12V starter on 6V flywheel, new approach?

Oct 08, 2007 10 Replies

I am converting my sister's 64 bug to 12V. I was swapping a solenoid off a



12V starter to the 6V when I decided to take a deeper look. It looks to me like I can put the 6V drive gear on the 12V starter if I have the 6V starter drive gear re-bushed to thet 12V shaft size. Sort of like the bushing in the bell housing. Has anyone done this? Thanks, Dave

yes, I just scrapped a car that had a 12 volt starter spinning a 6 volt flywheel. neatto. I want to sell it. offers? snipped-for-privacy@humboldt1.com

I usually don't have to touch the 6V starters after a 6 to 12 volt conversion. ;-) I have also used 24 volts to power the 12V starters when installing a Corvair engine on an AC Beetle transmission. Those starters spin fast too! 8^)

Lets see you could grind out the inside of the transmission bell housing to install the larger diameter flywheel so you can use larger clutch components and the 12V starter with the special bushing. There are 12V starters from the auto sticks, or Type 4s, that should work with the 12V flywheel that are self-supporting and won't require that special bushing. I guess if you don't want that starter to spin too fast then change out the starter or reduce the power going to it. Won't the 6V Starter MOTOR still spin fast even with a 12V solenoid?

Not sure that I have ever installed a 6V starter drive onto a 12V starter.

Sometimes I do touch/change the wipers to slow them down though! lol

Will a 12V flywheel bolt right up to a 40hp motor? Thanks, Dave.

No. The 40HP 6V flywheel will go right onto a 1600, but not t'other way round.

See this thread on ShopTalk:

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Speedy Jim
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I have never tried putting a later flywheel on an earlier engine. I think the 12V flywheels have an inner 0-ring seal and most of the 6Vs have a gasket. I would have thought you just take off the 0-ring and use the gasket........................ I just have not worked on many engines older than 1966. Or I should say any MAJOR work! From your posted link

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it sounds like Tim modified a 12v flywheel to fit the 40hp engine. ;-) Always learning!

Nope, the solenoid is just a big relay switch. It switches on/off the volts you feed the starter.

Refrasing... It will spin fast, but not because of the solenoid. It is just switch

Will a 6v solenoid run at 12v ever need a relay bypass? >;)

A solenoid is just a big electromagnet. if a solenoid is set to work with 6V, it will defenetly work on 12v. The other away arround it's false.

/whoosh! //that's what we say when a joke goes over someone's head. :) ///yes, I've had to explain whoosh! before.

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