Re: Re: How to start and what to look for?

[Anonymous]

Hi Justin,
If the battery is connected to the engine block, but the block does not have an earth strap back to the body, and if there is no other connection to the negative battery terminal then, as you say, all the negative/earth/return current from things like headlamps, radio etc has to flow through the engine mounts, cables, fuel pipe etc. Not great. So an earth strap from the block to the body as you describe would be a good thing for both starting and running the other things. It’s not a huge current, so doesn’t need to be like a thick battery cable. It really just needs to handle the output of the generator – maybe 50 amps max so about 6mm diameter.
I’m going to have to look for one on mine! I think I’ve seen it somewhere near the timing chain cover.
The isolator on my car became a high resistance point itself so whilst it is still physically there I have dispensed with its services.
For conversion to 12V, you have to make some choices.
Do you want an alternator or dynamo? – which is really about how much night time driving in the rain you wish to do with the radio on. With 12 Volts you can choose halogen bulbs at 55 Watts each. Choose alternator for the highest output.
How original do you want the car to look? The dynator is an alternator that looks like a dynamo. £455 from here –(http://www.fossewayperformance.co.uk/dynators-dynamos/) , £440 from here (http://www.autoelectricsupplies.co.uk/product_list/197) .
If you go down the dynamo path, you could get an exchange dynamo from Chris T (TOC Spares) – you’d need to check with him whether he would take 6V parts from you in exchange for 12V – but the difference is in the windings and therefore the reconditioning process could take care of that.
Reconditioned dynamos are £153 exchange from Chris per the spares price list (http://traction-owners.co.uk/uploads/spares/pricelist.pdf)
You could run your 6V starter motor on 12V – I am pretty sure that’s what I am doing – just don’t churn it too long…
Alternatively the 12V Lucas starter motor is £180 exchange from Chris – but he may not take a French motor in exchange for a Lucas one – because they are quite rare – again, a chat with Chris would be a good thing.
If you fit a 12V dynamo you will need a new voltage regulator – £31.66 from Chris. You might want to consider a solid state one though.
If you fit an alternator it should include the voltage and current regulation. Jose Franssen do a conversion set for 330 euros which I assume includes the mounting bracket.
When I did it, I bought a Lucas 17 ACR and made a bracket from strip steel – cost about £60 from memory – but nul points for originality or even prettiness.
Then of course you have to change all the bulbs luckily there aren’t many. Don’t forget the interior light and the panel lights.
And then you come to the wiper motor and fuel gauge. I understand that the fuel gauge should be ok at 12 Volts. But the wiper motor won’t be and either needs to be swapped or rewound for 12 volts or it will needs a 12 volt to 6 volt converter.
There are two ways to drop the voltage – either use a resistor (many do this, plenty available – VW Beetle spares shops do them) but because I am running the fuel gauge as well as the wipers – and hence the current varies over a wide range – I used an electronic converter to get a constant voltage over the current range – about £20 from Hong Kong courtesy of ebay. I run that off the switched side of the ignition switch. I located it next to the now-redundant voltage regulator – which is a pretty hot place in a Summer traffic jam. I think it would be better located inside the car.
If you don’t use your starter motor or dynamo as exchange cores, then I would think you’d get upwards of £50 for each of them. There are plenty of 6 volt enthusiasts.
I recently had a dynamo off an american car rewound by these guys – (http://www.robsonandfrancisrewinds.co.uk/veteran/index.html) – that cost me over £250 – but it was a biggun. They did a superb job in a week. I know John Gillard uses them for tractions.

Bon chance!
Regards
Chris