The 6v/12v issue is tricky, and here is why:
The foot-mash starters came in both 6 volt and 12 volt versions for 235s. The starters were 6 volt until 1955. Then Chevy used 12 volt foot-mash starters in their trucks from 1955 till 1960 or so. Then 61 and 62 truck 235s got solenoid starters.
The electric solenoid starters were also available in 6v and 12v versions in cars. The 6 volt was used in the '53-54 235 sedan motors for convenience. Then the 12 volt electric solenoid starter was introduced in 1955 and used in sedans until the 235 was discontinued in '62.
Why is all of this important to you? Because the 6v and 12v starters used different ring gears. If your truck was originally 6 volt with a foot-masher, I assume its a '54 or earlier truck. So it had a 6 volt foot-mash and a 139 tooth flywheel.
If your truck now has a electric solenoid, it can have two different combinations:
Either a 53-54 6 volt sedan starter running on 12 volts and using the stock 139 tooth flywheel.
Or it could have a '55-'62 sedan or a '60-'62 truck starter that has a electric solenoid and 12 volts. If so, the flywheel has been swapped to 168 teeth.
See, if you try to use a 12 volt starter with a 6 volt flywheel, the starter will chew the teeth off the flywheel.
Why is this important? Because if you've got the pre-'55 139 tooth flywheel, you've got to use a 6 volt foot-mash starter on 12 volts.
How to figure out what you've got:
Count ring gear teeth: 139 = original pre-55 ring gear, use a 6 volt starter.
168 teeth = 55-62 ring gear, use a 12 volt starter.
Look at voltage rating on solenoid. It should have "6V" or "12V" stamped into the solenoid somewhere. That'll tell you if you've got a 6v or 12 v starter.
If you've got a 6 volt starter now, then find a '54 or earlier foot-mash 6volt truck starter.
If you've got a 12 volt starter, find a foot-mash unit from a 55-60 model truck. It'll be 12 volts and a foot mash unit.
The ideal solution would be to use a 12 volt foot-mash starter from a 55-60 truck. Then buy a new 168 tooth ring gear from NAPA for 50 bucks. Remove flywheel and swap the 139 tooth gear to the new 168 tooth ring gear. (If it already hasn't been done by a P.O.)
It usually costs 80-100 dollars to completely rebuild a starter. But from what I've been told, its better to rebuild a 6 v as a 6v or a 12v as a 12v. Having a 6v rewound to a 12v usually won't work, because most shops can't rewind the armature for 12 volts, and a 12 volt armature won't fit in a 6v case.
And you can't turn a solenoid unit into a foot-masher. The starter 'nose' and pinion linkage is different.
I once had a 6 V foot-mash, a 6 volt electric solenoid, a 12 volt foot-mash and a 12 volt electric solenoid model on a bench. I took all 4 starters apart and tried to mix and match parts. I wanted to build a 12 volt starter with a 6 volt electric-soleniod pinion. It didn't work.
Hope this helped
Chip
