Starting with 12 volts

[_shel_ny]

...

Edited September 17, 2011 by shel_bizzy_48

[55 Fargo]

Shel, when I first brought my car home, I also started it with a 12 volt battery, Yes it does crank over very quickly and strongly with the 12 hooked up. The 6 volt battery cranks pretty good, as long as it is charged up fully, the battery cables are a good size1/0 or 2/0, and all the connections are good. But they don't turn over, like a 12 volt battery does.

When you look at 12 volt, on our cars, here is what should be considered, all 12 volt bulbs, no problem there, 12 volt signal flasher, voltage reducers for the following, the clock, heater motor, wiper motor. The radio has to stay pos gorund, but do you use your radio. The starter can stay, you can change genny to GM single wire alt, or get a 12 volt genny, I have a real minty 12 volt regulator for sale, and starter also. The heater motor, wiper motor don't care about polarity, not sure about the clock, the radio demands pos grnd, I think. So all in all it may not be such a big job to convert. I have thought about it, but opt to stick with the 6 volt system at least for now, I can buy a GM 6 volt pos ground alt locally here for a $100.00 if need be.........Fred

[55 Fargo]

Oh forgot baout the gas gauge, not sure if a straight voltage reducer can be used here, also the solenoid should be changed to a 12 volt type, the 6v starter can handle 12 volts, but the solenoid will get real hot and burn up on 12 volts, the coil, will also need changing.

[Guest rockabillybassman]

12 volts is the beez kneez. Dont forget the fuel guage will need a reducer, available from www.thenightprowlers.com they're not on the website, but they're called "Runtz" and they're $15. The big one (30Amp) for the wiper motor and heater you can get from Speedway Motors, I think about $30. This is what I have and it works just fine.

[Guest jjmorrse]

I did a 12 volt conversion and I am glad I did, but in my opinion, if a car wont start well with a 6 volt, I would encourage you to fix any hard start problems before you convert, otherwise the 12 volt will just mask an underlying issue that may get worse over time.

[Normspeed]

How is it that the starter, blower, wiper motors are not polarity/direction sensitive? As a kid, the little DC battery operated motors we had would reverse if the pos and neg wires were reversed.

[martybose]

How is it that the starter, blower, wiper motors are not polarity/direction sensitive? As a kid, the little DC battery operated motors we had would reverse if the pos and neg wires were reversed.

The starter isn't because it is not a permanent magnet motor. It uses coils in both the rotor and the stator, and when the polarity of both of them are reversed, it still turns in the same direction.

Both the heater fan motor and the electric wiper motor would run backwards, and would need to have the leads switched, as would the amp meter.

Marty

[Young Ed]

Marty my heater motors do not reverse direction with the wires switched. I know because I have dual heaters and the left turns the opposite of the right. My left motor was slow and I bought a second right one. That didn't do me any good!

[Plymouthy Adams]

The wiper motor and heater motor for this period car should also be non-pernament magnet design and thus is not affected by polarity change...

[Captain Neon]

I jump start my P15S every spring with 12v after her winter nap. When I put her away, I flood out the carb with about 1 pint Marvel Mystery Oil (I pour from a full qt. bottle and pour slowly until she stalls out, the rest goes in the gas tank), and disconnect the 6v. The MMO helps to prevent rust in engine while in cold storage and also offers top cylinder lubrication. The extra oomph from 12v helps clear out the MMO in the spring. Smokes like a demon as the MMO is burned off (get outside ASAP), but this has actually improved spring starting. When I stored her dry, she would hardly budge in the spring on 6v (now she almost starts w/ a worn-out 6v battery, at least 10 years old). New 6v battery this spring.