are saying power to the starter and now the starter motor will not spin...it has no other function other than that...BUT..in the same light, if the starter motor does work and the engine spins and a does not start it could be drawing more current than normal and robbing the current needed for the ignition system... UNTIL you do a systematic troubleshoot and verify conditions...you may as well put a blind fold over your eyes...your shop manual (you do own one right) will have all the specifications and test procedure needed to test, verify and say..yeah this is right...no this is wrong.. folks here are really more than willing to help but the more detailed info you give to actual condition the better your return answers from the group will be and closer to on target.. Edited June 6, 2014 by Plymouthy Adams Quote
Jeff Balazs Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 Ramtough; Welcome to the group. You should pull the distributor and get the model# off the plate. That way you won't have any trouble getting the correct parts for it. As others have already said the distributor can be used for 6V or 12V with the correct components. You can even get a pointless module from Pertronix for either voltage and either positive or negative ground depending on what you want to do. But you should start by knowing the model#. Jeff Quote
ramtough Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Posted June 6, 2014 Sorry I meant power to the starter and it will not spin. Thanks Jeff I will start there before looking. I suppose I can find a number on the starter also. Has anyone look inside the starters with the mechanical start assembly. What should I be looking for that could be causing this problem. Maybe it's best to just tackle it hands on and see what I can find wrong Quote
Merle Coggins Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 They are pretty simple starters. The lever physically engages the bendix gear and activates the switch contacts that transmit electricity into the motor. The switch contacts could be bad or the brushes could be not making contact. You may also have bad bushings on the armature that is causing the problem. A good starter shop should be able to repair it and it'll continue to work fine on your 12v system. Or they may be able to rebuild it with 12v field coils and armature to convert it. You could probably also find a 12 volt starter that would bolt up and work. You'd just have to abandon the foot start and go with a push button and relay for starting. Merle. Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 Sorry I meant power to the starter and it will not spin. Thanks Jeff I will start there before looking. I suppose I can find a number on the starter also. Has anyone look inside the starters with the mechanical start assembly. What should I be looking for that could be causing this problem. Maybe it's best to just tackle it hands on and see what I can find wrong thanks everyone for the help! I really appreciate it! You have not stated thus I have no idea if you have a manual...it is easier to follow along in the book as folks try to assist you...actually the manual is fairly straight forward and unless you experience with such items I do recommend you waiting for a book if you are without one... Quote
ramtough Posted June 6, 2014 Author Report Posted June 6, 2014 Awesome thanks Merle! No I don't have a manual, where is a good place to buy one? Quote
Plymouthy Adams Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 check E-bay usually most folks find a reproduction one at a very fair cost...other may well chime in... Quote
_shel_ny Posted June 6, 2014 Report Posted June 6, 2014 Check your connections. Tight and clean. May have power to the starter. May not have enough current. Quote
4852dodge Posted June 7, 2014 Report Posted June 7, 2014 The 6v foot pedal starter works great with 12 v just don't crank longer than 15-20 seconds at a time. I've been using the same starter for 20+ years with no problem. It spins the motor very well. Put a resistor between the coil and power. If your starter won't turn over, remove the switch from the top of the starter and make sure the contacts on both sides are clean and install. It could be just dirty contacts. Quote
ramtough Posted June 7, 2014 Author Report Posted June 7, 2014 I have a resistor in for the coil. I will check the power with a volt meter before taking the starter apart. The 6v starter has worked great up until a couple days ago! The truck started every time in less than 5 seconds Quote
TrampSteer Posted March 7, 2015 Report Posted March 7, 2015 My started incredibly easy any time I got into it, but then one day it just was a pain. Today it even failed to start. Turns out it was the rotor. Cleaned it with a jack-knife. Now it's fine. Quote
wayfarer Posted March 8, 2015 Report Posted March 8, 2015 Another often found problem with old cars/trucks in general is the size and condition of the battery cables. You may want to consider installing new cables just to cover that potential issue. Make sure that you have a very clean grounding location. Quote
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