6 volt to 12 volt conversion

R

rol1949

Junior Member
I would like to convert my 6 volt system in my 1949 F1 pickup to 12 volt. Do I have to buy the $419 kit to change over everything or can I replace just a few items since some say my starter will handle a 12 volt battery. I have a 6 volt heater and also 6 volt dash lights/insruments. I am sure I have to replace the bulbs in my headlights/tailights and old generator.

Please advise as to cost and where to buy all of these items

Thanks,
Rod
 
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Don't forget to change your turn signal flasher.

A previous owner had converted my '36 to 12 volt, changed all the bulbs. Could not figure out why the aftermarket turn signals would not work. pulled the flasher, it said 6 volt on it.

Trip to the auto parts store, boy are they dumb now adays. "What car is it for?" I said I just need an aftermarket flasher, But for what car. If I tell you, you wont have it. But what car. OK, 1936 Ford with aftermarket flashers. Oh, we don't have that. Ya, I know. Do you have an aftermarket one. I don't know, you can go look on the wall. Yippi, yes they had one, but not because they knew they had it. Damn Kids!
 
rol1949 said:
I would like to convert my 6 volt system in my 1949 F1 pickup to 12 volt. Do I have to buy the $419 kit to change over everything or can I replace just a few items since some say my starter will handle a 12 volt battery. I have a 6 volt heater and also 6 volt dash lights/insruments. I am sure I have to replace the bulbs in my headlights/tailights and old generator.

Please advise as to cost and where to buy all of these items

Thanks,
Rod
Click to expand...
You pretty much know what you have to do.
The voltage drop to the gauges can be handled by one post 1955 Ford voltage drop unit.
The heater motor will run on 12 volts (just faster).
If you have a radio there are two factors to consider, voltage drop and polarity.
 
Been done thousands of times.
- Change all bulbs to their 12 volt equivalent. Find a conversion table on line.
- Install Runtz step down converters for all of the dash instruments. All of the old Ford parts companies carry them. $20 each at Speedway; probably need three.
- You can use your 6 volt starter but if you ever have to crank a long time, it may spit out some solder and fail. I recommend converting by buying a 12v starter for a FE series Ford engine (around 1963; maybe $55) and use the housing with field coils on the armature and end plates of your existing starter. Be sure to use the little brace that goes from the starter housing to an oil pan bolt.
- I assume you are mounting a 12V alternator. The power wire from the generator becomes the power connection on the alternator. At the regulator you just add the Generator (now alternator) wire to the Battery terminal. The regulator becomes just a convenient junction point. The wire that hooked to the old generator field terminal can be removed or used to ground the alternator case by taking the field wire at the regulator off of the field connection and hooking it to ground.
- I converted heater motor and windshield wiper motors to 6 volts by using CPT voltage converters, but other brands are available. Needs to be rated at 7 amps or 42 watts.
- The horn will work but sound different. I have tried resistors and other step down converters, but nothing that works on the ******** horns. You should change the horn relay to 12 volts; easy switch.
 
Didn't look at the links posted above, but you need to get the coil straightened out. With 12v neg ground, the + side of the coil goes to the ignition switch and the - side goes to the distributor. Need a 12v coil that has the proper internal resistance or a coil and a ballast resistor. What you need to end up with is around 6 ohms, either a 6 ohm coil or a 3 ohm coil with a 3 ohm ballast resistor.
 
When I changed mine over to 12 volts I chose a 12 volt alternator with built in regulator and eliminated the regulator all together. Also went with a Petronics electronic dist kit and the proper 1.5 ohm coil. Since then I changed to a "Bubba's" GM dist which I like much better. Voltage drop for original gauges and change out of bulbs to 12 volts. I used the original 6 volt starter for many years before going with a 12 volt one.
I still have the original dist with Petronics unit in it in my " box of "stuff" if you want to go that way. Believe it needs a new cap . PM me if interested. Chap
 
JSeery said:
Didn't look at the links posted above, but you need to get the coil straightened out. With 12v neg ground, the + side of the coil goes to the ignition switch and the - side goes to the distributor. Need a 12v coil that has the proper internal resistance or a coil and a ballast resistor. What you need to end up with is around 6 ohms, either a 6 ohm coil or a 3 ohm coil with a 3 ohm ballast resistor.
Click to expand...


I thought it was 3 ohms...either by a 3 ohm ballast resisted fitted coil or a 1.5ohm coil with a seperate 1.5 ohm ballast resistor?

Please clarify as Im in the process of doing this at present on my 36,

Thanks.
 
JSeery said:
Didn't look at the links posted above, but you need to get the coil straightened out. With 12v neg ground, the + side of the coil goes to the ignition switch and the - side goes to the distributor. Need a 12v coil that has the proper internal resistance or a coil and a ballast resistor. What you need to end up with is around 3 ohms, either a 3 ohm coil or a 1.5 ohm coil with a 1.5 ohm ballast resistor.
Click to expand...

Corrected the ohms!!!
 
Henry Hopper said:
I thought it was 3 ohms...either by a 3 ohm ballast resisted fitted coil or a 1.5ohm coil with a seperate 1.5 ohm ballast resistor?

Please clarify as Im in the process of doing this at present on my 36,

Thanks.
Click to expand...

You are correct, must have been half asleep on that post! or maybe completely asleep. :)
 
Has anyone tried putting the Speedway Windshield Wiper Convervsion Kit (vacuum to electric) on a 47 Ford Super Deluxe? I thought I read somewhere that someone tried and had a lot of problems and finally bought a Honda electric motor from a scrap yard.
 
Lots of good info here. There's folks that will tell you that you can use the 6V starter. no problem, been doing it for 20 years!

There's those that say you have a good chance of breaking the Bendix starter spring from extra force if you do.

My Bendix spring broke.....

I replaced it with the new style of Bendix drive that (apparently) doesn't break. Fingers crossed.
 
I found the 12v conversion guide from Vintage Auto Garage to be quite helpful.

https://vintageautogarage.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAh6y9BhBREiwApBLHC3MGR0bg_RWNB-ZzDcU1w9QKAh2m4UpESJOdy_6ETvv24JeCtM1KHRoCvtEQAvD_BwE[/IMG]
 
I used the Newport Engineering Kit in my 48. I did it quite a few years ago, so I don;t remember any problems installing. But it is a 12 volt setup.


Old College Kid said:
Has anyone tried putting the Speedway Windshield Wiper Convervsion Kit (vacuum to electric) on a 47 Ford Super Deluxe? I thought I read somewhere that someone tried and had a lot of problems and finally bought a Honda electric motor from a scrap yard.
Click to expand...
 
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