6 volt High Torque Starter?
- Thread starter wgmatt
- Start date
Marshall V. Daut
Well-known member
Unless you have an unbelievably high compression cylinder head, you should be o.k. with the normal starter if it is in good condition. I run a Super Brumfield 7:1 head on my '28 Phaeton that has been milled to about 8:1 and the regular starter turns the engine over just fine.
If your starter is slow, try cleaning the armature with 220 sandpaper. Also ensure that the ground spot on the center crossmember is clean and shiny. A good ground is critical with a six-volt system. Run an auxiliary ground strap from the transmission shift tower to the frame. If these suggestions don't help, your starter probably needs to be overhauled or exchanged for a properly rebuilt one. But I would be surprised if you actually need a high torque starter.
Marshall
If your starter is slow, try cleaning the armature with 220 sandpaper. Also ensure that the ground spot on the center crossmember is clean and shiny. A good ground is critical with a six-volt system. Run an auxiliary ground strap from the transmission shift tower to the frame. If these suggestions don't help, your starter probably needs to be overhauled or exchanged for a properly rebuilt one. But I would be surprised if you actually need a high torque starter.
Marshall
ModelA29
Well-known member
Many A electrical problems can be traced directly to a poor ground. Our horn was performing poorly. Cleaning, oiling, adjusting wasn't helping. Later while doing regular maintenance I decided to clean the battery posts and ground. I noticed the horn had also improved.
nkaminar
Well-known member
I had the opposite problem. I changed over to a LiPo battery. I have a 12 volt car. The LiPo battery is 14.6 volts when fully charged. Even though I switched over to 12 volt field windings, I felt like that was putting too much strain on my starter motor.
I tried putting a Model T Bendix starter spring in series with starter but that was too much resistance and the starter motor would not turn the engine over. I finally ended up taking one of the ground straps out, the one that ran to the frame. The remaining ground strap is small, not the thick 6 volt ground strap. This lowered the strain on the starter motor enough for now. When I get some time I will cut the Model T Bendix spring in half and see if that will help.
Which leads to this comment: A 6 volt LiPo starting battery would be 7.2 volts fully charged and has low resistance. So the stater motor should provide plenty of torque using this kind of battery. But everyone's comments about good ground and other connections and a good operating starter motor are all valid.
Some people have used 8 volt batteries if they have really high compression engines.
I tried putting a Model T Bendix starter spring in series with starter but that was too much resistance and the starter motor would not turn the engine over. I finally ended up taking one of the ground straps out, the one that ran to the frame. The remaining ground strap is small, not the thick 6 volt ground strap. This lowered the strain on the starter motor enough for now. When I get some time I will cut the Model T Bendix spring in half and see if that will help.
Which leads to this comment: A 6 volt LiPo starting battery would be 7.2 volts fully charged and has low resistance. So the stater motor should provide plenty of torque using this kind of battery. But everyone's comments about good ground and other connections and a good operating starter motor are all valid.
Some people have used 8 volt batteries if they have really high compression engines.
Last edited:
Marshall V. Daut
Well-known member
In the 1970's and 1980's, lots of Model A people were discovering that their 40 and 50 year-old starters were finally weakening and turning their engines over slower than they used to do. Rebuilding a Model A starter was (and still is) more of a challenge than the average owner wants to take on. So, the big trend back then was to install 8-volt batteries to give those tired starters a "goose".
That helped, but it also created another problem. Actually, two problems. 8-volt batteries were hard on the 6-volt headlight bulbs. It was not unusual for Model A people to carry around a few spare headlight bulbs - just in case. But more seriously, the likewise tired generators of that era weren't able to keep the 8-volt batteries charged. The batteries would eventually run down unless one raised the generator's charging rate to the max - which, of course, eventually burned up the generators. Owners found themselves regularly using battery chargers or the local gas station to "top off" their batteries.
This was before alternators were adapted to Model A's, at least not for the Model A's six-volt system. Some mechanically and electrically-minded mechanics were able to convert alternators for their cars, but alternators set up for Model A use just weren't readily available to the rank and file Model A owner back then. Now that they can be procured from multiple sources, perhaps the charging problem is ancient history for 8-volt batteries? I haven't used one since 1986, not wishing to put up with its disadvantages any longer. Does anyone out there run an 8-volt battery in his Model A, and if so, do you use an alternator? Do headlight bulbs blow out?
Marshall
That helped, but it also created another problem. Actually, two problems. 8-volt batteries were hard on the 6-volt headlight bulbs. It was not unusual for Model A people to carry around a few spare headlight bulbs - just in case. But more seriously, the likewise tired generators of that era weren't able to keep the 8-volt batteries charged. The batteries would eventually run down unless one raised the generator's charging rate to the max - which, of course, eventually burned up the generators. Owners found themselves regularly using battery chargers or the local gas station to "top off" their batteries.
This was before alternators were adapted to Model A's, at least not for the Model A's six-volt system. Some mechanically and electrically-minded mechanics were able to convert alternators for their cars, but alternators set up for Model A use just weren't readily available to the rank and file Model A owner back then. Now that they can be procured from multiple sources, perhaps the charging problem is ancient history for 8-volt batteries? I haven't used one since 1986, not wishing to put up with its disadvantages any longer. Does anyone out there run an 8-volt battery in his Model A, and if so, do you use an alternator? Do headlight bulbs blow out?
Marshall
gdmn852
Well-known member
Hello, I have a hi torque starter on a 1949 Buick, from the previous owner, had trouble with the relay fusing together and starter will keep running. I can’t imagine why you would need it on a Model A . Unnecessary complication , rebuild the original that’s workied for the last 90 years,and make sure you have a good ground and large battery cables