Posted by Sherman in Idaho [72.47.153.61] on Thursday, March 05, 2015 at 16:42:34 :
In Reply to: 1953 Project PW posted by Barton [76.184.137.89] on Thursday, March 05, 2015 at 15:46:48 :
It no doubt started out as 6 volt. Over the years, there's no telling what anyone did to it in the way of a half-"hearted" conversion. The things to check are the tags on the generator and starter, and the light bulbs. If it has 12 volt headlight bulbs, it's probably had a 12 volt battery and regulator in it recently. If whoever did it didn't do it right, the 6 volt fuel gauge is certainly burned out. You can keep the 6V starter in a 12V system, and you can even keep the 6V generator if you put a 12V regulator on it, although neither will be particularly happy with the situation. Likewise with the spark coil -- 6V will work at 12V, but at the least, it needs a ballast resistor added.
In short, deciding whether an old truck is "6V" or "12V" is not quite as simple as it seems. Best to figure out which system you want, and then replace parts as needed to make it right for that voltage. And don't burn out your 6V gas gauge -- they are scarce as hen's teeth.