The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay 2 6 volts to create 12 volts

My 1946 is stock 6 volts which is what I prefer to keep,not to familiar with the whole 6 volt aspect when it comes to what I want to do.

Truck is a stake bed,my back hurts,I want to install a retractable ramp to load equipment onto the bed,quick search brings up 12 volt winches,looking for the ability to pull up at least 400lbs.

Can I add an additional 6 volt battery still charge both and create 12v to power the winch ?

The part on top of the starter is listed as a reverse polarity switch,I am guessing I would need that to power the winch also?

Thanks

The polarity reversing switch was an experiment in prolonging ignition point life that didn't work out too well. Most of them got bypassed in the 1950's.

What you're going to need to do a dual 6V setup is a "series/parallel switch", and finding one that operates on 6 volts will be a challenge. It would be possible to do a work-around with a Bosch-style 6 volt relay for battery charging, and a Ford-style 6 volt starter switch, or maybe two. I would need to spend a while sketching out a circuit diagram that would work, but I'm pretty sure it's doable. There used to be 6/12 volt batteries set up that way for cranking balky 6V engines, back in the 1950's and 60's. I used to manufacture them when I was on an assembly line at Hester Battery Co. in Nashville.
Jerry

Will something like this work?

http://www.texasindustrialelectric.com/relays_1119844_6V.asp

But instead of the 12v returning to the starter use those lugs to operate the winch?

It says intermittent duty cycle,I wonder if running the winch long term would overheat it?

That's exactly what you need- - - - -but I don't see a price. If it's over $50.00 or so, the setup I have in mind would be less expensive. That switch is intended to be used for engine starting, which means it probably has a maximum operating cycle of 30 seconds or so. You would probably be better served by just installing a 12 volt marine deep cycle (trolling motor) battery to operate the winch, and using a battery maintainer or a solar panel to keep it charged. How often do you intend to use the winch?
Jerry

Wow,hold on to your hat,$495 for that and $165 for another part that would allow for the charging aspect for added peace of mind with the extended use and possibly overheating the coil.They did offer another option that would work that would be in the $260 range.

I deal with used restaurant equipment,so it would be going to auction,load ten pieces,then the occasional customer delivery,on my own.

My problem is I am jinxed when it comes to battery operated stuff and it running out of juice in the middle of a job in a pinch I can start up the truck to recharge the batteries which is why I wanted to stay away from the adding of the additional 12v aspect.

I guess the goal would be useing something economical,with parts that can be easily accuired or if not I could carry a few spares with just in case.

I am liking your line of thought better,so I am all ears and it would be much appreciated.

I mounted a sealed storage box under the stake bed so anything I install will be weather protected and I can fabricate a mounting panel etc.

It is not difficult to switch over the entire truck to 12V. If you end up with two 12V batteries, you will never get stranded with a no start and you will never get stuck with no winch. You'll always have a spare for either function. You can easily wire to have both charged by the "new alternator" as many people with dual batteries do. This dual battery "technology" is well tested.
If you are in business, there is no time for "funny business". Convert to all 12V. See our tip section for instructions. You can go back to 6V anytime in the future.
Alternate method, as Jerry says, a rear chargeable 12V battery........and convert to 12V under hood. Still two 12V batteries.

Scroll down to see and read on this.

Being a jeeper when younger, and using a winch a lot, I can not imagine running a winch on just a battery (I would want a real good battery and a high output charging system). A low battery will cause your winch motor to heat up and also shorten its life. As you stated, you don't want to get half-loaded and run out of juice for your winch! Then you are stuck with your load half on, and half off and no winch!

I agree with Bartamos, it may be a simpler and better over-all solution to change your truck over to 12volts.

I agree with HR.
You are not trying to pull trucks and jeeps out of the mud or where ever.
You are just looking to drag 400 lbs a short distance, not 3000 + lbs out of the mud.
A good 12 volt deep cycle and a battery maintainer is the way I would go.
Harbor Freight sells them for about 7 bucks on sale.

Just my opinion.
Don

Edit: Mike, I was a jeeper also and still get hung up on the farm. A good high lift jack has unstuck me many times and still does.

FWIW I regularly use my 12,000 winch (overkill I know, they were on sale) to load my '38 on the trailer using only a deep cycle battery. I've never run out of juice.

Yes, a deep cycle is a good idea for the winch. Let it be one of the dual 12V batteries. Charge them any way you want. They will start a motor in an emergency. Mount it any where you want. The point is: 12V all around.

Here's another option- - - -6 volt golf cart batteries are cheap, and they have a massive amount of reserve capacity. Put two of them in series to run the winch, and carry a spare set to swap out in the unlikely event you might run the first set down. You can buy a BUNCH of golf cart batteries for 500 bucks! Use a trickle charger or some other type of maintainer to top off the batteries whenever the vehicle is parked near a 120V house current plug.

A 120V AC winch and a small gasoline generator would solve the problem of running out of juice, also.

Jerry

The problem with me is by converting over to 12 volts is that I know I will not stop there and all kinds of complications come up.

