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| | | | Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 | Just wanted to ask what the heck guys are talking about when they say you need to change the flywheel if you put a 12v starter on.
Is the 12V starter not the same housing, geometry, and driving gear as the 6V?
If it's the same driving gear and it's in the same position as the old one, what's the problem?
Dave
| | | | | Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,809 Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) | | Kettle Custodian (pot stirrer) Joined: Feb 2004 Posts: 29,809 | 6V and 12V starters have a different pitch on the gear teeth, and the flywheel ring gear has a different number of teeth, IIRC. The ring gear and starter pinion gear has to match, or both get damaged. It might be possible to fit a different ring gear to the flywheel, but it's considerably easier to just swap to the correct flywheel.
Jerry
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| | | | | Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 | Thanks Jerry.
Are the shafts different? If not, why wouldn't you just put your 6V drive gear on the 12V?
Dave
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 | Usually a 6 volt uses a starter that you step on to engage. A 12 volt uses a solenoid which is a totally different drive. | | | | | Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Mar 2005 Posts: 1,513 | Usually a 6 volt uses a starter that you step on to engage. A 12 volt uses a solenoid which is a totally different drive. 1955-1959 truck starters were 12 volt and foot start. The solenoid type was in cars.
1952 1300 Canadian 1/2 ton restomod You Tube | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 | You are right, 6 cylinder pickups used the foot start. It was 6 cylinder cab over trucks as well as v8's that used a solenoid like was used in cars. | | | | | Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,403 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Dec 2007 Posts: 1,403 | I don't know why the owner of this thread didn't just use the 6v starter, unless it was toast. You guys all say that they will survive on 12v, and probably most of them will if they are cleaned out. Mine almost burnt up just using little bursts to turn over the engine though. | | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 | Using a 6 volt starter on 12 volts has been done a lot over the past 50 years, and I've not known of it causing any damage. | | | | | Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 203 | I haven't used anything, yet. Just trying to figure out what the engineers were thinking back then. I don't see a reason to change the pitch of the drive gear.
Last edited by GMCdp; 08/22/2008 2:55 PM.
Dave
| | | | | Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jan 2008 Posts: 4,961 | I'm not sure there was a reason when things were changed. I've been in the trucking business 44 years. I twist wrenches on my old jalopies now as a hobby, but I built my first engine 50 years ago. I've seen a lot of changes that make sense. But a lot just seem for the sake of making change. | | |
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