12 volt starters

J

Juergen

Well-known member
After rebuilding my (12 volt) flathead, I am thinking of replacing the 6 volt starter with a 12 volt, instead of banging it with 12 volts on startup. I see that Speedway has 3 options. a 200 lb-ft "stump puller", a Powermaster "XS" starter and a Powermaster original look 160 lb-ft starter. Anyone care to share opinions.
 
Save your money and use your stock starter. I've got 20+ years on my 6 volt on 12 volts. Haven't busted a Bendix yet.
 
You can use 12 volt coils to slow it down. Another option is 12 volt high torque coils which will give you the torque you need with the engine is hot but has a smaller 3rd coil to slow the speed to save your Bendix
 
Juergen said:
After rebuilding my (12 volt) flathead, I am thinking of replacing the 6 volt starter with a 12 volt, instead of banging it with 12 volts on startup. I see that Speedway has 3 options. a 200 lb-ft "stump puller", a Powermaster "XS" starter and a Powermaster original look 160 lb-ft starter. Anyone care to share opinions.
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Let's see. Your 6v starter cranked away on 6v for umpteen years. Then it banged away on 12v for another umpteen years. And it's still not busted. My opinion? Guess. Jack E/NJ
 
I ran my old 6V starter for about 10 years on 12V before it broke the Bendix. I pulled it and found the starter to have a lot of rust inside of it so I went ahead and purchased a new 12V from Mac's. Seems to me at that time they was made in India and its still working fine. Powermaster makes some nice products if you go that route. I would stick with the stock look.
 
Thanks for all the different opinions from "it ain't broke (yet) so why fix it", to use the 12 volt Ford guts to the Powermaster. I think I will try the cheaper FE route.
 
I have a Speedway Stump Puller starter on my '34 roadster and really like it. It's ugly as hell but extremely light weight. There is no Bendix and the gear hits the flywheel at the front. My engine starts so quickly that I seldom even hear it cranking.
 
flatjack9 said:
Save your money and use your stock starter. I've got 20+ years on my 6 volt on 12 volts. Haven't busted a Bendix yet.
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I will second flatjack9. I have dozens of starters. If they spin when I hook them up to 12 volt, they get cleaned up, painted and installed. This is one item where you can actually save some money.
 
Must be some lucky people here.
I only got about 2 years running 12 volts through a 6 volt starter. Jammed that
bendix up, locking it up solid to the flywheel and the next turn of the key fried the
windings in the starter. (Newish-looking FoMoCo starter that came with the vehicle when I bought it)

Replaced it with a rebuilt unit from an eBay vendor that rewinds original starters for 12 volt operation. Slows down that asinine high rpm start you get running a 6 volt starter on 12 volts. My truck actually starts the first button push now.... unlike before.
 
I have found that when the starter was converted to 12V, the engine starts at the touch of the button.
 
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