I am looking to do a 12V conversion on my 50 F-1, does anyone have any pointers or suggested parts to use to this end? I have done one on a tractor, but that does not have any lights or electrical gauges, so it really is not much to it.

 

at one time i think up above here there was a list that one of us put up of the things that needed to be done to accomplish this up top in the info threads . i myself have been researching looking at a diagram julie sent me , and some other links bo , i think dick , and a couple others gave , as mine is gonna be kinda one off due to some things im gonna add or change . so hold on and i'm sure someone can help . i'd send ya the ones , very good ones , julie sent but the 'putor crashed and i lost 'em . thankfully i had printed them out !

 

Bump for another round.

 

seriously hbr look up julies cool f1 and send her an pm . also as far as converting , you have to run drop resistors inline on all gauges and the fuel tank sending unit , as they were / are 6 volt and while they are available in 12 can cost a bit . i changed the starter solenoid on my 53 to one i had from a later 12 volt ford here , ya gotta change all the bulbs except dash , if you are still running the oe engine some say you have to change the starter but i havent . been using the original starter on my flatty with 12 volt for what 2 years now , and it's the only thing that hasn't given me fits !!! if the 6 volt wire is in good shape it is bigger and can handle 12 without a problem , you have to change the battery cables for a 12 set , and the 6 will be positive ground whereas the 12 is negative ground . that's all my feeble mind can remember for now ...........

 

Did Someone say 12 Volt conversion? I thought my ears were burning! I see I have 2 PMs I haven't gotten to so if one of them is from you and you have been waiting - my apologies - had the Klingon Death Flu!

Anyway, 12 volt conversions:

Lets break the truck down into three electrical subsystem sets: lights; engine, and accessories.

Lights first: All you have to do is replace your 6 volt bulbs with 12 volt. If you are adding turn signals in this conversion, you will have to buy a column turn signal switch and replace you front parking light and rear running light sockets with those that will support a double filiment chassis/contact grounded light bulb (In other words the socket itself is grounded to the light/frame by contact, not by a grounding wire). Your light switch and instrument light toggle do not need to be replaced. They are simple contact type switches. You can use your current high beam switch, starter button, and ignition switch.

Engine: you will need to get a 12 volt coil, points and condenser. Now I have heard that you can use the 6 volt starter if you don't turn it over too long, but I might replace it with a 12 volt if you can. The reason is all of your drawn power and charge power flows through your starter solenoid, and it would be best if you had a 12 volt starter solenoid. One thing I would definately do is buy a GM or aftermarket 12 volt "One Wire" Alternator. Your 6 volt generator and regulator will have to be replaced and it makes life so simple to get rid of the Ford external alternator regulator (and the associated wiring)

Accessories: (If applicable) new cigarette lighter. For your gauges, you can buy little voltage reducers for the back of each gauge, or I have heard Mid fifties sells a unit that reduces the three concerned: gas, oil, temp. The ammeter is an induction loop and can be used as is. For heater motor and wipers (if not vacuum): the heater switch won't take 12 volts through the rheostat and if you have one of the 51 to 55 truck 6 volt electric motors wipers, the switches for those won't deal with 12 volts throught the parking points either. You CAN use these (and your gauges for that matter) by installing a unit called a "Vol-ta-drop" which is a big ceramic resistor that reduces 12 volts to 6 and provides about 10 amps of 6 volt power. That is enough to run heater motor and gauges, but you would need a second unit to run the wipers as well.

I prefere to run each accessory on it's own fuse. You will have to run the power through a fuse block because the circuit breakers on the inst cluster won't provide enough protection.

Basic power has the positive battery cable hooked to the "Battery Lead" of the starter solenoid. Negative battery lead goes to the FRAME, then you will need to add two grounding straps - one from frame to cab, and one from frame to engine.

Hmm lets see - did I leave anything out? If I did, remind me...

