LEAKOIL Forum

I finally got to take the bus out in the road for a trip to get gas. First time on the road since 1986. It ran great but it is very slow cranking once it warmed up, I have a hard start solenoid installed and new cables, she is still 6volt, guess I will be doing a 12v conversion this winter...

If you do a 12V conversion,keep the 6 volt starter. It likes 12V and you won't have ANY slow cranking probs Plus,you won't have to change the flywheel,stater bushing or buy a starter.
Bill

wwebner wrote:If you do a 12V conversion,keep the 6 volt starter. It likes 12V and you won't have ANY slow cranking probs Plus,you won't have to change the flywheel,stater bushing or buy a starter.
Bill

I agree my 6v starter, 12 v system lasted many years and cranked fast!!

Cool, I was wondering if the old 6v starter would hold up if I left it alone. i have a bunch of work to do before I get to the 12 volt conversion.

dasbusking wrote:I finally got to take the bus out in the road for a trip to get gas. First time on the road since 1986. It ran great but it is very slow cranking once it warmed up, I have a hard start solenoid installed and new cables, she is still 6volt, guess I will be doing a 12v conversion this winter...

Is the trans to chassis ground strap good? Are your battery cables at least 0AWG? Is your starter bushing good? What kind of hard start relay do you have? If it is the Ford style ditch it, it pulls as much current as the stock solenoid. Replace it with this relay and use 10AWG if not 8AWG wire for the line and load side of the relay.

With less work than a reliable 12v conversion you can have a correctly functioning 6v system.

While you are at it, might as well throw some relays in for the brake lights too. No one will know that you are still rockin' 6 volts.

Here is a post of my relay setup in the beloved 58'
http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic. ... lay#p12831

Josh wrote:While you are at it, might as well throw some relays in for the brake lights too. No one will know that you are still rockin' 6 volts.

Here is a post of my relay setup in the beloved 58'
http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic. ... lay#p12831

Josh, do you have a pic of how the trailer hitch is installed (above link)?

toolbox wrote:

dasbusking wrote:I finally got to take the bus out in the road for a trip to get gas. First time on the road since 1986. It ran great but it is very slow cranking once it warmed up, I have a hard start solenoid installed and new cables, she is still 6volt, guess I will be doing a 12v conversion this winter...

Is the trans to chassis ground strap good? Are your battery cables at least 0AWG? Is your starter bushing good? What kind of hard start relay do you have? If it is the Ford style ditch it, it pulls as much current as the stock solenoid. Replace it with this relay and use 10AWG if not 8AWG wire for the line and load side of the relay.

With less work than a reliable 12v conversion you can have a correctly functioning 6v system.

Thanks, I wish I would have come on here and asked around before I bought the Ford style Sol., you know a good quality 6v ford solenoid is $29 now... I could have bought relays for the taillights, brake lights, head lights, and the start circuit...

slayer wrote:

Josh wrote:While you are at it, might as well throw some relays in for the brake lights too. No one will know that you are still rockin' 6 volts.

Here is a post of my relay setup in the beloved 58'
http://www.leakoil.net/forum/viewtopic. ... lay#p12831

Josh, do you have a pic of how the trailer hitch is installed (above link)?

I bought that little gem from our own CaptKirk, he made it. I don't have pics, but it used u bolts around the trans mounts and somewhere else? He can elaborate, and maybe provide pics?

I have the hitch here, Chris. Can get pix if need be, but it's basically a Westy style hitch, torsion, frame horns and bumper for mounting points.