The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 1954 conversion to key start

Your post 5th one down has me believe that your truck is converted to 12v and uses the 6v starter.

I bought my truck disassembled. During 1977 when I was putting it together, which included wiring it for 12v, I found a key start 6v starter on a Chevy parts truck. At the time I had never heard of pedal start, so I chose to install the key start one. I quickly learned that the design of the solenoid engagement works for 6v, but for 12v, it is hit or miss, near 50%, on whether the starter spins 1st, or whether the solenoid engages 1st. This was pre-forum days, so it took some decades to find a 12v starter then a 12v flywheel. While waiting for that, I completely wore the teeth off one side of the ring gear then turned it around and wore the teeth off the other side. The times the starter won the race had me putting the truck in 3rd gear then getting out to rock it to another place on the ring gear.

Too many words to say that I did not have success using 6v key start with 12v. The starter motor had no problem. I did as Bill notes above. The problem was the starter turning faster than the solenoid could accommodate for its engagement.