Here is a picture of the reducer I prefer for gauges I get mine at C&G, but I think there are variants at all the parts places:




And here is a picture of the Vol-ta-drop:



I have some nice MS Power Point wiring diagrams I built when I rewired. They are in my second gallery. If you would like copies send me a PM (if yo haven't already) with a real e-mail and I'll ship them to you. Theyre nice because you can revise them for you rown system, then yo have drawings always for you your truck - priceless when adding stuff or troubleshooting.

Ok I think that's it - if I've forgotten anything, let me know.

Julie

 

You are the GOD that I have been hearing about, thanks for the info, I will start collecting the parts. Thanks for pointing me towards places that have the right parts.

I think I will keep the Starter as is with one modification, a BFR (Big ____ Resistor).

The truck has a vacuum motor I believe running the wipers.

I would sure will like using the truck the way it was meant to be rather than hot wiring it to move it around.

 

see sometimes they do know it all ! another one for you julie !!!!!!!!!

 

If you want a complete top quality answer just ask our Julie!
The only addition I can think of is to reroute (reverse) the wire in the back of the ammeter since you are going from a positive to negative ground or the ammeter will read backwards. The ammeter on my 49 is a loop on the back but I seem to remember that some other years have 2 terminals and you just reverse the wires at the teminal. I ran 6v starters on 12v on my two earlier flatheads for a number of years without difficulty but at least changing to a 12 V solonoid will reduce the chance of breaking the big spring. I also run my Farmall Cub tracter (my snow fighter) 6 v starter on 12 v. On my 38 woodie, I would challage people to touch the dash mounted starter button without starting the engine. It was a great runner.

 

One note about using 6 V starters on 12 V systems. They work great and contrary to some opinions, they will actually last longer. However there is a price for that convenience and fast starting. They will draw up to twice the current in amps. This requires the use of a good battery with all the cranking amps you can get. Yep it's true, just about any 12 V battery will work but battery life WILL BE seriously curtailed. Second, you need a good heavy duty alternator to rapidly recover the charge taken from the battery by the extra heavy amp load of the 6 V starter. I recommend at least a 60 amp rating but 90 to 100 amps is even better. Third, you should get a good heavy duty starter solenoid relay, you know, the one usually mounted on the firewall or inner fender that feeds power to the starter. In the case of most of these old Fords that is the system you will have. I know that on some of the really old ones you have the direct connected foot starter switch and in the case of those you will probably be OK. Remember, in the case of the relay, they are only rated for intermittant use and they are not rated for the current load of a 6 V starter running on 12 volts. Cole Hersey and maybe a few other companies make an all metal cased solenoid relay that is rated for higher current and continueous duty. They will probably cost you two or three times as much but they will last forever. You probably won't find these at Auto Zone or Advance Auto. I Deal with a local and very large independent parts store that caries the complete Cole Hersey Electrical line and they have all that sort of stuff.

Later Man...

 

Thanks for all the nice compliments guys!!! It's always appreciated.

Good point on the Ammeter too - yes that is true reverse the flow.

One other point, I didn't mention and didn't see (but might be here) is that if you are going to use the 6V starter, on a 12V system it requires the same Wattage to turn, which will double the amps required - as Dave elluded to.

SOOOOOOOO, be sure to use the heavy 6V cables going to your starter and from battery to starter solenoid (+) and Frame (-)!

Standard 12 Volt battery cables will not be heavy enough!

J!

 

great point!

 

Another good point I meant to include but didn't... Thanks for adding that one. You are right, prolonged cranking will definitely smoke the little 12V cables. It really is hard to find the heavier gage cables unless you go to a place that has cables for large trucks and equipment. Any more I find that the ready made cables are pretty junky so I make all of mine using welding cable and a special crimping tool I have with multiple dies for different size terminals and then use heat shrink to seal them from corosion. It ain't cheap but they last forever and the insulation doesn't get brittle and crack.

Later Man...

 

ya know as a wiring 'tard i am getting writers cramp from looking and reading this stuff when you guys answer so i get it right first time ......................

 

Thanks Guru's, great 411. I too will be converting my F-1 and the info here will really help...

 

Send me a PM if you need the MS Power Point wiring diagrams. Be sure to include your real e-mail address.



J!