The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Starter/Solenoid Confusion

I just spent the last hour researching this on the 'Bolt's archives, but can't seem to find the answer to my problem. Please forgive me if this has been covered in the past.

I have a '54 with a 235, three on the column. It's been converted to 12 volt, with a starter button and solenoid setup.

In reading prior discussions, it seems that there is some advice that keeping a 6V starter with a 12 volt system is not necessarily a bad thing. Yes, it will burn up over time, but with weekend use, this could take years. Did I read this correctly?

If the above is true, could the same be said for solenoids? In other words, will they last under the 12V strain, eventually failing, but taking a long time to get there?

The reason for the question is that I need to replace my solenoid, but cannot find a 12V model that matches the one that's currently mounted. It has 4 posts sticking out of the cap(two large bolts and two small bolts), and is mounted to the starter with two angled flanges.

Every 4-post 12V solenoid I've found so far doesn't match this design, but I've seen plenty of 6V models that do. I'm thinking of putting on a 6V and seeing what happens (?)

Thanks in advance for any advice any of y'all might have.

Best regards,

John

can't say for certain, but I'd try it, the 6V takes more guff anyway - you may also be able to find a 12V you could fiddle to fit, the 12V cars in the 50's had'em, they should be close - yes the 6V starter will work fine on 12V, not just on weekends, but every day for ages, it won't burn up if you keep the engine running [starting] well and don't use it to move the truck across the yard

Bill

My truck was originally 3 speed on the column with foot stomp starter. My dad had converted the truck to 12V years before and there was never a problem with the starter. I just made sure to never grind it for extended periods of time. I converted the truck to hydra-matic which meant that it went to solenoid starter. The advice I was given was that while the solenoid would probably be ok, it would hit the flywheel teeth way too hard and that would be where the damage took place. I took my starter to the shop and they matched up a 12V solenoid for my 6V starter and it works like a champ. No fear of knocking teeth off of flywheel now.

Bill: Thanks for the input. I read your similar comments in an earlier string, and was where I got the idea that the 6V starter would continue to work. I guess you're also saying that the 6V solenoid can work in the long run as well?

Greg: Thank you. ASSUMING that the truck has had a 6V solenoid for all these years after conversion to 12V, I guess my flywheel has survived. In fact, when I removed the starter, I had a good view of the flywheel teeth, and they looked okay.

Now all this time I thought I had a 12V solenoid, and I guess it hasn't been. My next challenge as I mentioned is the number of posts coming out of the cap. Again, on the one I took off, there are two large bolts, and two smaller ones.

Both of the smaller bolts had wires connecting to them. One of the large bolts connected to the positive side of the battery, and the other large bolt connected to a metal "strap" that was bolted down on the other end to the side of the starter. Does anyone recognize this? The reason I'm asking is that I seem to be seeing 6V solenoids for sale with only THREE posts; two large and one small. Can it work with only three posts?

Thanks again for all of the advice!

Best regards,

John

the second small terminal is for ignition power to coil when starter is cranking.the solenoids are available in 12 volt if desired. this type of solenoid is only an eletric swith and will have no effect on how hard the drive teeth hit the flywheel.the force of drive gear hitting the flywheel is from the 6 volt starter being run on 12 volt roughly spinning twice as fast as normal when it contacts flywheel teeth.