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Fargo 6 volt to 12 volt starter.

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8 years 1 month ago #166905 by geoffa
I have a 1938 Fargo truck with a 6 volt foot pedal mechanically engaged starter motor. I would like to change it to a 12 volt solenoid operated type starter motor. Has anyone done a conversion such as this ?.

I understand Chrysler changed to 12 volt systems in the mid 1950's and that the side valve 6 cylinder engine was fitted in some of their vehicles until about 1960 so would a starter motor from one of these later cars and trucks fit the older engine ?.

The engine number in my Fargo is T41 27334 and it is a 25 inch long engine.

Geoff.

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8 years 1 month ago #166906 by asw120
A mate had an AP3 Wayfarer (with the 250 - 6) for a while, about 10 - 12 years ago. I had to rebuild the starter, it was a standard 12 volt Lucas M45(?) IIRC. It ended up with either the fields, or armature from an AR110 6 volt starter in it. I'd think any Chrysler Royal, dodge Kingsway, dodge 108, starter should go in.

Jarrod.


“I offer my opponents a bargain: if they will stop telling lies about us, I will stop telling the truth about them”

― Adlai E. Stevenson II

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8 years 1 month ago #166962 by Sarge
geoffa, if it is anything like the 6 volt starter in the O series beddie I recently parted with, it is quite happy to run on 12 volt. It was a mechanical (cable) starter.

Sarge B)
ACCO Owner, Atkinson dreamer.

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8 years 1 month ago #167143 by invested energy
Many 6 volt starters will handle 12 volts, what doesn't hang together is the drive/pinion/bendix mechanism. Something that's pre-engaged, with a solenoid or a lever or something to force the gears into mesh before applying full torque will cope much better than a crash or inertia drive.

Some use a resistor of some sort to drop the voltage, but this only works under load and so the violence of engagement isn't softened at all.

for when I'm not driving the car of the century...

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8 years 1 month ago #167415 by ARmad90
if its mechanically engaged starter meaning a series of rods push the drive assembly into mesh once reaching the correct position the switch activates the solenoid there shouldn't be many issues with using the original 6 volt starter should be fine, many 6 volt starters are heavily over built for there application and handle the extra voltage no issue, seeing as the main issue is resistance and current flow through the fields upping the voltage tends to lower the resistance minimising the current needed to start the vehicle, i know from personal experience the fj holdens back in the day when the local battery shop could make battery's the made custom 8 volt battery's for them and just adjusted the charge system to suit but now is common practice to now simply modify the vehicle to 12 volt, if you have any real trust issues in your starter get an old school auto sparky to check it out for you they should soon be able to tell you , not many guys my age got the kinda old school rebuild education i got as an apprentice i would be happy to check it out for you but its a touch hard stuck down here in TASSIE

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