How I did it.

[slowforty]

An episode of Adventures in the Old Ford Hobby.

I have owned my 40 Deluxe since 1989. It does not look like it did when I got it.
[But then neither do I].

Any way , it is six volts and over the years It has been an experience with starting when it is warm.
{Forget about Hot. Open your lawn chair and wait for a while}

I have done the usual things , GOOD Battery. Large Battery Cables.
Enough Grounds to use a whole coil of Large Gauge Wire.
Good Coil, Good Carburator and Distributor,and Starter

I went to upgrade {?} to an Optima 6 volt battery. Which was a slight improvement.
I figured if one is good. Two is Better{?} .
The Battery tray will hold two Optimas in Place.
Wired in Parallel,
Dont ask the cost, But I got a $100. Off by getting an Amazon card.
So starting was better as I had 800 cranking Amps.
So this seemed to be an improvement.

Wrong.

Still had the issue while driving.
Go out for a half hour or so drive, Stop for fuel and the car was still hard to start.
If you did not catch it on the first go around, see the lawn chair comment above.

So I was talking about this to a fellow that owns Packards. He said he solved the HOT Start problem with a solenoid that starts on 12 volts and runs on six volts.

So I found a fellow in Ohio that sells the Solenoid.

Easily installed with proper tools and equipment.{?}

After reading the instructions 10 times , I finally figured them out.
After getting the proper size wire and supplies I installed the Solenoid.
It works great. But it is not Cheap.
With 12 volts to starts so fast I can hardley relase the starter button in time.

If I was not so Stubborn about having a Six Volt System, I could have saved a Lot of Time and Money.

Bottom line you can make Six volts work.

I hind sight I should have converted the Ford to 12 volts years ago and save some time and money.

But I do have the Satisfaction of Doing a Job Well, By Myself.

But there is some satisfaction with pushing your car down hill and jumping into the front seat , popping the clutch. and going on your way.

P.S.
At 76 I am not doing that shit any more, Cell Phones and AAA card are my friend.

All The Best
Roger

[19Fordy]

CONGRATULATIONS on your installation.

[Kurt in NJ]

My friend has a 36 Packard, it was having starting issues and dim brake lights, came with every kind of brighter brake light bulb and none were bright.
I started to trace the brake light issue and found a big voltage drop at the ammeter, the nuts and lock washers were rusty, now the brake lights are bright and starting is fast.
Are you having slow cranking when hot of it just won’t catch and run.
Cranking with ignition off for 30 seconds and feeling the wires and connections for being hot can give you a idea where voltage losses are occurring.
At the Packard club meet he was also asked about overheating by others with the same car, he had that problem too before I did a valve job and replaced the head gasket, the car didn’t loose coolant but some combustion gasses were escaping into the cooling system

[ford38v8]

Roger, Your starter is designed for use with a 6v battery. By using a 12v system, you're subjecting the starter's Bendix to uneccesary stress, as well as to the flywheel gear. Replacing that flywheel gear is a big deal parts and labor both. Do yourself a favor and ensure that your starter cables and connections are correct and not demanding excess resistance, and save yourself from that future flywheel gear changeout.

[big job]

Roger I see you are my age: don't know if you were a gear head like myself but when these (only Fords) started as fast as you hit the button when they ruled the roads. This is a hot topic as well as overheating. This subject has been pounded to death, simply put there is a problem. Aside from grounds and fat cables, starter dragging worn bushings the solenoid with corroded contacts thats common, dribbling power valve, and then after X amount of miles bake light on the points wear to cause them to close of course weak condenser. Here its cold I have yet not to use the choke push the button its running as though its summer, because all is correct. And don't forget that coil resistor You can do it. If a 2024 car you can not do it LOL

[jimvette59]

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Hi Roger, I did convert my 255 Merc. engine to 12 Volts and I did experience the 6 Volt problem. What I did was to purchase a new 12 Volt starter for a T bird on line, It cost about 68.00 shipped, I only used the field and converted the 6 volt to 12 Volts. The starter now works as it should In a 12 Volt system. JMO Jim T.

[GB SISSON]

I too have used a 'series-parallel switch' to nudge a '54 gmc during hot starts. this was in the late '70s. I got it from JC Whitney and I remember it was a high quality component and was made by a company called 'Orpin'. Like others have pointed out, there was a problem or two causing this, but I couldn't find where and this got me back on the road, happy as a clam.

[RalphG]

My 39, also six volts, spins over fast on six volts and back when it had a good coil started very well. My 52 Merc, with a big six volt tractor batter always turns over quite slow on the starter, way slower than the 39. The only time the Merc starter turns fast is when I put 12 volts to the solenoid on the rare occasions when it won't start. I've learned the right procedure, through trial and error, of choke and gas pedal so that 99% of the time it starts fine even with slow cranking six volts.

[19Fordy]

Here's a detailed thread that shows how to convert a 6V starter to 12V like jimvette59 did.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...rt+starter+12v

[tubman]

These cars will start fine on 6 volts. My '51 was marginal until I pulled the starter and installed a known good unit a couple of years ago. It's usually bad connections or inferior cables, but it can be the starter itself. It had started "satisfactorily" for 35 years, but the new starter was a whole new ball game.

We're "car hobbyists"; we fix cars, we don't "band-aid" them.

[ford38v8]

Something to consider: A well set up Ford needs only a short bump on the starter or a short push and pop the clutch to start the engine. No need for a fast spin with a 12v. If your Ford needs that to start, you're just masking the real problem, which can be a number of things or a combination of things. A Rube Goldberg fix is not a fix at all, and fosters more problems.

[slowforty]

The Packard guy said the Solenoid fixed his issue and worked well.
To my satisfaction what I did worked. (FOR ME).
At this stage of the game what is correct and what works is different, But you have to do what works for you. Remember that car started for 30 some years on six volts. The car did not fail the,the owner (ME)got Old. Anyway I am aware of all the what ifs. So I take a few more seconds, when in the car, to pay attention. (the only thing I can afford to do anymore)

All The Best
Roger

See You at the Auburn Swap this year . Look fot the Green 40 with Illinois Plates.

[KiWinUS]

These old fords will start excellent on just a 6volt OPTIMA battery when everything else is correct. Absolutely no need for any 12volt battery. The Optima 6V has 800cca. More than some 12volt batteries.

[slowforty]

With 1600 cranking amps , I may have invented the first Flathead Hybrid.

[ford38v8]

Originally Posted by slowforty

With 1600 cranking amps , I may have invented the first Flathead Hybrid.

…And, you can install a squirrel cage for backup power! 😉