Voltage drop to 6 volt starter?

[Itskyle]

Is this a good idea?

What do you think, and why?

[darzoom]

Are you asking if you need to install a resister to drop voltage to the starter from 12 to 6 in the case you change the 66 to a 12 volt system?

if so, I know they are availalbe for the wiper motor but have not seen one for the starter. Though a 6 volt motor will run on 12 volts, if ran on an extended period of time the motor windings may overheat causing motor failure.

I personally ran both the starter and wiper on 12 volts for over 10 years and had no issues. The wipers ran fast but other than that it was fine. The starter never had issues as my bug would start with two turns of the engine and I did not crank on the starter for long periods. That activity may overheat and melt the starter motor windings.

Though I did not replace my solenoid, you may want to look into a 12 volt solenoid so the starter does not enguage so quickly.

I know my dad converted a 1948 tractor he has from 6 to 12 volts and replaced only the generator with an alternator. This was over 25 years ago and the old 6 volt starter is working fine. Again, it only turns about twice before it fires so he is not cranking for long periods of time.

Hope this helps. Make it a great weekend!

BTW, been through your fine town an number of times as I have family in the Haute and had to go from IND there.

[Itskyle]

Here in the Midwest,

Cranking engines takes a while even on new vehicles when the temperature goes below zero and stays there. I've only owned four vws so far, and this is my first 6 volt converted to 12 volt experience.

The first starter was reported bad by a vw mechanic to the tune of almost $300 he put in a replacement used starter which lasted for a day. The first starter would at least turn when I took the beetle for him to look at, and, quite honestly I had initially planned on him to look at the oil leaks.

The second starter doesn't even turn now. So, it burnt out in a day. If the solenoid was replaced with a 12 volt one, would that preclude it from bur ing out, and, more importantly, would it start even slower?

Kyle

[darzoom]

What was the voltage of the orginal starter? The replacement starter? The solenoid has nothing to do with the speed that the starter turns. It has to do with how fast the bendix enguages in the flywheel. The speed is relative to a 6 volt receiving 12 volts which will cause a 6 volt to turn a little faster. It you crank on the starter for more than 7 - 10 seconds you risk burning up a 6 volt starter running on 12 volts.

To say it won't turn now could be a number of things. Look at my other post with a member in Kenya where we discussed his starter issues. There, I explain all the possible issues you could have with a starter. There are also trouble shooting tricks there that may assist finding the issue you are having.

Let me know if that helps.

[Blue Baron]

A starter requires too many amps for a voltage-drop resistor and is connected directly to the battery through the battery cable.

The only solution is to swap your 180mm flywheel for a 200mm flywheel and clutch, clearance the bellhousing for the larger diameter ring gear and install a special starter bushing and 12-volt starter. Use of a 6-volt starter running on 12 volts will eventually gnaw away the teeth of the flywheel ring gear. Been there, done that. (Twice.) I've heard from the folks that say it works okay for them. My answer is if it were a good idea, Wolfsburg would have done it.

[darzoom]

Barron is right. If you mismatch stater bendix gear 12 to 6 volt flywheel. It will grind it up. We all have different experiences. For me in years of building and racing all years and engine sizes, I have never seen a starter gear or flywheel gnawed up unless the gears are mismatched. He is also correct that the fix is to change all to 12 volt for all components and solve it once and for all. That is what I did on mine in 1988 and have had no issues. But then again I had no issues running a 6 volt starter, 12 volt solenoid, 6 volt bendix gear and 6 volt 180 flywheel. I just changed it when I went to a bigger motor and needed a clutch and flywheel to take the power.

Change it all if you can and solve the headache.

Have fun!

[Blue Baron]

Actually I'm referring to a 6-volt starter matched to a 6-volt flywheel running on 12 volts. Yes, it cranks over very quickly, but in my experience it eventually ruins the flywheel ring gear. But I did not change the solenoid.