12 Volt

[Roadster AA]

A friend of mine has an AA Doddlebug. I was looking at it and i saw it had a 12 volt battery. I asked him about it and he said he changed the coil to 12 volt and put in a 12 volt battery,that was it. No lights. I asked about the generator. He said he left the 6 volt generator,it still charges the battery, but slow. I said that sounded like bullcrap.
Will it work or is it Bull?

[Bob C]

It'll work, the battery is what limits the output voltage of the generator.
If the generator does not have a voltage regulator and is not hooked to
a battery it can put out up to 40 volts but will burn itself up.

Bob

[Roadster AA]

Thanks Bob,
So will something like that be OK or should one have a voltage regulator?

Pat

[Neil Wilson]

It sounds like the battery is the regulator - correct Bob?

I put a 12 volt in an A pickup years ago. I put an alternator on it. This was before you could simply buy one set up for an A. I have to put a resistor on the horn so it would sound like an A horn again. The started would spin the engine very well.

[Bob C]

This link explains how the three brush unregulated generator works.
http://www.splitdorfreg.com/Splitdorf%2 ... ystems.htm

Bob

[vtwinsideways]

12V will spin a starter real good, maybe too good. I've found it a little hard on bendixes (bendixs... bendicies... bendii... whatever!) both of the original and "bulletproof" styles. I switched over to 12V internals in my starter and things are much smoother and I haven't bent a starter shaft since. Not saying it's necissary, it just worked out better for me. You'll need a resistor for the ignition too, unless you go with 12V parts there too. Luke

[Chris Haynes]

I know a guy who has a 12 volt hooked up to a 6 volt starter. He uses a starter bendix spring as a resistor. It works well.

[vtwinsideways]

I know a guy who has a 12 volt hooked up to a 6 volt starter. He uses a starter bendix spring as a resistor. It works well.

???

[Chris Haynes]

I know a guy who has a 12 volt hooked up to a 6 volt starter. He uses a starter bendix spring as a resistor. It works well.

???

The bendix spring has a loop for a bolt on each end. He simply has one end on the starter switch and the other end to the cable. A longer bolt in the starter switch is all he changed.

[vtwinsideways]

A bendix spring would provide almost no resistance (voltage drop), steel being a good conductor. 6V starters will happily turn on 12 volts, as their coils are capable of handling more amperage, however they spin much faster with 12 volts. The need for resistors only comes into play with the ignition system and any accessories (horns, lights etc). Luke

[Chris Haynes]

He used it to slow down his starter when running it on 12 volts as he was breaking the bendix. It provided enough resistance to do the job.