Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

1stpop · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 109

Have just bought a lovely 1946 Morris 8 - the wiring looks pretty rotten so I am considering going for a 12v conversion as I start to re-wire the car. I did this on my Pop and the results were brilliant - although this time I am considering going for an alternator so I don't have all the 'fuss' of sorting out a control box.

Anyone got any opinions on this idea? or any advice?

47p2 · Joined: 24 Nov 2007 Posts: 2009 Location: Glasgow

What about one of the alternators that looks like a dynamo, that way it looks original
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Greeney in France · Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2008 6:41 am Post subject:

yes I was still considering that on the Traction, I have to rewire it too as most of what I have seen so far is brittle and bared in places
I would like to drive it at night too and with the French roads, as great as they are have no cats eyes and not a lot of street lights
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1stpop · Joined: 03 Dec 2007 Posts: 109

when I did my Pop the lights were excellent - and I would like that on my Morris - Is it a difficult job fitting an alternator? Once fitted does everything simply run from the battery?

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire

Its a very simple conversion to fit an alternator, I have got a near new one if you need it.

Dave

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

Can a dynamo formerly used on a 6v system, be converted in order to work in a 12v setup?

ta, R
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Phil - Nottingham · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham

it can be rewound but ehat is the point?
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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

Phil - Nottingham · Joined: 01 Jan 2008 Posts: 1252 Location: Nottingham

I suggest you contact this person he has all the equipment to rewind dynamos and starter motors with modern materials that do not degrade with heat/oil.

He supplies the "specials"

Classic & Vintage Dynamos, Vernon Street, Shirebrook. NG20 8SP

01623 747666
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Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

Thanks for digging that out, must make a note of that!

ta, Rick
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ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire

I have probably posted this before, but if it helps with your decision Very Happy

If origniality is important; stay at 6v

If you don't mind some upgrades;
Do you plan to do much night driving? if no stick to 6v, (yes there are some starting benifits by moving to 12v, but if the engine and electrcal system are in good fettle then 6v is fine)

If you do plan to do much night driving, can you upgrade the headlamps with a better bulb? (this will be limited by the dynamo capacity, and headlamp wiring capacity, both of which could be upgraded to enable you to stay at 6v, bear in mind that a pair of modern 55watt headlamp bulbs would consume 90% of most car 6v dynamo's output, I don't know what dynamo your Dodge has?) if yes then upgrade the headlamps, if you can't then now is the time to look at a 12 v conversion.
Options range cost wise from forking out £35 for a new but non original looking alternator to several hundered for a dynamo look alike alternator or bespoke conversion /rebuild.

The other concideration if you do go 12v is that its quite simple to move back to 6v if you wanted to.

Cheers Dave

Rick · Site Admin Joined: 27 Apr 2005 Posts: 22438 Location: UK

Thanks ukd Smile

I'm normally an advocate for sticking to original too, I'm thinking practicalities a bit with the big old bus.

With it being quite large, I want to minimise wherever possible, reasons for getting stuck with it somewhere. If I went to 12v, and for instance if I had a flat battery at a show, I could always get a jump start from nearly any other car, or borrow the battery from most other vehicles to get it going. If I'm stuck at the side of the road, kind Mr AA man may be able to give me a jump start too, I doubt he'll have any 6v kit in the back of his van. If I'm on 6v and I have a flat batt at home, I'd not have any other batteries to press into service. Plus if I made a habit of carrying an old car in the back, I could discretely fit a 12v winch, maybe hidden in an old wooden box or similar, rather than rely on the manual winch.

When the Dodge was in use in the 40s, they used to put two 6v batteries together (=12) for starting, then disconnect the 2nd battery once it was running, so even then 6v was perhaps a bit on the marginal side for churning over a 5.4 litre lump. Making a permanent move to 12v now wouldn't be complete heresy, and like you say is a reversible modification.

But for a vehicle with a much smaller engine, like the E83Ws, the Z van or the 10/4, I'd happily stick with 6.

Decision decisions huh! Smile

R
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peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7118 Location: Edinburgh

Hi Rick,

This might seem like a nutty notion but you could have your cake and eat it.
If you employed three 6 volt starter solenoids you could retain all your 6 volt electrics but employ a 12 volt starter motor.

You would switch the two 6 volt batteries into parallel mode for normal running but when you wished to use the starter motor then the first battery could maintain all the 6 volt stuff whilst the second one is switched into series mode and thus provides the 12 volts for the starter motor. If you needed to use jump leads to another 12 volt vehicle this would be no problem but your dynamo and every other electrical item except the starter motor would be 6 volt.

These solenoids are easily available in the US.

Peter
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ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4104 Location: South Cheshire

That’s a great idea Peter; you could do it with DPDT relay and a single additional solenoid.
In normal running the un-energised relay would connect the batteries in parallel both +ve &-ve, so both would get charged. When starting a feed from the original starter solenoid would energies the relay coil, which disconnects the 2 batteries from each other, and switches in the second solenoid which then connects the battery in series.

The relay would have to have break before make contacts.This would be simple to wire up and quite cheap.

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7118 Location: Edinburgh

Hi Dave,

I think it would work ok but I couldn't find any 6 volt 50 amp DPDT relays
(the switch over relays only need to carry normal ancillary loads) but there are SPDT and SPST available and it would just involve more relays.

Yes, I couldn't think of fool proof way to switch break before make . We might need something like a three position switch to control the relays, where the middle position is unused.

Peter
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