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6V to 12 conversion q.



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 7th 13, 04:29 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Jorge[_2_]
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Posts: 6
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

a neighbor with a '60 bug asked me how difficult it is to go 12 volt.
I thought the starter was the worst of it.
tho you can spin a 6v starter with 12volt. isn't it easier to rebush the
tranny and find a bendix that fits the ring gear?
where can one get this?
TIA
g
--
Karma ; what a concept!
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  #2  
Old May 7th 13, 05:46 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Bill Leary
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Posts: 111
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

"Jorge" wrote in message
...
> a neighbor with a '60 bug asked me how difficult it is to go 12 volt.
> I thought the starter was the worst of it.
> tho you can spin a 6v starter with 12volt. isn't it easier to rebush the
> tranny and find a bendix that fits the ring gear?
> where can one get this?


I converted an, I think, '64 bug from 6V to 12V back in the '70's. But in
my case it was because I put in the motor from a late '70's bug, 12V
alternator rather than 6V generator, that had been in a front end collision.
I got them to throw in the starter. Ground out the transmission housing a
bit to let the flywheel fit. Starter bolted right in. Had to replace all
the light bulbs, not forgetting the dash board lights. And had to put a
piece of plywood on top of the battery because the 12V one was just a bit
too tall and if someone heavy enough sat on that side of the back seat it
would short out.

Not your situation, though.

Before I talked them into giving me the starter, I looked into replacing the
gear on the starter with the right one for the new engine. That would be a
6V Starter with a 12V starter gear. It turned out the starter rebuild shop
could do the job for a reasonable price. I expect you could do it the other
way around too.

I have to wonder if your bigger problem isn't going to be a 12V generator.

- Bill

  #3  
Old May 8th 13, 05:24 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
[email protected]
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Posts: 34
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

> I have to wonder if your bigger problem isn't going to
> be a 12V generator.
> - Bill


x2

Something I always wanted to do was re-wind/re-wire a 6v
generator to make enough voltage to charge a 12v battery.

The original idea was for dune buggies.

Too much load for that little thing?
Answer: Reduce the load.

Throw that st00pid #$%in' radio out first thing.
Make your VW engine run good and listen to it.

I never liked running a dune buggy at night, YMMV?

Alvin in AZ
  #4  
Old May 8th 13, 10:30 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Bill Leary
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Posts: 111
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

wrote in message ...
>> I have to wonder if your bigger problem isn't going to
>> be a 12V generator.

>
> x2
>
> Something I always wanted to do was re-wind/re-wire
> a 6v generator to make enough voltage to charge a
> 12v battery.


To each his own, I guess. Winding motors/generators isn't something I'd be
thinking of a fun to do.

> The original idea was for dune buggies.


> Too much load for that little thing?
> Answer: Reduce the load.


Well, if it's dune buggies it seems lighting would be the big issue (yes, I
know you address that later). If you want it to be street legal you need at
least the standard VW complement of lights. If you want to use it off road
at night, you pretty much need a lot more than standard.

> Throw that st00pid #$%in' radio out first thing.
> Make your VW engine run good and listen to it.


My recollection was that I could run a radio (regular radio, not a "sound
system") all day and still start it. Headlights would drain the battery in
a few hours.

> I never liked running a dune buggy at night, YMMV?


Yes. I'd be afraid of getting out somewhere and it going dark and not being
able to get back.

- Bill

  #6  
Old May 8th 13, 03:07 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Jorge[_2_]
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Posts: 6
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

In article >,
"Bill Leary" > wrote:

> "Jorge" wrote in message
> ...
> > a neighbor with a '60 bug asked me how difficult it is to go 12 volt.
> > I thought the starter was the worst of it.
> > tho you can spin a 6v starter with 12volt. isn't it easier to rebush the
> > tranny and find a bendix that fits the ring gear?
> > where can one get this?

>
> I converted an, I think, '64 bug from 6V to 12V back in the '70's. But in
> my case it was because I put in the motor from a late '70's bug, 12V
> alternator rather than 6V generator, that had been in a front end collision.
> I got them to throw in the starter. Ground out the transmission housing a
> bit to let the flywheel fit. Starter bolted right in. Had to replace all
> the light bulbs, not forgetting the dash board lights. And had to put a
> piece of plywood on top of the battery because the 12V one was just a bit
> too tall and if someone heavy enough sat on that side of the back seat it
> would short out.
>
> Not your situation, though.
>
> Before I talked them into giving me the starter, I looked into replacing the
> gear on the starter with the right one for the new engine. That would be a
> 6V Starter with a 12V starter gear. It turned out the starter rebuild shop
> could do the job for a reasonable price. I expect you could do it the other
> way around too.
>
> I have to wonder if your bigger problem isn't going to be a 12V generator.
>
> - Bill


I know the stand is different. on the starter bushing. I believe there
is a difference and someone makes a thin one to fit the bell housing and
the starter end.
--
Karma ; what a concept!
  #7  
Old May 8th 13, 06:34 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
[email protected]
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Posts: 34
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

Bill Leary > wrote:
> > Something I always wanted to do was re-wind/re-wire
> > a 6v generator to make enough voltage to charge a
> > 12v battery.

