simple 6V to 12V ?

This is my 1st time, so be gentle. I need someone to explain to me (in simple terms) how to make my stock '40 LaSalle 322 flathead 3spd 12v neg ground.
I'm guessing I need a 12V battery,a one wire alternator,12V bulbs and my new 11 circuit harness.
Now, how do I mount the alternator? What belt? How to hook up stock gages?
Any help will be appreciated.[S

Thanks

Not quite that simple

You're on the right track, but you forgot one rule. There are no rules. Your 6 Volt starter will crank like crazy, for a while. Then it will burn out.

Stock guages? If you got an ammeter, it won't work. Volt meter is ok, oil pressure is mechanical.

How to mount the alternator? Grab all the old brackets you can find, grind some, weld some, curse some, drink beer. Which belt? Take a pully, and a guestimate on what the middle position of wear is going to be to figure length and go to the parts store and look confused.

They know me well! Good luck! And have fun!

I've been using the original 6 volt starter on my flatty for a while and before that had one in my 54 Belair both on 12 volt and both worked no problem,the latter for over 5 years.
There is a company who's name I just can't remember but I think he sells on egay that makes the alternator brackets for mounting in the stock position.
Speedway do several aswell like: -
http://www.speedwaymotors.com/1946-1953-Flathead-Ford-V8-Chrome-Alternator-Brackets,4204.html

collecting parts now, I figure it can't hurt trying the 6V starter[S
hell, I was planning on removing it anyhow

Really!

Now that I think back, those old 6Volt starters were built like a brick sh--house. All the electricals were in those days. No semi-conductors and such. And (now of course) I find that Ace hardware has brushes for such things.

I used to chase old Jaguar and Healy parts all across Europe, and they were down at the corner.

6v to 12v

why wont an amp meter work it doesnt read voltage why would it care. inquiring minds want to know

Well, it;s like this

jughead said:

why wont an amp meter work it doesnt read voltage why would it care. inquiring minds want to know

Click to expand...

Jug ya got a good question there. An ammeter measures current flow. According to a guy named Ohm, current flow is as follows:

I = E/R

I = current

E = electromotive force (Voltage)

R = resistance in Ohms

So, the current in a circuit can be figured by dividing the resistance into the voltage. If an ammeter wants to do this, it figures that in a six volt system, the E is going to equal 6 (volts). Jack it up to 12, and the meter will read, but only half as much.

So, as long as you can remember that the reading is actually only HALF of what is shown, you are cool!

And as long as you asked, the question of how clean do electrical connections need to be come up all the time.

To crank a starter, lets say for fun(?) that you need 100 amps of current.

Look at the formula. For I = 100, with 12 volts as a given, R needs to be really, really small. Just a little corrosion, say 5 Ohms worth, and you have
I = E/R

I = 12/5

I =2.4 amps, no crank. Maybe a click, maybe not.

Probably TMI, but I didn't really want to know it when I learned it. But it has served me well since.