Now that I have 12v it is hot in Fl so I might get as well add air conditioning,but the current 216 will lack even more power,so then I would have to change the motor out to a SBC which then leads to changing,transmission,exhaust,brakes, well you guys know better then most how it snowballs.

Then the truck will be down for a year while I am doing all of that,inbetween everything else,then I would have to buy another truck to use,but then it would have to be another old truck which would start the cycle all over again,unless I bought one that was already set up for 12v.

As it stands the truck runs and drives and is dependable,I understand the extra 12v battery aspect but between the truck,car,lawn tractor,vintage trail 90,boat etc adding another auto tender charger I end up having to keep track of 20 different chargers.


Plus as I am getting older I am embracing the KISS theory,one car has electronics,everything else has points and condensor even the twin V8s in the boat.

I would like to keep the truck as original as possible and push comes to shove I can throw a deep cell 12v in there but it kinda just adds that extra thing I have to think about,if that makes sense,also because it works and because it works it forces me to leave it alone.

You think this is bad,I was thinking about putting a lift gate on the back,but then it would have just been plain ugly.

This is really the only thing I can do look at all of the different options advailable and have to deal with what I can.

That is what started all of this,I have two brand new ones sitting there doing nothing.

I also bought at auction a junky floor scrubber $25 that had two brand new 12v dry cell batteries in it that list for $749 a piece they have a 240 hour reserve which would be ideal for this but they weigh 130# a piece and I would have to hook up a winch just to mount the thing.

I am putting one in the boat for overnights,running the fridge etc instead of running the gen and the other in a cabin I am building with solar for off grid or power loss.

There are still a lot of 6v VW bugs running around and I had a MGB at one time that had dual 6v batteries they all use common bosh relays.

Now you really got me,I do have a small vintage onan generator that I could tuck up under there and tap into the trucks fuel tank,and run a 110 winch.

It is already painted green because I used some of the original color of the truck that was left over to paint it,maybe it is fate and needs to be in there.Double duty with the generator as a power source.

This is a lot of drama for a winch.

Like the old joke: One guys says "hey Leon do you have trouble making up your mind?" Leon says; "Uh, yes and no."

A couple more would be "it is only original once" and " there is more then one way to skin a cat"

I guess when 12v came out they just crushed everything 6v,there were other options back then,one was the dual battery posted,that was the pourpose of the post,to find other options,nobody was forced to read the post.

I have an alternator hooked up to a 3 1/2 HP snow blower 4 cycle Tecumseh engine, that I use to power up 12 volt battery. But the battery can't be totally dead or it won't excite the alternator to charge.

I think that is kinda the route I am going to go but expanding it to useing the gas powered engine to run a belt driven pump and go with a hydraulic winch.

Hydraulic winches do not over heat and will not have a heavy battery drain,I have seen the big bolts have transmission mounted PTOs which would have been okay,but if I make it with a smaller independent gas motor it can pull double duty,I am building a A frame house on a island and I can use it to hoist the frames up into place,I wish the truck floated,it would have made everything easier to haul 100s of different materials from one end to the other.

I cannot remember how we did it,but long ago we used something that would excite the alternator with very little charge required,the off grid guys use stuff like that with wind driven alternators,not sure how because usually a alternator needs 2000 rpm to start charging based on large engine pulley verses small alternator pulley.

I had to think on the snowblower aspect,I have not seen or used one in over 40 years,but it did bring back memories.

“I wish the truck floated”, obviously you forgot about the Cuban AD that tried to make it to Miami!😜

Ha,51 chevy the second time they tried it in a Buick and in the end walked up through Mexico,they ended up becoming citizens.

You have to hand it to them for persistence.

We build 500hp vintage cars while they stick Diesel engines in theirs and gravity feed carburetors when the fuel pump goes out.Who would have thought that ones windshield washer bottle can become a permanent fuel tank.

Welcome to Miami.

"Truck is a stake bed,my back hurts,I want to install a retractable ramp to load equipment onto the bed,quick search brings up 12 volt winches,looking for the ability to pull up at least 400lbs."

46,

There is a device that doesn't rely in any way on your truck's electrical system, will have other uses in addition to loading your truck, is inexpensive and has a load capacity of at least double your 400 pounds. It's a Warn portable winch that is powered by your corded or cordless electric drill. I have one and it does everything from pull logs up steep slopes to moving cars around on sloping ground.

I've been waiting years for an opportunity to post something like this. If anyone is curious why, please contact me privately and I'll be glad to tell you.

My Dodge diesel pickup has 2 12-volt batteries. It also has a 24 V designation.

I first thought "Wow! The batteries are in series to give 24-volts?!!! No, this Cummins has 24 Valves.

Dodge Cummins must be the 2nd best straight six.

If one needs to load items that are heavy that can be brought up a ramp on the back of the truck, one can build a strong roll bar like structure above the back of the cab to mount a small winch to, permanently. Then hook on and pull items up a portable ramp.

Ed