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

I learned to drive on a '46 Chevy doodlebug, and the foot starter was cool. Sixty five years later the novelty has worn off. I don't think I need a new starter, only a solenoid. I converted my model A as shown. Any reason I can't do the same with my Stovebolt?

Could you describe how that works?
Not clear to me how the physical engagement happens.
But, it looks good.
The foot starter novelty wearing off is funny!😆

The Model A has a self engaging starter drive that spins the gear into the flywheel when the motor runs. Not sure how the starter drive on a '54 works, but the stomp starter linkage on my '51 requires the linkage to push the drive gear into engagement. If you just push the button on the switch, the motor just spins without the gear engaging. I think you'd need a starter that uses a solenoid to push the drive gear into engagement.
I look at the stomp starter as a security feature.

You could use a 12v starter from a later model 235, but you will have to change the flywheel and change over to 12 volts.

The truck has already been converted to 12v. I know you can apply 12v to a 6v starter, but that isn't a very good permanent arrangement. I see now that just adding a solenoid isn't the answer per klhansen above. I have only run the truck to move it around the yard, and the previous owner the same, so I don't know if the starter and flywheel have been correctly changed.- What are the different tooth counts for the 6 vs 12v flywheels? I can put it on the lift, and remove the inspection plate and start counting teeth.

I have over 35000 miles on the back yard rebuild of my 6 volt starter on my converted to 12 volt electrical system truck. I never let it crank more than 5 seconds without a short rest, but my truck probably starts 75 percent of the time in 2 seconds or less because the starter is spinning so much faster on 12 volts.

Believe me, you would know if you had a starter/flywheel mismatch. Much "weeping and gnashing of teeth".

Answered HERE You don't need to count all the teeth, just measure 10 of them.

Thanks, Bill. No strange noises when I push the starter, and it starts easily within 5 seconds. No urgency to count teeth. I still would like a key start, so what year did GM switch to 12v? Recollections from my teen years are that Ford and GM switched in different years.

In our trucks (with exceptions for some larger models) 1st series '55 were 6 volts while 2nd series 55 were 12 volts. An exception is 55 2nd series GMC with 248 engine and standard transmission was still 6 volt (and positive ground like the earlier GMC years back to at least 1939).

Get a 6V starter for a 1951-54 car with a standard transmission. It has a key start with the proper solenoid and it will bolt onto the foot start bellhousing. DO NOT try to use a key start unit for a Powerglide equipped car or a trick with a Hydramatic transmission- - - -they don't fit. PM me- - - - -I have a few of them.
Jerry

to further muddy the waters, it is my intention to remove the factory 3 speed in favor of an MY6 (A833) from the early 80s with a HYBRD BOLT PATTERN. At this stage I don't know if I will need a different bell-housing or just an adapter plate

If you want to discuss transmissions, please start a topic in either the Driveline or the HiPo section. You'll get much better and more pertinent responses. Thanks!

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.

A 12V solenoid for a 55 Oldsmobile can be adapted to a 6V Chevy passenger car starter. It will have a more normal engagement speed, which will eliminate the grinding caused by a too-fast engagement. The difference is the resistance of the pull-in winding of the 12V solenoid. The 6V starter armature and field coils will work just fine on 12V.

www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.php?pk=42691&cc=1435712&pt=4188&jsn=605

Jerry

Pictures of a rebuild from O'Reilly for a 6V 1954 235 car--note solenoid start. Per jerry there is also a 12V solenoid which crosses to a Wells 1M1032. Multiple pics of a 12V solenoid to fit this 6V starter all show the same mounting bracket. I can't envision drilling thru the starter case to accommodate 4 screws. Alternate solution requested. New info--removed solenoid from starter, and the two are clearly not interchangeable. Plan B ?

Have you tried running that O'Reilly starter on 6 volts? I'd be surprised if it works. What is the diameter of the armature shaft ahead of the drive gear, and does the drive gear rotate as it moves to the engaged position? If it's actually a 6V starter, it would take me approximately 2 hours to adapt the solenoid in the picture to work with it.