>
> To each his own, I guess. Winding motors/generators isn't
> something I'd be thinking of a fun to do.
> - Bill


Yeah but, Bill!
....I'm easily entertained! xD

I've always liked ramva, for example.

> > Too much load for that little thing?
> > Answer: Reduce the {electrical} load.


Friggin' arguing against myself here... LOL

Bosch etc didn't make the 12v generator bigger just for the fun of
it. They re-wired the 6v generator for 12v use and tried it out.
They made the 12v bigger knowing the heat generated and the future
demands VW was going to put on it?

Betcha it was something like that.

But always-wanted-to for dune buggies and maybe my '67 bug, anyway.

Little fan shroud, little generator, 88mm slip-ins... <shrug>

Alvin in AZ is a tinkering fool and never had any trouble with 88's.
  #8  
Old May 9th 13, 12:15 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Bill Leary
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Posts: 111
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

((..not replying to anyone in particular..))

When they are popular, I wanted a dune buggy. And considered converting my
bug into a buggy, but needed it as my daily driver. And, besides, I didn't
want to use a swing axle rear suspension for a buggy. Anyway, I never did
it.

I had a '64, 1.2L, 40HP, 6 volt bug. I put very large wheels and tires on
the back, installed air-shocks in the back, and replaced the engine with a
1.6L 65 or 70HP engine from a late 70's era beetle. Had to grind out the
transmission housing to clear the pinion wheel on the clutch. The car was
very quick and handled very well after all that.

- Bill

  #9  
Old May 9th 13, 08:47 PM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
[email protected]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 34
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

> And, besides, I didn't want to use a swing axle rear suspension
> for a buggy. Anyway, I never did it.


The trick was to use the swing axle actually but put an old Bus-axle
in it. It wouldn't want to wheelie when climbing a hill setup like a
Bug-axle will.

I could climb steep old cattle trails with a 40hp the other guys
with their powerful engines couldn't touch even with a fast head
start. It's rough and rocky around here and they'd have to slow down
at some point and that's when their Bug-axled dune buggy showed its
main flaw.

They'd get to a really steep spot and need to gas-it-a-little and
their Bug-axled-buggies would lift the nose so high, looked like it
was going to flip over backwards.

My second dune buggy just had a Bug-axle, never found a cheap enough
Bus-axle to put in it. :/ But sliding it around using the turning
brakes was better with that one tho. xD

> Had to grind out the transmission housing to clear the pinion
> wheel on the clutch.
> - Bill


Are you talking about cutting the clutch housing out so the 12v
flywheel and ring gear would fit?

If so, BTDT.

Had the kids help me sweep up the shavings and piled 'em up and
set 'em on fire too. LOL

Alvin in AZ
  #10  
Old May 10th 13, 05:11 AM posted to rec.autos.makers.vw.aircooled
Bill Leary
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Posts: 111
Default 6V to 12 conversion q.

wrote in message ...
>> And, besides, I didn't want to use a swing axle rear
>> suspension for a buggy. Anyway, I never did it.

>
> The trick was to use the swing axle actually but put an old
> Bus-axle in it. It wouldn't want to wheelie when climbing a
> hill setup like a Bug-axle will.


Those were the ones with the reduction gears at the wheel end of the axles?

> ((..omitted..))
>> Had to grind out the transmission housing to clear the
>> pinion wheel on the clutch.


> Are you talking about cutting the clutch housing out so the
> 12v flywheel and ring gear would fit?


Yes, but it wasn't cutting out the entire housing. There are the four
places the engine/transmission mounting bolts go through. At those points
the inside of the bell housing swells towards the drive shaft by (if memory
serves) about an inch. I ground down those four points by about a quarter
of an inch each to clear the 65HP / 12v engine's flywheel. Maybe earlier
transmissions, or later engines, would have require more grinding. It was
mostly tedious. Put the engine in, turn it (or try to) with the crank, pull
it back out, see where they bound up, and do it again. I'd been cautioned
by the a VW mechanic who took interest in the project to grind away the
minimum possible. I think we test fit it four or five times until it
finally would spin without hitting anything.

> If so, BTDT.


Yes.

> Had the kids help me sweep up the shavings and piled 'em
> up and set 'em on fire too. LOL


I just vacuumed them out.

- Bill

 




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